Senate Bill 202, which aims to shorten the time property owners who owe back taxes can claim property before it goes to sale, passed the Pennsylvania House on June 22.
“With this bill on its way to the Governor’s desk for his signature, Pittsburgh and Allegheny County will soon have another powerful tool to address blight,” Sen. Wayne Fontana said via statement.
Locally, the bill would prioritize Allegheny County’s land banks when bidding at sheriff’s sales of tax delinquent properties.
The bill also cuts the redemption period for homeowners to claim the property before it goes to sale from the current nine months down to three.
A spokesperson from Fontana’s office said the change will expedite the process and “help get more properties in and out of inventory much quicker and ready for rehabilitation.”
Senate Bill 202 is a priority of the Bicameral Bipartisan Blight Task Force and is supported by the Pittsburgh Land Bank, the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group, the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania, the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, and the Tri-COG Land Bank.
The bill has passed the Pennsylvania Senate unanimously the past two legislative sessions.