State would pilot acquiring abandoned properties in towns needing financial help

The director would set up a pilot that lets the state obtain abandoned properties. The pilot would cover towns the director finds need financial help and recovery. The director would use tax records, surveys, and local lists to identify properties that meet the legal test for abandonment. The state could buy those properties, accept them as gifts, or use the abandoned property process to take title. The pilot would expire on December 1, 2031.

The director would write an agreement for a land bank to acquire property on the director’s behalf. The agreement would cover property acquisition in towns the director finds need financial help and recovery. The director would choose the state department, a nonprofit land bank, or the town to acquire property under the agreement. The director and town would set the land bank’s start date together. The agreement would be due within six months after the law takes effect.