The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.West Virginia Bill 4056 empowers local governments to compel cleanup of unsafe buildings and place liens on properties
Last action · January 14, 2026: To House JudiciarySponsor: Phil Mallow
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What This Bill Proposed
House Bill 4056 allows county commissions and municipal governing bodies to pass resolutions requiring property owners to clean up ruined, damaged, or dilapidated structures and debris that pose public safety hazards. If an owner fails to comply or complete the work within specified timelines, the local government may remove the hazard at the owner's expense and place a on the property.
Property owners face potential s on their land if they do not clear hazardous debris or structures after receiving official notice, while local governments gain statutory authority to take direct cleanup action and recover costs.
- House Bill 4056 was introduced during the 2026 Regular Session of the West Virginia Legislature and referred to the House Judiciary Committee. 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.
Real property owners
Property owners are subject to cleanup mandates, hearing procedures, potential removal costs, and property liens if hazardous conditions are found on their land.
County commissions
County commissions gain explicit statutory authority to issue cleanup resolutions, conduct hearings, execute property removals, and file liens.
Municipal governing bodies
Municipalities gain explicit statutory authority to compel property cleanups, hold hearings, remove hazardous structures, and file liens against properties.
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
What can a property owner do if they disagree with a local government's removal resolution?
What happens if a property owner fails to clean up a hazardous structure after notice?
How long does an owner have to appeal a local government's final determination to circuit court?
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 · in House committee.
Procedural history
4 actions- Jan 14, 2026HouseCommitteeTo House Judiciary
- Jan 14, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced in House
- Jan 14, 2026HouseCommitteeTo Judiciary
- Jan 14, 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
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Uniform Local Property Cleanup Powers
The bill creates parallel statutory frameworks under Chapter 7 for counties and Chapter 8 for municipalities regarding unsafe real property conditions.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.wvlegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 60)
- Controversy25Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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