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Read. Follow. Verify.West Virginia Bill HB 5197 Halves Window to Challenge Tax Deeds
Last action · February 21, 2026: To JudiciarySponsors: Andy Shamblin and 8 others
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What This Bill Proposed
West Virginia House Bill 5197 reduces the time limit from two years to one year for property owners improperly notified of a tax sale to institute a civil action to set aside a . The measure also sets mandatory fund tender conditions and evidentiary requirements for challenging tax titles.
Property owners facing a tax sale challenge now have half as much time to file a lawsuit to reclaim their real estate if they did not receive proper statutory notice.
- West Virginia law provides procedures for tax sales where properties with delinquent taxes are sold, and statutory notice must be given to interested parties before deeds are issued. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Property owners entitled to notice
They face a shortened one-year deadline to file a civil action to set aside a tax deed if they were not properly notified.
Tax sale purchasers
They benefit from a reduced window of legal vulnerability for acquired tax titles and gain rights to judgment if redemption funds are not deposited within 30 days.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to challenge a tax deed if I did not receive proper notice?
What must I deposit with the court when filing a lawsuit to set aside a tax deed?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · passed the House · in Senate committee.
Procedural history
20 actions- Feb 21, 2026SenateCommitteeTo Judiciary
- Feb 21, 2026SenateCommitteeTo Judiciary
- Feb 21, 2026SenateIntroducedIntroduced in Senate
- Feb 20, 2026HouseCommunicated to Senate
- Feb 20, 2026HouseFloorPassed House (Roll No. 149)
- Feb 20, 2026HouseRead 3rd time
Show 14 earlier actions
- Feb 20, 2026HouseOn 3rd reading, Special Calendar
- Feb 19, 2026HouseRead 2nd time
- Feb 19, 2026HouseOn 2nd reading, Special Calendar
- Feb 18, 2026HouseRead 1st time
- Feb 18, 2026HouseOn 1st reading, Special Calendar
- Feb 17, 2026HouseBy substitute, do pass
- Feb 13, 2026HouseMarkup Discussion
- Feb 12, 2026HouseCommitteeTo House Judiciary
- Feb 11, 2026HouseMarkup Discussion
- Feb 11, 2026HouseCommitteeTo House Courts
- Feb 4, 2026HouseCommitteeTo House Judiciary
- Feb 4, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced in House
- Feb 4, 2026HouseCommitteeTo Judiciary
- Feb 4, 2026HouseIntroducedFiled for introduction
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Show 4 more sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Reduction of Property Challenge Window
The state legislature is tightening property title finality by reducing the legal window to challenge defective tax sale notices from two years down to one.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.wvlegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 60)
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
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