Report Title:

Contractors; Owner-Builders

 

Description:

Increases period prohibiting sale or lease by owner-builder from 1 to 2 years unless due to circumstances beyond control of the owner or lessee as determined by the contractors licensing board; requires that an exemption from licensing requirements is given no more than once in 3 years; clarifies violation provisions.  (SD1)

 


THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

205

TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO OWNER-BUILDERS.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


     SECTION 1.  Section 444-2, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§444-2  Exemptions.  This chapter shall not apply to:

     (1)  Officers and employees of the United States, the State, or any county while in the performance of their governmental duties;

     (2)  Any person acting as a receiver, trustee in bankruptcy, personal representative, or any other person acting under any order or authorization of any court;

     (3)  A person who sells or installs any finished products, materials, or articles of merchandise that are not actually fabricated into and do not become a permanent fixed part of the structure, or to the construction, alteration, improvement, or repair of personal property;

     (4)  Any project or operation for which the aggregate contract price for labor, materials, taxes, and all other items is not more than $1,000.  This exemption shall not apply in any case where a building permit is required regardless of the aggregate contract price, nor where the undertaking is only a part of a larger or major project or operation, whether undertaken by the same or a different contractor or in which a division of the project or operation is made in contracts of amounts not more than $1,000 for the purpose of evading this chapter or otherwise;

     (5)  A [registered] licensed architect or professional engineer acting solely in the person's professional capacity;

     (6)  Any person who engages in the activities regulated in this chapter as an employee with wages as the person's sole compensation;

     (7)  Owners or lessees of property who build or improve residential, farm, industrial, or commercial buildings or structures on property for their own use, or for use by their grandparents, parents, siblings, or children and who do not offer the buildings or structures for sale or lease; provided that this exemption shall not apply to electrical or plumbing work that must be performed only by persons or entities licensed under this chapter, or to the owner or lessee of the property if the owner or lessee is licensed under chapter 448E.  In all actions brought under this paragraph, proof of the sale or lease, or offering for sale or lease, of the structure not more than [one year] two years after [completion is] closing of the building permit shall be prima facie evidence that the construction or improvement of the structure was undertaken for the purpose of sale or lease[;], unless the sale or lease is due to circumstances beyond the control of the owner or lessee, as determined by the board; provided that this provision shall not apply to residential properties sold or leased to employees of the owner or lessee; provided further that in order to qualify for this exemption the owner or lessee must register for the [exemptions] exemption as provided in section 444-9.1.  Any owner or lessee of property found to have violated this paragraph shall not be permitted to engage in any activities pursuant to this paragraph or to register under section 444-9.1 for a period of three years.  There is a presumption that an owner or lessee has violated this section, when the owner or lessee obtains an exemption from the licensing requirements of section 444-9 more than once in [two] three years;

     (8)  Any joint venture if all members thereof hold licenses issued under this chapter;

     (9)  Any project or operation where it is determined by the board that less than ten persons are qualified to perform the work in question and that the work does not pose a potential danger to public health, safety, and welfare; or

    (10)  Any public works project that requires additional qualifications beyond those established by the licensing law and which is deemed necessary and in the public interest by the contracting agency."

     SECTION 2.  Section 444-9.1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§444-9.1  Issuance of building permits; owner-builder registration.  (a)  Each county or other local subdivision of the State which requires the issuance of a permit as a condition precedent to the construction, alteration, improvement, demolition, or repair of any building or structure shall also require that each applicant for such a permit file as a condition to the issuance of a permit a statement that the applicant and all specialty contractors are licensed under this chapter, giving the license numbers and stating that the licenses are in full force and effect, or, if the applicant is exempt from this chapter, the basis for the claimed exemption; provided that if the applicant claims an exemption under section 444-2(7), the applicant shall also be required to certify that the building or structure is for the applicant's personal use and not for use or occupancy by the general public.  Each county or local subdivision of the State shall maintain an owner-builder registration list which shall contain the following information:  (1) the name of any owner or lessee who claims an exemption from this chapter as provided in section 444-2(7); (2) the address of the property where exempt building or improvement activity is to occur; (3) a description of the type of building or improvement activity to occur; (4) the approximate dates of construction activity; and (5) whether any electrical or plumbing work is to be performed and if so, the name and license number of the person or entity who will do the work.  The absence of such registration is prima facie evidence that the exemption in section 444-2(7) does not apply.

     (b)  The county shall verify the license against a list of licensed contractors provided by the state contractors licensing board, which list shall be updated at least quarterly.  The county shall also verify that the applicant is in fact the contractor so licensed or the contractor's duly authorized agent.

     (c)  To qualify for the exemption under section 444-2(7), the county shall provide the applicant with a disclosure statement in substantially the following form:

"Disclosure Statement

     State law requires construction to be done by licensed contractors.  You have applied for a permit under an exemption to that law.  The exemption provided in section 444-2(7), Hawaii Revised Statutes, allows you, as the owner or lessee of your property, to act as your own general contractor even though you do not have a license.  You must supervise the construction yourself.  You must also hire licensed subcontractors.  The building must be for your own use and occupancy.  It may not be built for sale or lease.  If you sell or lease a building you have built yourself within [one year] two years after the [construction is complete,] closing of the building permit unless the sale or lease is due to circumstances beyond your control, as determined by the contractors licensing board, the law will presume that you built it for sale or lease, which is a violation of the exemption, and you may be prosecuted for this.  It is your responsibility to make sure that subcontractors hired by you have licenses required by state law and by county licensing ordinances.  Electrical or plumbing work must be performed by contractors licensed under chapters 448E and 444, Hawaii Revised Statutes.  Any person working on your building who is not licensed must be your employee which means that you must deduct F.I.C.A. and withholding taxes and provide workers' compensation for that employee, all as prescribed by law.  Your construction must comply with all applicable laws, ordinances, building codes, and zoning regulations.  If you violate section 444-2(7) or fail to comply with the requirements set forth in this disclosure statement, you may be fined $5,000 or forty per cent of the appraised value of the building as determined by the county tax appraiser, whichever is greater, for the first offense; and $10,000 or fifty per cent of the appraised value of the building as determined by the county tax appraiser, whichever is greater for any subsequent offense."

The county shall not issue a building permit to the owner-applicant until the applicant signs a statement that the applicant has read and understands the disclosure [form.] statement.

     (d)  A county building inspector or other building official shall report to the regulated industries complaints office the name and address of any person, who, in the opinion of the building inspector or official, has violated this chapter by accepting or contracting to accomplish work which would classify the person as a contractor under this chapter.

     (e)  Any person who obtains a permit under section 444-2(7) shall comply with all of the requirements specified in the disclosure statement in subsection (c).  Failure to comply is a violation of section 444-2(7)."

     SECTION 3.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.