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House approves bill saying presence on transportation wish list not automatically a material fact in property sales
Summary
The N.C. House passed House Bill 15, which states that merely listing property on a Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP) is not, by itself, a material fact that must be disclosed in a real estate transaction; the bill passed second-reading 92-25 and later cleared third reading and will be sent to the Senate.
Representative Hastings, sponsor of House Bill 15, told the House the measure was "an act to clarify that the inclusion of real property on a comprehensive transportation plan is not a required disclosure or a material fact for the purposes of disclosure for real estate transactions." He said the bill aims to protect private property transactions from being blocked by long-term, unfunded plan listings.
The bill’s backers argued the public cannot reliably find or interpret Comprehensive Transportation Plans (CTPs) and that a CTP listing — which Hastings described as a long-term "wish list" distinct from fiscally constrained Metropolitan Transportation Plans — should not automatically create title or insurance problems for buyers and sellers. "If you're an attorney and you don't know what it is, how would you expect the average person ... to know what it is?" Hastings said.
Opponents urged more disclosure. Representative Butler Rice (New Hanover) said she spent time trying to find whether an address was on a CTP and found the process "a morass" and that more disclosure tools would better protect buyers. Representative Harrison (Guilford) recounted community experience with a highway project that became far larger than residents expected and said she would vote against the bill because "more disclosure is better than less." Representative Bridal (Union) said he had a personal experience where survey stakes alarmed homeowners and supported the measure as a way to avoid freezing property transactions while plans change.
In questions from colleagues, Hastings said CTPs are discoverable through local planning organizations and division engineers and emphasized the bill does not prevent a person from lying; "if you know it, you can't lie about it," he said. He said the statute would not change the status of a project that is fiscally constrained and being actively advanced: "If a project is on a fiscally constrained list, and it's being seriously and financially considered for construction, it's a material fact, period." The sponsor said the bill is narrowly aimed at preventing vague, long-range listings from functioning as a de facto taking of property rights.
The House recorded a roll-call vote on the bill's second reading, 92 in favor and 25 opposed. The bill later passed third reading by voice and was ordered sent to the Senate.
Why it matters: Supporters framed HB15 as protecting routine residential transactions from indefinite planning listings that can create title or insurance barriers; opponents said the public’s right to know about potential transportation projects requires better access and disclosure tools.
Votes at a glance
- House Bill 15 — Second reading recorded 92 yes, 25 no; later passed third reading by voice and will be sent to the Senate.
Speakers quoted in this article are identified in the House debate and are listed separately in the speakers section below.
