SB454: Residential Property Disclosure Act; disclosure of stormwater detention facilities.

SENATE BILL NO. 454
Offered January 9, 2008
Prefiled January 9, 2008
A BILL to amend and reenact 55-519 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Virginia Residential Property Disclosure Act; disclosure of storm water detention facilities.
Patrons-- Petersen; Delegate: Eisenberg

Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That 55-519 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

55-519. Required disclosures.

A. With regard to transfers described in 55-517 of this chapter, the owner of the residential real property shall furnish to a purchaser a residential property disclosure statement in a form provided by the Real Estate Board stating that the owner makes the following representations as to the real property:

1. The owner makes no representations or warranties as to the condition of the real property or any improvements thereon, and purchasers are advised to exercise whatever due diligence a particular purchaser deems necessary including obtaining a certified home inspection, as defined in 54.1-500, in accordance with terms and conditions as may be contained in the real estate purchase contract, but in any event, prior to settlement on a parcel of residential real property;

2. The owner makes no representations with respect to any matters that may pertain to parcels adjacent to the subject parcel and that purchasers are advised to exercise whatever due diligence a particular purchaser deems necessary with respect to adjacent parcels in accordance with terms and conditions as may be contained in the real estate purchase contract, but in any event, prior to settlement on a parcel of residential real property;

3. The owner makes no representations to any matters that pertain to whether the provisions of any historic district ordinance affect the property and purchasers are advised to exercise whatever due diligence a particular purchaser deems necessary with respect to any historic district designated by the locality pursuant to 15.2-2306, including review of any local ordinance creating such district or any official map adopted by the locality depicting historic districts, in accordance with terms and conditions as may be contained in the real estate purchase contract, but in any event, prior to settlement on a parcel of residential real property;

4. The owner makes no representations with respect to whether the property contains any resource protection areas established in an ordinance implementing the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act ( 10.1-2100 et seq.) adopted by the locality where the property is located pursuant to 10.1-2109 and that purchasers are advised to exercise whatever due diligence a particular purchaser deems necessary to determine whether the provisions of any such ordinance affect the property, including review of any official map adopted by the locality depicting resource protection areas, in accordance with terms and conditions as may be contained in the real estate purchase contract, but in any event, prior to settlement on a parcel of residential real property;

5. The owner makes no representations with respect to information on any sexual offenders registered under Chapter 23 ( 19.2-387 et seq.) of Title 19.2 and that purchasers are advised to exercise whatever due diligence they deem necessary with respect to such information, in accordance with terms and conditions as may be contained in the real estate purchase contract, but in any event, prior to settlement pursuant to that contract; and

6. The owner represents that there are no pending enforcement actions pursuant to the Uniform Statewide Building Code ( 36-97 et seq.) that affect the safe, decent, sanitary living conditions of the property of which the owner has been notified in writing by the locality, except as disclosed on the disclosure statement, nor any pending violation of the local zoning ordinance which the violator has not abated or remedied under the zoning ordinance, within a time period set out in the written notice of violation from the locality or established by a court of competent jurisdiction, except as disclosed on the disclosure statement.

B. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection A, the owner of the residential real property shall be required to disclose to the purchaser prior to settlement the presence of any storm water detention facilities on the property.