Another REALTOR® Day at the Capitol is in the Books!
Thank you so much to everyone who attended REALTOR® Day at the Capitol! We had over 200 attendees from across the state, and had a very successful day speaking with our legislators. We would like to thank Henry Sobanet, Director of the Office of State Planning and Budget for Governor John Hickenlooper for providing the audience an interesting and insightful keynote address.
In addition, we would like to thank the legislators who joined us at the Realtor Day luncheon:
Speaker of the House Crisanta Duran
Senate Majority Leader Chris Holbert
Senator Cooke Senator Kerr
Senator Jones Senator Tate
Representative Buck Representative Kraft-Tharp
Representative Lawrence Representative Lebsock
Representative Liston Representative Ransom
Representative Rosenthal Representative Saine
Representative Sias Representative Thurlow
Representative Wilson
We are also very grateful to those elected officials and executive branch staff who made time to come speak to us in the Old Supreme Court Chambers:
Senate Majority Leader Chris Holbert
House Majority Leader KC Becker
House Assistant Minority Leader Cole Wist
Senator Nancy Todd
Representative Paul Lundeen
Erick Scheminske, Deputy Director, Office of State Planning and Budget
Kurt Morrison, Governor’s Legislative Director
Finally, we would like to thank the legislators that attended the RPAC Reception on February 7th:
Senate President Grantham
Senate Majority Leader Chris Holbert
Senator Randy Baumgardner
Senator Gardner
Senator Todd
Representative Arndt Representative Bridges
Representative Carver Representative Hanson
Representative Jackson Representative Lawrence
Representative Leonard Representative Liston
Representative McKean Representative Rosenthal
Representative Rankin Representative Willett
Colorado State Board of Education Member Rankin
Regulation of Home Inspectors Dies in the Senate Finance Committee
CAR supported Senate Bill 17-038, Concerning Regulation of Home Inspectors by Senator Nancy Todd (D-Aurora) died in the Senate Finance Committee on February 9th. The Legislative Policy Committee (LPC) supported the bill and CAR members Ed Hardy and David Barber testified in favor of this important legislation. SB17-038 would have made it unlawful for a person to act as a home inspector without first registering with the department of regulatory agencies. This year’s bill would have required a home inspector to pay a registration fee, show proof of possession of minimum liability insurance coverage, and submit fingerprints for a criminal background check. The registration program would have sunset in five years.
CAR believes SB 17-038 was a consumer protection bill that was an important step to identify who the professionals are that wish to undertake the significant responsibility of home inspection. For consumers, one of the biggest transactions they make during the course of their lifetime is the sale or purchase of a home. Home Inspectors have a tremendous amount of access to the most private aspect of a consumer’s living space — their home. Incidents of burglary, incorrect reporting, and even threats to personal safety are not what consumers should be worrying about as they participate in a real estate transaction. Home Inspectors are the only professional in the transaction that is not currently regulated who can have a significant impact on the outcome of the real estate transaction.
Senate Bill 17-45: Construction Defect Claim Allocation of Defense Costs
SB 17-045, Construction Defect Claim Allocation of Defense Costs was introduced early in the legislative session by Senate President Grantham (R-Canyon City), Senator Angela Williams (D-Denver) and House Majority Leader Duran (D-Denver) and Representative Cole Wist (R-Centennial). CAR is Neutral on the bill, but the Home Opportunity Alliance of which CAR belongs, joined many other construction groups to amend SB17-045 to address industry concerns. The bill was amended and passed out of the Senate Business, Labor and Technology on February 8th and now will go to the Senate Appropriations Committee. Both Republican and Democratic committee members expressed their hope that the bill be amended further before it goes to the Senate floor. The industry agrees with these Senators that the bill should be further amended.
As introduced, the bill allows an insurance company to request that the court apportion the defense costs (e.g., attorney fees) equitably among all liability insurers who have a duty to defend against the claim. The bill requires that the district court set the contribution claim within 90 days after the filing of the action to promptly resolve the case. The district court is required to enter relevant orders to hold an expedited evidentiary hearing. Following a final judgment resolving all claims, any insurer may apply to the district court for a final apportionment of the defense costs, and the district court must equitably allocate defense costs among the insurers.
Although SB-045 has bi-partisan sponsorship, the bill in its current form could actually harm building efforts because it removes a 7-year old provision requiring insurers to offer legal counsel to subcontractors between when a notice of a defects claim is filed and the actual filing of a lawsuit, which increases the costs of lawsuits. More importantly, it creates an evidentiary hearing that could be open to the public and allow plaintiff attorneys to use that information against builders in further litigation.
Invest in RPAC
The purpose of RPAC is to support candidates that support REALTORS®. Our goal is to get pro-REALTOR® candidates elected at the local, state, and federal levels – candidates that share our support for homeownership, protect property rights, and who will listen to our concerns. Investing in RPAC is one of the easiest things you can do to protect your business. Our goal in 2017 is to raise $600,000 to continue to support our REALTOR ® champions and ensure we achieve the policy outcomes necessary to protect property rights. Click here to invest today!
Colorado Project Wildfire
Developed by the Colorado Association of REALTORS®, Project Wildfire is designed to help reduce the destruction of land, property, and lives. Working in partnership with other like-minded fire prevention organizations across the state, local REALTOR® associations are bringing education and awareness, as well as access to resources, directly to residents in their local communities. To learn more about Colorado Project Wildfire, click here.
NAR Midyear Meetings in Washington, DC: May 15-20, 2017
The REALTORS® Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo is where NAR members take an active role to advance the real estate industry, public policy, and the association. REALTORS® come to Washington, DC, for special issues forums, committee meetings, legislative activities, and the industry trade show. Registration opens on February 15, 2017. Click here for more information.
Transit Alliance Spring 2017 Citizen’s Academy
The Transit Alliance is hosting their annual spring 2017 Citizen’s Academy from April 5, 2017 – May 17, 2017. This is a great opportunity to discuss transportation, community development, and sustainability in Colorado. The class is limited, so please get your applications in soon. More information and the application can be found here. The deadline to apply is March 17, 2017.