By Ed Sealover | The Sum & Substance
Gov. Jared Polis and a bipartisan group of lawmakers rolled out the latest effort to reform construction-defects laws and jumpstart the condominium market Wednesday — a day after opponents introduced a conflicting bill that sets the playing field for this year’s debate.
House Bill 1272, which has bipartisan support, would make it more difficult to file lawsuits over reputed defects in owner-occupied multifamily housing, would offer developers more affirmative defenses against such suits and would prioritize repair over reparations. It mirrors a bill that died in the House last year in some ways but also seeks to re-focus specifically on lower-cost condominiums and “de-risks the market” by providing owners more pathways to resolve disputes more quickly outside the court system.