PENNSYLVANIA ENACTS NEW PROCEDURES REQUIRING REAL PROPERTY OWNERS TO PROVIDE CONTACT INFORMATION TO ASSESSMENT OFFICER
On September 18, 2026, Pennsylvania House Bill 858, now “Act 29,” took effect requiring businessesi that acquire real property to identify a contact person who has “the authority and ability to repair, maintain or otherwise remedy a problem…” with the real property.ii Within 30 days of acquiring real property the business must provide the county chief assessor with the name, email address and telephone number for a contact person as well as the name and address of the business which newly acquired the property. 68 Pa. C.S. Ch. 25, §§ 2501-2508. Changes to this information must also be reported within 30 days.
Notably, individuals that own and occupy their real property as their personal residence are exempted from the reporting requirement.iii Ostensibly, the underlying need for this information is to ensure the assessor’s office has accurate contact information for non-owner-occupied properties which are often in disrepair due to extended vacancies resulting in municipal code violations or creating other issues that require owner involvement to remedy.
In the event a non-exempt owner fails to timely provide the required information, the county can levy a fine up to $500, but only if the failure to comply was intentional.iv Act 29 gave the chief assessor 60 days from the July 2026 enactment date to “promulgate forms and processes” to enable compliance with the new requirements; however, as of this writing it does not appear the assessor has developed or published any formal processes.
We are in contact with the Assessors Association of Pennsylvania to determine if the various county assessors will work collectively to establish uniform procedures for complying with the Acts’ requirements. Although Act 29 adds yet another procedural compliance burden, receiving timely notice of code violations and other issues involving newly acquired properties may be a fair trade off. Ideally, the assessor will provide prompt notice of any issues which could reduce overall costs associated with troubled properties acquired through foreclosure.
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On September 18, 2026, Pennsylvania House Bill 858, now “Act 29,” took effect requiring businesses that acquire real property to identify themselves with the county assessor within 30 days of acquiring real property and to provide contact information of a person with “the authority and ability to repair, maintain or otherwise remedy a problem…” with the real property. 68 Pa. C.S. Ch. 25, §§ 2501-2508. Owners who occupy their property as their principal residence are exempted from the requirements of Act 29.
Any changes to the contact information must also be provided within 30 days and failure to comply with these reporting requirements can result in a fine up to $500, but only if the failure to comply was intentional.
Act 29 gave the chief assessor 60 days from the July 2026 enactment date to “promulgate forms and processes” to enable compliance with the new requirements; however, as of this writing it does not appear the assessor has developed or published any formal processes. Our office will continue to gather information to ensure compliance.
i Under Act 29, a “business” includes corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, business trusts, statutory trusts, and entities of two or more persons associated in a common enterprise or undertaking, as defined by 15 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. § 102 (LexisNexis, Lexis Advance through 2026 Regular Session Act 51; P.S. documents are current through 2026 Regular Session Act 51). 68 Pa.C.S. Ch. 25, §§ 2501.
ii 68 Pa.C.S. Ch. 25, §§ 2505.
iii 68 Pa.C.S. Ch. 25, §§ 2504.
iv 68 Pa.C.S. Ch. 25, §§ 2507.
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