AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 7-11-4, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE FOR THE MEANING OF THE WORDS "BLIGHT" OR "BLIGHTED"; TO AMEND SECTION 7-11-11, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO DETERMINE WHETHER CERTAIN LANDS ARE BLIGHTED PROPERTY UPON PETITION OF A TAX SALE PURCHASER; TO AUTHORIZE THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO ASSESS A FEE; TO AMEND SECTION 15-1-13, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT THE PERIOD OF ADVERSE POSSESSION FOR LANDS DETERMINED TO BE BLIGHTED PROPERTY BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE SHALL BE ONE YEAR; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
Summary
SB 2684 would create a statutory definition of “blight” or “blighted” for purposes of Mississippi’s public land laws and related property-title provisions. The definition is broad and includes dilapidated or structurally deteriorated buildings, abandoned or vacant property, unsanitary or unsafe conditions, unrepaired disaster damage, unresolved code violations, nuisance conditions, environmental hazards, and neglect or failure to maintain property to minimum health and safety standards.
The bill also directs the Secretary of State to determine, within 90 days after the redemption period expires, whether tax-forfeited land is blighted property when a tax sale purchaser petitions for that determination and pays a fee set by the Secretary of State, capped at $500. In addition, it amends Mississippi’s adverse possession law to shorten the possession period from 10 years to 1 year for land that has been determined to be blighted property by the Secretary of State. The act would take effect July 1, 2026.
Impact
The bill would amend Sections 7-11-4 and 7-11-11 of the Mississippi Code to add a formal blight standard and to assign the Secretary of State a new administrative role in evaluating tax-forfeited property. It would also amend Section 15-1-13 to create a special one-year adverse possession rule for property officially determined to be blighted, potentially accelerating the transfer of title to occupants or possessors of such land. The practical effect would be to affect tax sale purchasers, the Secretary of State’s office, landowners whose property is forfeited for nonpayment of taxes, and parties seeking marketable title to distressed or abandoned property.
Sentiment
The available context suggests the bill is framed as a property-revitalization and title-clearing measure, with support implied by its focus on marketable title for forfeited properties and blighted land. No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate, opposition, or amendments in the available record. Overall, the bill appears to be presented in a generally pro-development, anti-blight posture.
Contention
The main points of potential contention are the breadth of the blight definition and the shift in authority to the Secretary of State to make blight determinations on petition. Property owners may be concerned that the definition is expansive and could be applied to distressed but repairable properties, while tax sale purchasers and redevelopment advocates may favor the bill because it speeds up title acquisition. The one-year adverse possession period for blighted property is likely the most significant policy change and could be controversial because it substantially shortens the time needed to acquire title compared with the general 10-year rule.