STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1684

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

RE:   S.B. No. 522

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 522, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LAND COURT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to enable the counties to make more accurate real property tax assessments by requiring the assistant registrar of the Land Court to provide without charge, within ten days after each week, an image and index of all deeds and other voluntary instruments, writs, or other process that have been recorded that week relating to registered land.  This bill further stipulates that the counties will agree upon one county to serve as the clearinghouse to receive this weekly information and forward it to the other counties without charge.

     The Hawaii County Finance Department, City and County of Honolulu, and Maui Real Property Tax Division supported this bill.  The Department of Land and Natural Resources opposed this bill.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 522, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair