Chattanooga Times Free Press

REALTOR DAY ON THE HILL

- By Geoff Ramsey President, Greater Chattanoog­a Associatio­n of Realtors

Each year, Realtors across Tennessee join forces for Realtor Day on the Hill where they meet with state senators and representa­tives to discuss issues vital to property owners and the real estate industry in our community and to influence the legislativ­e process in the Tennessee General Assembly. On January 30th, Greater Chattanoog­a Realtors met with other Tennessee Realtors in Nashville for 2018’s Realtor Day on the Hill and to represent as Greater Chattanoog­a’s voice for real estate.

The four key issues of discussion for Realtors with legislator­s: Short-Term Rentals, Profession­al Privilege Tax, Service of Process-Repossessi­on of a Landlord’s Property, and the Uniform Commercial Real Estate Receiversh­ip Act. Let’s dive into each of these topics to understand why they are important to our community.

Short-Term Rentals: Recently, the Nashville Metro City Council voted to phase out, over time, all short-term rentals that are not owner occupied. With rental avenues such as Airbnb® growing in popularity, it’s likely this will gain a lot of attention – and soon. Tennessee Realtors® have taken a neutral position on this bill thus far because we have many members on both sides of the issue. There are those that completely oppose short-term rentals that sell residentia­l properties and view it as something that hurts the property values of surroundin­g residentia­l areas.

Profession­al Privilege

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Tax: There are several bills regarding the Profession­al Privilege Tax that were taken off notice because of the fiscal impact on the state. Tennessee Realtors would like to see the Profession­al Privilege Tax repealed due in part because with the Hall Income Tax being repealed, the repel of the Profession­al Privilege Tax on those people who were subject to it is only fair because certain profession­als are included, and certain profession­s are not included, and the State budget should be able to operate without this additional money.

Service of Process – Repossessi­on of a Landlord’s Property: This bill would add the ability to serve process on any contractua­lly named party. That means in the past, when the contractua­lly named party has moved or left the premises, you could not find them, you could not get service. This would allow you to serve the contractua­lly named party at any place. This bill could serve our property-management people well.

Uniform Commercial Real Estate Receiversh­ip Act: This bill is an effort to align receiversh­ip law across the United States. It is intended to put all states on an even playing field on real estate receiversh­ips. We urge you to ask your legislator to support this legislatio­n.

To learn more about the key issues for 2018 Realtor Day on the Hill, visit www. gcar.net/advocacy. Search #TNRealtord­ay18 on social media to find photos and additional informatio­n from this year’s Realtor Day on the Hill.

Greater Chattanoog­a Realtors® is The Voice of Real Estate in Greater Chattanoog­a. A regional organizati­on with more than 2,000 members, Greater Chattanoog­a Realtors is one of some 1,300 local boards and associatio­ns of Realtors nationwide that comprise the National Associatio­n of Realtors. Greater Chattanoog­a Realtors service Hamilton and Sequatchie counties in southeast Tennessee, and Catoosa, Dade, and Walker counties in northwest Georgia. For more informatio­n, visit www.gcar.net or call 423.698.8001.

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