Bill > H913

This bill amends North Carolina's local government development law to provide stronger legal protections and potential financial remedies for individuals who believe a local government has acted unfairly or deceptively in development approval processes. Specifically, the bill allows courts to award attorneys' fees to a person with legal standing if they can prove the local government intentionally violated development regulations, deliberately delayed development approvals to provoke legal action, or acted in a flagrantly unfair or deceptive manner. In particularly egregious cases where the court finds the local government acted with clear intent to harm the applicant, punitive damages may be awarded up to 10 times the proven damages, which can include lost revenue and increased costs due to government-caused delays. However, the bill also includes protections for local governments, stipulating that attorneys' fees will not be awarded if the government can show it acted in reasonable reliance on existing court judgments, published appellate court opinions, or written legal opinions from the Attorney General. The new provisions will become effective on October 1, 2025, and will apply to causes of action arising on or after that date.

Government Affairs, Housing and Urban Affairs

https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/H913