Bill would convey tiny Windsor Township strip to neighboring business after encroachment

House Bill 4023, presented to the House Appropriations Committee by Josie Bundy on behalf of Representative Angela Whitmer, would authorize the state administrative board to convey a 0.29-acre parcel in Windsor Township, Eaton County, to a neighboring business that the department says unknowingly built onto state-owned land.

Bundy, legislative director for Representative Whitmer, said DTMB has declared the parcel surplus and currently governs the relationship with the business through a rental agreement. The bill would allow the state to convey the small strip to the business for fair market value and avoid regulatory action that could otherwise require the business to remove constructed improvements.

DTMB process and appraisal: Neil D’Souza of DTMB told the committee that the state does not perform an appraisal until the legislation has passed; the department uses an outside private appraiser to set the sale price. Bundy said the parcel has been split from the larger state parcel and DTMB expects the sale price to be modest given the parcel’s shape and limited marketability.

Why it matters: Committee members framed the bill as a correction to property records and a pragmatic way to resolve a narrow encroachment without forcing demolition. Representative Steel asked about appraisal and survey timing; witnesses said the survey has been completed and the appraisal will follow the statutory process once the bill is law.

Outcome: The committee took testimony and no formal vote on the bill was recorded during the hearing.