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House approves boundary-line amendments to ease private resolution of disputes
Summary
Second substitute S.B. 104, which clarifies procedures for boundary establishment and adjustments and encourages mediation and private resolution, passed the House 70-0 after sponsors said the bill restores property-owner ability to resolve boundary disputes outside court.
Representative Keller presented second substitute S.B. 104, Boundary Line Amendments, saying the measure restores private property owners’ ability to resolve boundary disputes outside of court in cases of boundary establishment and boundary adjustments. "This bill SB 104 seeks to restore land owners private rights to resolve boundary district boundary disputes privately which were inadvertently limited by a bill passed in 2021," Keller said.
Keller described the bill as a consensus product negotiated with surveyors, county recorders, title companies and property-rights stakeholders. The bill clarifies documents required for legal establishment of boundaries, defines when administrative boundary review is required, and provides for mediation before court when neighboring owners cannot agree.
Representatives McPherson and Shelley asked whether the bill might expose elderly or less-savvy landowners to disadvantage; Keller replied that the bill's clear documentary requirements and mediation steps reduce the likelihood of inadvertent advantage-taking and do not change existing legal precedents on landmark-based boundaries.
The House passed second substitute S.B. 104 by voice vote, 70 yes, 0 no. The clerk recorded the bill will be signed by the speaker and sent to the Senate for the president's signature.
Why it matters: The bill affects private landowners, surveyors, and county recorders by simplifying procedures for resolving boundary issues, encouraging private resolution and reducing administrative barriers cited since a 2021 change.
Votes at a glance: Second substitute S.B. 104 — passed by the House, 70 yes, 0 no; transmitted to the Senate.
