[{"_1":2,"_121":-5,"_122":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,87,97,109],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6255220,"mediaKeyId","3167260-d154fcf25568d3db0233b151e69a64b9","parentId",3167260,"title","Senate committee holds first hearing on 'Gus Frangos Act' to update county land bank law","audioSeconds",364,"startMs",34000,"endMs",398000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3167260-d154fcf25568d3db0233b151e69a64b9&start=34&end=398","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3167260-d154fcf25568d3db0233b151e69a64b9/thumbnail_34000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6255220/Ohio/Senate-committee-holds-first-hearing-on-Gus-Frangos-Act-to-update-county-land-bank-law","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6255220-933912ca37aa1ff7810584808da675ff/orig.mp4?Expires=1771026668&Signature=NBi8LDKCJ6Nrz3k9Fu6pL97FVAxFypUNuXDAdNDurlnryhAKKimshoeRBfI4V6Y0if3H7T9626ezVWHdzP~4XMAlFyP8ykk4P2ByjYWacs-GL8NXfI4u-0HWHQYp59HoudR4KTvqVC-4cos69LCxeaNUcgCzYTzC1LQXQ~2T5Kcjb20w554rR8aWLnJjx-dINy5a2~XmJQCESWE9dqOsXDvbPJp4eSGhXhy4x3Yv9eay9FCpPCGElr~ca9VYk5BFTZ2BLtv~7mhM~xFmCOSAkN3VFWSIZu742lXBOiWoRIt~-a1-4yintDG74Hs1Ux1h55gWTsvmOa07K4diGO3YzQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Ohio Legislature","date","2025-04-30T00:00:00Z","article","Senate Bill 102, the Gus Frangos Act, received its first hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the bill’s sponsor testimony and descriptive outline of proposed changes to Ohio land bank law.

The bill is aimed at updating the law that governs county land bank entities — public bodies that acquire, hold and transfer vacant or tax-delinquent property for redevelopment. \"This bill addresses needed reform for County Land Bank Reutilization Corporation, also known, more commonly as land banks,\" the sponsor said in committee testimony, describing land banks as mechanisms \"for acquiring, holding, and distributing property in the service of community goals.\"

Why it matters: Land banks are widely used in Ohio to clear title, rehabilitate vacant parcels and return property to productive use. The sponsor told the committee that land bank authorizing legislation they previously helped enact in 2009 served as a playbook and that 70 of Ohio’s 88 counties now operate land banks.

Major provisions described in testimony include: permitting online notices and auctions and removing duplicative fees and processes; clarifying the difference between an auditor’s value and fair market value; authorizing safety and environmental inspections of abandoned or tax-delinquent property during court-supervised foreclosure so inspection reports are available at sheriff’s sale; conforming sheriff’s-sale process to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Tyler v. Hennepin County to give owners an absolute right to expose property to a sheriff’s sale; and allowing county commissioners, at their discretion, to authorize up to 50% of future real estate tax proceeds to be paid to a county land reutilization fund as a payment in lieu of taxes for up to five years following sale.

Sponsor and context: The sponsor said the measure is named the \"Gus Frangos Act\" in honor of Gus Frangos, who served as president of the Cuyahoga County Land Bank for 15 years and who, the sponsor said, was a leading voice in land bank administration until his recent death. The sponsor also told the committee that the bill was developed in consultation with the Cuyahoga Land Bank and the Ohio Land Bank Association.

Questions from the committee focused on how the optional tax-sharing provision would operate. \"It’s a may provision, it’s not a shall,\" the sponsor said, explaining that the funding shift would be discretionary for county commissioners and that the commissioners would decide whether a project merits that temporary revenue allocation.

Procedural status: Committee members recorded the testimony as the first hearing on Senate Bill 102; the committee took no final action at the hearing.

Next steps: The sponsor asked the committee chair to move the bill forward so county land banks remain viable long term; no formal vote or amendment was taken during the hearing.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Ohio Senate Judiciary Committee - 4-30-2025 ","oneSentenceSummary","Senate Bill 102, the Gus Frangos Act, received its first hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the bill’s sponsor testimony and descriptive outline of proposed changes to Ohio land bank law.","taxTitle","Judiciary, Senate, Committees, Legislative, Ohio","taxId",37393,"location","Ohio","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6255198,"Senate Bill 135 records written opponent testimony; no in-person testimony at third hearing",0,2134000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3167260-d154fcf25568d3db0233b151e69a64b9&start=2134&end=2134","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3167260-d154fcf25568d3db0233b151e69a64b9/thumbnail_2134000.jpg","/articles/6255198/Ohio/Senate-Bill-135-records-written-opponent-testimony-no-in-person-testimony-at-third-hearing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6255198-178542f83a8edf489fc6d0111a51debe/orig.mp4?Expires=1771026668&Signature=ZLfmIE1E5A93Sxzz96E2y-~yRe75Ui3yLUVMfLnvTFC57kOXuwA4EQiOXebllaklI9LR3fVo-7Fc2eC9jG581AtTzJt5ip6GBuSvdfROKOrkNixfotM~AraXeXbpd~XmLXANLS5uG~YSUnuQz~KGiJ0cDB4ZV~7lMhagR7FsKjzlrybJpWDTGRoeJZyMZl9RZVHel6JgJSqPUZO6L7FY5P8BPKOFZjowUmwP3bIVWKuNAaAdJjN6o9iuANxCoKIgoqALtz0O~wA68mtoeOEiaJPZY5a8Ifcbzj83dmlLsxJ0fV6V201qRVfIVuUiTKLGVea9HokM0aL2Nlnqy2ctMg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 135 received its third hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee; the committee recorded that no in-person testimony was offered and noted written opponent submissions from law-enforcement and journal groups.

Written testimony: Committee staff noted receipt of written opponent testimony on behalf of the Buckeye State Sheriffs Association and the Coalition of the Ohio Daily Law Journals. The committee did not read or summarize the content of those written submissions during the hearing.

Procedural status: The committee recorded the third hearing on SB 135; no in-person witnesses appeared and the committee took no final action during this session.","The committee held a third hearing on Senate Bill 135 but did not receive in-person testimony; written opponent testimony from the Buckeye State Sheriffs Association and the Coalition of the Ohio Daily Law Journals was filed.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":79,"_43":90,"_45":90,"_47":91,"_49":92,"_51":93,"_53":94,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":95,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":96,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6255204,"Senate Committee advances amendment and hears testimony on bill to codify property-damage claims and subrogation rules",1254000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3167260-d154fcf25568d3db0233b151e69a64b9&start=1254&end=1254","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3167260-d154fcf25568d3db0233b151e69a64b9/thumbnail_1254000.jpg","/articles/6255204/Ohio/Senate-Committee-advances-amendment-and-hears-testimony-on-bill-to-codify-property-damage-claims-and-subrogation-rules","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6255204-93b7ff02fd142165db2217fd7f0cc8ae/orig.mp4?Expires=1771026668&Signature=C-ulJ2LkOVRgJDGCBwcnuen6BHyUZyxnHkgspdto-Kzki8p4dwCunj3QIG4q9vTVVad40u~dg3qbAB8EPsNrbHfxbSqTH0-p91yNN0nzqiN278VhbL15rVB8pcUXRzj0r6uNIbyXS~pUli0AV2xoUYIOowKiaCMAMuJoFQ0P~KICjGNfQJOMW3llxcFQyvcc5GANJiR2ktUscsc25smy4OU-bBwG6QsXWb0e3RzGmu-GkVXGnofwdiipmhNM0UK~dsRpUBAC8FzMRexGG3ZUkr9fK1qrmmMXkU4~Y9MQmLNWbr8GAoTxXXS397gNZXZSz-fGV-sA6u7UUYld~dlWLg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Judiciary Committee considered Senate Bill 131 at its second hearing, adopted a technical amendment and heard proponent testimony from an attorney and a crash survivor who urged clearer rules for property-damage claims and insurer subrogation.

Motion and amendment: Senator Catrona moved to adopt Amendment 399 to Senate Bill 131, describing it as a minor technical change to align the bill with common law and to clear up discrepancies in the salvage-value provision. The chair asked for objections; none were heard and the amendment was adopted.

Witness testimony: Jake Bossier, a Columbus-based personal-injury attorney and member of the Ohio Association for Justice, told the committee that the bill would create a user-friendly statutory guide to property-damage claims — including diminution in value and loss-of-use — that are currently governed by case law and can vary by appellate district. \"This legislation is important because most people who are affected after a car crash need to handle their property damage claims immediately,\" Bossier said, describing how many claimants handle such claims without counsel and may be unaware of diminution-of-value rights.

Bossier urged codification to reduce geographic inconsistency: he said the 10th District has recognized diminution-of-value claims while other districts have been less consistent, creating unequal outcomes depending on where a crash occurs.

Sharon Montgomery, who identified herself as a survivor of a fatal crash, provided proponent and interested-party testimony about practical consequences of current practices and the need for fair subrogation rules. She described being left with insufficient replacement value when an insurer relied on blue-book (fair-market) valuation for an older but safety-appropriate vehicle and argued insurers should negotiate replacement value when necessary and pursue reimbursement from the at-fault party rather than leaving the policyholder uncompensated.

Montgomery also described broader concerns that some collision victims receive limited remedies if prosecutors decline criminal charges; she said that civil remedies should be accessible and that insurance and subrogation rules should not leave injured parties uncompensated.

Procedural notes and written testimony: Committee members recorded Sharon Montgomery’s testimony and the adoption of Amendment 399. The committee listed written opponent testimony for an unrelated bill later in the meeting but took no final vote on SB 131 itself at this hearing.","Senate Bill 131 received a second-hearing package of testimony and the committee adopted Amendment 399. Witnesses described the bill as codifying property-damage claims (diminution in value and loss-of-use), improving transparency in subrogation and intercompany recovery, and clarifying where diminution claims are recognized.",{"_33":98,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":99,"_41":100,"_43":101,"_45":102,"_47":103,"_49":104,"_51":105,"_53":106,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":107,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":108,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6255209,"Sponsors say Senate Bill 174 modernizes Ohio family-law language to emphasize co-parenting and best interests of children",510,742000,1252000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3167260-d154fcf25568d3db0233b151e69a64b9&start=742&end=1252","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3167260-d154fcf25568d3db0233b151e69a64b9/thumbnail_742000.jpg","/articles/6255209/Ohio/Sponsors-say-Senate-Bill-174-modernizes-Ohio-family-law-language-to-emphasize-co-parenting-and-best-interests-of-children","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6255209-6c940932153d6e2b7ed43c9c38dcba66/orig.mp4?Expires=1771026668&Signature=Sw2JEBZoaDX8J8YUTmwJK898B0-bTLYItV~BbTiZRyE0kVnFZahbsBu6dgIsJ3aQSbj907f4p0Taa1lTYEEOdkXv3PgJPhaQ8LdCuSDU45npl3hng~lG9XqUYO3GXBXYF4bRtr0qzTTGYB1bCEryY8hOI8eOphu1Qx7J2A128U7W7S-3sWb6IItkYuZ6kIeSEG9cy9w8fRsXJWIJoTLbqF7XEzdAbe7VTYWEXDpn-ISzVJaoCRPTINv6FZt16TANfOIc2yWjPHBcnfTv1-OnRIB9u1EowKO6yHrKof7gkJiUykKC84AOHdJh0gRtY-tu80IJ5CDlNZmWdQ5DTuKoow__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 174, presented in sponsor testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee, would revise Ohio family law to emphasize a child-centered, co-parenting approach, sponsors said, removing statutory labels that convey a hierarchical parental role and expanding the factors courts consider when allocating parental responsibilities.

Sponsors framed the measure as the product of long-running work begun under a 2005 Ohio Supreme Court Task Force on Family Law and Children and subsequent advisory committees. \"What is in the best interest of a child?\" one sponsor asked rhetorically during testimony and said the legislation seeks to make that principle central to allocation of parenting functions.

Major changes described include: discontinuing terms such as \"residential parent\" and \"custodial parent\" to reduce adversarial framing; specifying that parenting plans allocate all parenting functions and responsibilities (and may designate a parent for particular functions); expanding best-interest factors to include attempts to mislead the court or cause unnecessary delay; instructing courts to use a single parenting-plan document tailored to a child’s age and development; and requiring written findings if a court denies equal parenting time for safety or other stated reasons.

Sponsors said the bill updates statutory language in response to evolving family structures, including unmarried parents and other guardians, and aims to align the Ohio Revised Code with best practices recommended by family-law experts and the Supreme Court’s advisory groups.

Committee process: Senators Gavarone and Hicks Hudson provided sponsor testimony and asked the committee to schedule proponent testimony. The committee took no final action at the hearing.

Procedural status: The committee recorded the testimony as the first hearing on Senate Bill 174; no vote was taken.","Senate Bill 174 would revise family-law terminology and parenting-plan procedures to emphasize shared parental responsibilities and remove labels like 'custodial parent,' sponsors told the Senate Judiciary Committee.",{"_33":110,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":111,"_41":112,"_43":113,"_45":114,"_47":115,"_49":116,"_51":117,"_53":118,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":119,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":120,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6255214,"Committee hears sponsor testimony for bill to restrict real-estate wholesaling practices",409,408000,817000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3167260-d154fcf25568d3db0233b151e69a64b9&start=408&end=817","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3167260-d154fcf25568d3db0233b151e69a64b9/thumbnail_408000.jpg","/articles/6255214/Ohio/Committee-hears-sponsor-testimony-for-bill-to-restrict-real-estate-wholesaling-practices","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6255214-a5be17c04f31bb688d23f94f542133be/orig.mp4?Expires=1771026668&Signature=kRGPnceNor~566~R9b2wjoIlrEY6DEhqwswPHAjTus~UeRNZWDkRtaaoBB7F0c7n-lhvFhfN4z13ITt2zRevRbViauMecxCynR8aX1TbiOz-aaG6TwWJMwKVkL5joo~ET9uy0SuncOt9q6KJpBPJPyHZlfIiApXnYD83LL6rJGHpH4cVRaawU~lTtDxyG4n~cgtE-wMOWy-DYWCdG7Q7VRvO0qZqCmsNmRJzVqN~5EZNcFBaLDuJVzREnz8dSVWav-w0o2bP9RqBnwS87mpQB7ck65mcNrsoLbpqp3r4zHtzt-7wZxmne-u8J5eWV5-voB90ijUQY54gWVxov9qQQA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 155, presented to the Senate Judiciary Committee in sponsor testimony, would target \"real estate wholesaling,\" a practice sponsors described as posing risks to vulnerable homeowners by enabling assignment of purchase contracts for an assignment fee without the homeowner’s informed consent.

Sponsor testimony summarized the practice and the bill’s primary protections. \"This legislation would, protect Ohioans from real estate wholesaling, which is a predatory practice that preys on vulnerable homeowners and robs them, in the most part from equity in their homes,\" a sponsor said during testimony, explaining that wholesalers enter contracts with owners then assign those contracts to third-party investors for an assignment fee, often without the owner’s knowledge until closing.

Key provisions explained to the committee include: a requirement that wholesalers disclose to the homeowner and end buyer their intention to assign the contract for profit; a prohibition on a wholesaler entering into a binding contract for the transfer of residential real estate unless the record owner has signed and dated a required disclosure form; and a requirement that an escrow or closing agent return earnest money paid by a wholesaler who violates disclosure rules to the record owner within 30 days after the owner cancels the contract.

Sponsor background and prevalence: The sponsor said the Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing has reported increased wholesaling activity, with issues including predatory contract terms, misleading marketing and clouded titles. The sponsor cited other states that passed similar laws — including Texas, Illinois, Arizona and others — to argue for statutory clarity and homeowner protections.

Committee process: Senators Brenner and Ingram provided sponsor testimony and the sponsors indicated proponent witnesses would appear in a later proponent panel. No committee vote was taken at this hearing.

Procedural status: The committee recorded the testimony as the first hearing on Senate Bill 155; no final action was taken.","Senate Bill 155 would require disclosure by wholesalers, ban a wholesaler from entering binding contracts without a signed disclosure from the record owner, and require escrow agents to return earnest money to owners within 30 days if disclosure rules are violated, according to sponsor testimony.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Senate committee holds first hearing on 'Gus Frangos Act' to update county land bank law

Senate Bill 135 records written opponent testimony; no in-person testimony at third hearing

Senate Committee advances amendment and hears testimony on bill to codify property-damage claims and subrogation rules

Sponsors say Senate Bill 174 modernizes Ohio family-law language to emphasize co-parenting and best interests of children

Committee hears sponsor testimony for bill to restrict real-estate wholesaling practices