House approves bill shortening UPR review to 90 days for properties declared public nuisance
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Summary
The Puerto Rico House passed House Bill 513 on Jan. 14, 2026, shortening the University of Puerto Rico’s review period for properties declared public nuisances from five months to 90 days and clarifying municipal procedures; supporters said the change speeds municipal action on abandoned properties, while opponents warned it could hamper careful institutional review.
SAN JUAN — The House of Representatives approved House Bill 513 on Jan. 14, 2026, changing procedures in the Civil Code that govern properties declared "estorbo público" and reducing the University of Puerto Rico’s window to express institutional interest from five months to 90 days.
Supporters, including Representative Wanda del Valle, the bill’s author, said the measure was designed to accelerate municipal action on abandoned properties and to return idle assets to productive use without undermining the university’s institutional mission. "Este proyecto no fue radicado ni creado en el vacío," del Valle said, adding the measure was developed in coordination with the university and housing authorities.
Representative Denis Márquez argued opponents’ concerns centered on timing and paperwork. He noted the university had requested basic documentation to evaluate properties and objected to making the 90-day period "fatal." "Se está reduciendo a un término fatal de 90 días," Márquez said, and read proposed amendments that would have required municipalities to deliver registrar certifications, title information, photographs and the municipal ordinance declaring the property a public nuisance, and that would have allowed a 30-day extension for just cause.
Proponents countered the bill clarifies procedural responsibilities and corrects drafting inconsistencies, including explicit references to article 4.010 of the municipal code and the use of natural days rather than business days. Representative Luis Pérez Ortiz described the amendments as technical changes that "expresamente" establish the 90-day term to avoid delays and administrative ambiguity.
The House approved the measure as amended. Clerk announcements later recorded a final recorded vote of 37 in favor and 15 opposed.
The bill instructs municipalities to provide certain notifications and establishes a definitive clock for the University of Puerto Rico to determine institutional interest; it also allows for a limited administrative extension where justified. The measure’s implementation will depend on municipal compliance with documentation procedures the university and several members urged be clarified in floor debate.
The House declared the bill approved; the measure will move to its next procedural stage per legislative rules.
