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S 1929

Adjusts the regional labor force cost index for the Hudson Valley region

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Bill Weber

Overhauls municipal property tax foreclosures: mandates sale within 180 days after final judgment unless town retains property, with required appraisal, auction, and notice.

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Bill Summary · S 1929

Summary — S.1929 (Massachusetts) — "An Act to update certain changes to property tax collection laws"

Note: the available metadata for this filing contains inconsistent items (different titles, sponsors, and jurisdictions). This summary is based on the bill text filed as Senate Docket No. 1486 / Senate No. 1929 (Commonwealth of Massachusetts), which proposes targeted amendments to chapter 60 (property tax/foreclosure) and to changes made by chapter 140 of the Acts of 2024.

Purpose / Intent

To revise several procedural and substantive provisions governing municipal property tax foreclosure, notice, sale, and accounting procedures — clarifying notice rules, expanding recoverable posting costs, changing interest/penalty calculations tied to dates of sale/taking, and setting timing, appraisal, auction and accounting requirements after a land court judgment foreclosing the right of redemption.

Key provisions and changes

  • Notice language simplification:

    • Removes repeated statutory qualifiers referring specifically to “Class one, residential property” in several sections (Section 2C(9), §§16, 52, 53), broadly applying uniform notice language across property classes.

  • Recoverable posting costs (Section 2 / §15, ch. 60):

    • Adds “the cost of services of an officer posting such notices on properties” to the list of costs that may be added to tax titles (i.e., recoverable).

  • Interest/penalty rate amendment (Section 7 / §62, ch. 60):

    • Modifies the penalty rate applied when land is taken or sold:
    • 16% for land taken or sold prior to November 1, 2024; and
    • 8% for land taken or sold on or after November 1, 2024.

  • Post-judgment sale/retention timing and notification (Section 8 / §64A):

    • Applies §64A to municipal sales and to purchasers of tax receivables following a final land court judgment.
    • Requires the judgment holder to proceed to sell within 180 days after the judgment becomes final unless a municipality’s chief executive makes a written decision within 120 days to retain the property for municipal use.
    • Requires certified‑mail notice to former owners and known redemption holders informing them of the judgment holder’s election and the rights/procedures for claiming any excess equity.

  • Sale procedures and appraisal (Sections 9–12 / §64A):

    • Restricts certain references to purchasers of tax receivables in subsection (b)(1).
    • Requires that a municipality or purchaser selling the property: within 120 days after final judgment (i) conduct an appraisal consistent with subsection (b); (ii) auction with a Commonwealth‑licensed auctioneer under §77B; (iii) accept bids no less than two‑thirds of appraised value; and (iv) prohibit bids from municipal elected/appointed officials or employees, and from the purchaser of tax receivables (or their owners/officers/employees).

  • Accounting and notice of proceeds (Section 13 / §64A):

    • Requires a written, itemized accounting of sale proceeds or an appraisal report (including sale price, legal fees, marketing/auctioneer/advertising/appraisal fees, and any excess equity) to be mailed by certified mail to parties entitled to claim excess equity within a specified short period (text truncated — starts “not more than 30 days ...”).

Who is affected

  • Former property owners whose properties were subject to municipal tax foreclosure (and parties entitled to claim excess equity).
  • Municipalities (chief executives, tax collectors) — both in terms of decision-making (retain or sell) and allowable costs.
  • Purchasers of tax receivables.
  • Licensed auctioneers and officers who post foreclosure notices.
  • Municipal officials/employees who are barred from purchasing in auctions under these rules.

Timing/Procedural deadlines established in the bill

  • Municipality must decide to retain property within 120 days after judgment becomes final (or sale proceeds).
  • Judgment holder generally must sell within 180 days after the judgment becomes final unless retained.
  • Appraisal and auction requirements to be completed not later than 120 days after final judgment.
  • Itemized accounting to be mailed to entitled parties within approximately 30 days after sale/appraisal (text truncated).

Legislative status & actions (as provided)

  • Introduced in the Senate (filed 1/16/2025 in Massachusetts docket; other metadata shows 6/3/2025 introduction and committee referrals).
  • Referred to relevant committees (Revenue; some records show Health/Education/Labor & Pensions — likely metadata conflicts).
  • Hearings scheduled and later rescheduled/cancelled (dates listed in file); text of §64A in the file is truncated.

Notes & uncertainties

  • The bill text in the provided file is truncated at the end of Section 13; the final portions of the accounting/notice requirement and any additional sections are not visible.
  • Provided sponsor and procedural metadata appear inconsistent and may combine records from multiple jurisdictions or bills. This summary relies on the internal chapter 60 amendments shown in the Massachusetts bill text.

If you want, I can:
- Produce a redline-style list showing exactly which statutory phrases are removed/replaced; or
- Flag likely fiscal impacts (e.g., increased recoverable costs and potential change in amounts due to interest rate change) and estimate municipal effects if you provide local tax sale volumes.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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