Legislation watch
2008 House Bill 6304: Increase “historic” building regulation penalties
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- Introduced by Rep. Robert Jones (D) on June 28, 2008, to increase the penalties for violating the law that prohibits owners of buildings deemed to be “historic” from undertaking exterior renovations on their property without permission from a local authority. The bill increases civil fines for unauthorized work from $5,000 to $50,000, and for unauthorized demolition to $150,000. It also increases criminal penalties, and revises a number of other provisions to generally increase enforcement of these restrictions on property owners.
- Referred to the House Intergovernmental, Urban And Regional Affairs Committee on June 28, 2008.
Comments
1) Empowering Old-house Vigilantes by Anonymous Citizen on July 28, 2008In addition to increasing fines up to $150,000 for homeowners who violate the dictates of their local historic-district enforcers, this bill confers special powers on the National Trust for Historic Preservation to take action against Michigan property owners.
Over the last couple decades the National Trust has changed from an advocate for historic preservation to a reactionary, stasist, anti-growth pressure group. They can be counted on to oppose all change to urban or rural land, regardless of whether it affects cultural resources. For this reason I let my membership lapse years ago.
Dealing with amateur historians who use historic districts to force their tastes on their neighbors is hard enough already. Michigan would be foolish to give these radical greens the ability to file lawsuits against homeowners.
Introduced in the House on June 28, 2008
Click here to view bill details.
