BILLASPASSEDBYTHEHOUSE H.106
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H.106
IntroducedbyRepresentativeStevensofWaterbury
ReferredtoCommitteeon
Date:
Subject:Property;conveyanceofrealestate;floodplaindisclosure
Statementofpurposeofbillasintroduced:Thisbillproposestorepealthe
requirementthatasellerofrealpropertynotifyapurchaserwhetherthe
propertyislocatedinaFederalEmergencyManagementAgencymapped
floodhazardarea.
AnactrelatingtosellingrealpropertywithinaFEMAmappedflood
hazardarea
ItisherebyenactedbytheGeneralAssemblyoftheStateofVermont:
Sec.1.27V.S.A.§380isamendedtoread:
§380.DISCLOSUREOFINFORMATION;CONVEYANCE OFREAL
ESTATE
(a)Priortooraspartofacontractfortheconveyanceofrealproperty,the
sellershallprovidethebuyerwiththefollowinginformation:
(1)whethertherealpropertyislocatedinaFederalEmergency
ManagementAgencymappedspecialfloodhazardarea;[Repealed.]
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(2)whethertherealpropertyislocatedinaFederalEmergency
ManagementAgencymappedmoderatefloodhazardarea;[Repealed.]
(3)whethertherealpropertywassubjecttofloodingorflooddamage
whilethesellerpossessedtheproperty,includingflooddamagefrom
inundationorfromflood-relatederosionorlandslidedamage;and
(4)whetherthesellermaintainsfloodinsuranceontherealproperty.
(b)Thefailureofthesellertoprovidethebuyerwiththeinformation
requiredundersubsection(a)ofthissectionisgroundsforthebuyerto
terminatethecontractpriortotransferoftitleoroccupancy,whicheveroccurs
earlier.
(c)Abuyerofrealestatewhofailstoreceivetheinformationrequiredto
bedisclosedbyasellerundersubsection(a)ofthissectionmaybringanaction
torecoverfromthesellertheamountofthebuyer’sdamagesandreasonable
attorney’sfees.Thebuyermayalsoseekpunitivedamageswhentheseller
knowinglyfailedtoprovidetherequiredinformation.
(d)Asellershallnotbeliablefordamagesunderthissectionforanyerror,
inaccuracy,oromissionofanyinformationrequiredtobedisclosedtothe
buyerundersubsection(a)ofthissectionwhentheerror,inaccuracy,or
omissionwasbasedoninformationprovidedbyapublicbodyorbyanother
personwithaprofessionallicenseorspecialknowledgewhoprovideda
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writtenreportthatthesellerreasonablybelievedtobecorrectandthatwas
providedbythesellertothebuyer.
(e)Noncompliancewiththerequirementsofthissectionshallnotaffectthe
marketabilityoftitleofarealproperty.
Sec.2.FAILURETODISCLOSE;CONVEYANCE OFREALESTATE;
REPEAL
Aclaimarisingfromthefailureofasellerofrealestatetoprovide
informationrequiredby27V.S.A.§ 380(a)(1)or(2)shallnotbeeligiblefor
damages,includingpunitivedamages,orreasonableattorney’sfeesunder
27 V.S.A.§380(c).
Sec.3.EFFECTIVEDATES
Thisactshalltakeeffectonpassage,exceptthat,notwithstanding1V.S.A.
§ 214,Sec.2shallapplyretroactivelytoJune17,2024andshallapplytoany
claimfiledonorafterJune17,2024.
Sec.1.27V.S.A.§380isamendedtoread:
§380.DISCLOSUREOFINFORMATION;CONVEYANCEOFREAL
ESTATE
(a)Priortooraspartofacontractfortheconveyanceofrealproperty,the
sellershallprovidethebuyerwiththefollowinginformation:
(1)whethertherealpropertyislocatedinaFederalEmergency
ManagementAgencymappedspecialfloodhazardarea;
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(2)whethertherealpropertyislocatedinaFederalEmergency
ManagementAgencymappedmoderatefloodhazardarea;
(3)whethertherealpropertywassubjecttofloodingorflooddamage
whilethesellerpossessedtheproperty,includingflooddamagefrom
inundationorfromflood-relatederosionorlandslidedamage;and
(4)whetherthesellermaintainsfloodinsuranceontherealproperty.
(b)Thefailureofthesellertoprovidethebuyerwiththeinformation
requiredundersubsection(a)ofthissectionisgroundsforthebuyerto
terminatethecontractpriortotransferoftitleoroccupancy,whicheveroccurs
earlier.
(c)AbuyerIfasellerofrealestatewhofailstoreceiveprovidethe
informationrequiredtobedisclosedbyasellerundersubsection(a)ofthis
section,abuyermaybringanactiontorecoverfromthesellertheamountof
thebuyer’sdamagesandreasonableattorney’sfees.Thebuyermayalsoseek
punitivedamageswhenthesellerknowinglyfailedtoprovidetherequired
information.
(d)Asellershallnotbeliablefordamagesunderthissectionforanyerror,
inaccuracy,oromissionofanyinformationrequiredtobedisclosedtothe
buyerundersubsection(a)ofthissection:
(1)whentheerror,inaccuracy,oromissionwasbasedoninformation
providedbyapublicbodyorbyanotherpersonwithaprofessionallicenseor BILLASPASSEDBYTHEHOUSE H.106
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specialknowledgewhoprovidedawrittenreportthatthesellerreasonably
believedtobecorrectandthatwasprovidedbythesellertothebuyer;or
(2)iftheseller,afterreasonableattempttoidentifywhetherthelocation
oftherealpropertyiswithinaFederalEmergencyManagementAgency
mappedspecialormoderatefloodhazardarea,notifiesthebuyerthatthe
sellercannotreasonablydetermineiftherealpropertyislocatedwithina
specialormoderatefloodhazardareaandthesellernotifiesthebuyerofthe
requirementsofsubsection(a)ofthissection.
(e)Noncompliancewiththerequirementsofthissectionshallnotaffectthe
marketabilityoftitleofarealproperty.
Sec.2.EFFECTIVEDATES
Thisactshalltakeeffectonpassage.