January 15, 2025 – The Uniform Unlawful Restrictions in Land Records Act was approved for inclusion in the Council of State Governments' (CSG) "Shared State Legislation" compilation at the CSG SSL's December 2024 meeting. The Uniform Act was drafted and approved by the Uniform Law Commission (ULC) in 2023. The Uniform Act has been enacted to date in Arizona, Colorado, District of Columbia, Pennsylvania (substantially similar), and Washington.
Uniform Unlawful Restrictions in Land Records Act. This Act allows homeowners to remove unlawful restrictive covenants from the deeds to their homes and allows the removal of unlawful restrictive covenants from the governing documents of condominiums and other homeowner associations. While discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing has been illegal since the Fair Housing Act of 1968, many property records today still contain offensive and unlawful restrictions that predate the Fair Housing Act. To preserve the chain of title and history of the property, the Act does not allow these restrictions to be physically destroyed or redacted. Instead, the Act permits the homeowner or association to fill out an amendment form, a sample of which is provided in the Act, and record the amendment to their title to effectively remove the unlawful restriction.
Further information on the Uniform Unlawful Restrictions in Land Records Act can be found at the ULC's website at www.uniformlaws.org.
What is Shared State Legislation (SSL)?
Launched in 1941, The Council of State Governments' Shared State Legislation–or SSL–program, previously known as Suggested State Legislation, is both a member-driven process and an annual publication detailing topics of current importance to the states. The CSG SSL Committee, comprised of state officials, meets annually to review legislation adopted in the states. The committee then selects legislation to be included in the annual SSL volume. These volumes are published online for dissemination to state leaders and staff.
CSG does not promote or advocate for the enactment of state legislation, nor does it draft model legislation. Rather, the program's goal is to facilitate the sharing of legislative ideas among CSG members. The consideration or dissemination of such legislation by the SSL Committee does not constitute an endorsement nor will CSG advocate for the enactment of any such legislation in any member jurisdiction.
About the Uniform Law Commission
The Uniform Law Commission is comprised of more than 350 practicing lawyers, governmental lawyers, judges, law professors and lawyer-legislators, who are appointed by each state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to research, draft and promote enactment of uniform state laws in areas of state laws where uniformity is desirable and practical. Now in its 134th year, the ULC has provided states with over 250 uniform acts that help bring clarity and stability to critical areas of state statutory law.
About the Council of State Governments
Founded in 1933, the Council of State Governments is the country's only organization serving all three branches of state government. CSG is a region-based forum that fosters the exchange of insights and ideas to help state officials shape public policy. This offers unparalleled regional, national and international opportunities to network, develop leaders, collaborate and create problem-solving partnerships.
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Contact: Katie Robinson, ULC Senior Director, Strategy & Communications, krobinson@...
Uniform Law Commission
111 N. Wabash Ave., Suite 1010, Chicago, IL 60602
312-450-6600, www.uniformlaws.org
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Katie Robinson
Senior Director for Strategy and Communications
Chicago IL
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