SB 177 — Access Adjoining Property to Repair or Maintain

NOTE:

This bill has been prepared for the signatures of the appropriate legislative officers and the Governor.

To determine whether the Governor has signed the bill or taken other action on it, please consult the legislative status sheet, the legislative history, or the Session Laws.

CONCERNING A PROPERTY OWNEROWNER'S S ABILITY TO PETITION A COURT FOR LIMITED ACCESS TO AN ADJOINING PROPERTY TO MAKE REPAIRSREPAIRS. .

Be it enacted by the GeneralGeneralAssembly Assemblyofthe of the State ofofColorado: Colorado:

(1) AAS S USED IN THIS SECTIONSECTION, , UNLESS THE CONTEXT OTHERWISE REQUIRESREQUIRES: :

(a) "A"ADJOINING DJOININGOWNER" OWNERMEANS "MEANS THE OWNER OF REAL PROPERTY THAT ADJOINS A REQUESTING OWNEROWNER'S 'S PROPERTY AND ONTO WHICH A REQUESTING OWNER SEEKS ENTRYENTRY. .

________ Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material added to existing law;

dashes through words or numbers indicate deletionsdeletionsfrom from existing law andandsuch such material is notnotpart part of the act.

(b) "REFUSE"REFUSE" "MEANSMEANS AN ADJOINING OWNEROWNER'S: S:

(I) DENIAL TO THE REQUESTING OWNEROWNER, ,VERBALLYVERBALLY OR IN WRITINGWRITING, , OF ACCESS TO THE ADJOINING PROPERTY FOR THE PURPOSE OF ACCOMPLISHING REPAIRS OR MAINTENANCE OF THE REQUESTING OWNEROWNER'S SPROPERTY;OR PROPERTY(11) ;ORFAILURE (II) F AILURE TO RESPOND WITHIN SIXTY DAYS OF RECEIPT OF WRITTEN NOTICE SENT VIA CERTIFIED MAIL FROM THE REQUESTING OWNER TOTHEADJOININGOWNERREGARDINGACCESSTOTHEADJOININGPROPERTYTOTHEADJOININGOWNERREGARDINGACCESS TOTHEADJOINING PROPERTY FOR THE PURPOSE OF ACCOMPLISHING REPAIRS OR MAINTENANCE OF THE REQUESTING OWNEROWNER'S 'S PROPERTY.

(c) "REQUESTING OWNEROWNER" "MEANSMEANS THE OWNER OF A SINGLESINGLE-FAMILY FAMILY RESIDENCE WHO SEEKS ENTRY ONTO AN ADJOINING PROPERTY FOR THE PURPOSEOFACCOMPLISHINGREPAIRSORMAINTENANCEOFTHEREQUESTINGPURPOSEOFACCOMPLISHING OWNERREPAIRS SORMAINTENANCEOFTHE PROPERTYREQUESTING .OWNER'S PROPERTY.

(d)(d)"SINGLE-FAMILYRESIDENCE" "SINGLE-FAMILYRESIDENCEMEANS "MEANS APRIVATERESIDENCETHAT IS A SEPARATE BUILDING OR AN INDIVIDUAL RESIDENCE THAT IS PART OF A ROW OF RESIDENCES JOINED BY COMMON SIDEWALLSSIDEWALLS. .

(2) IIF F A REQUESTING OWNER SEEKS TO MAKE REPAIRS TO OR COMPLETE MAINTENANCE ON THE REQUESTING OWNEROWNER'S SPROPERTY, PROPERTY , THE REPAIRS OR MAINTENANCE CANNOT REASONABLY BE ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT ENTERING ONTO AN ADJOINING OWNEROWNER'S 'SPROPERTY, PROPERTYAND ,AND THE ADJOINING OWNER REFUSES TO PERMIT ENTRY ONTO THE ADJOINING OWNEROWNER'S SPROPERTYFORTHEPURPOSEOFTHEREPAIRORMAINTENANCEPROPERTY ,THEFORTHEPURPOSEOFTHEREPAIRORMAINTENANCE,THE REQUESTINGOWNERMAYPETITIONTHEREQUESTING OWNERMAY PETITION THE DISTRICT COURTOFTHECOURT COUNTYINOF THE COUNTY IN WHICH THE PROPERTIES ARE LOCATED TO PERMIT THE REQUESTING OWNER TO ENTER ONTO THE ADJOINING OWNEROWNER'S S PROPERTY FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE REPAIR OR MAINTENANCE OF THE REQUESTING OWNEROWNER'S 'S PROPERTY.

(3) BEFORE BRINGING AN ACTION PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION (2)OF THIS SECTION, THE REQUESTING OWNER IS ENCOURAGED TO ENGAGE IN ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTIONRESOLUTION, , SUCH AS MEDIATIONMEDIATION, , WITH THE ADJOINING PROPERTY OWNEROWNER, ,TOTO ACCESS THE ADJOINING PROPERTY TO MAKE REPAIRS OR MAINTENANCEMAINTENANCE. .

(a) THE REQUESTING OWNER MUST SPECIFY THE NATURE OF THE REPAIRS OR MAINTENANCE THEY SEEK TO COMPLETE AND DESCRIBE WHY THEREPAIRSORMAINTENANCECANNOTBEMADEWITHOUTACCESSINGTHETHE ADJOININGREPAIRS OWNEROR 'SMAINTENANCE CANNOT BE MADE WITHOUTACCESSING THE ADJOINING OWNER'S PROPERTY;

(b) THEREQUESTINGOWNERMUSTDEMONSTRATETHATTHEYHAVETHE REQUESTING OWNERMUST DEMONSTRATETHATTHEY HAVE MADE REASONABLE EFFORTS TO OBTAIN PERMISSION FROM THE ADJOINING OWNER TO ACCESS THE ADJOINING OWNEROWNER'S S PROPERTY AND THAT THE ADJOINING OWNER HAS REFUSED SUCH ACCESSACCESS; ;AND (c) THEADJOININGOWNERMAYPRESENTEVIDENCETHATACCESSTO THE ADJOINING OWNER 'S PROPERTY IS NOT NECESSARY TO COMPLETE THE REPAIRS OR MAINTENANCE .

(5)AND IF(c)THE THEADJOININGOWNERMAY COURTPRESENTEVIDENCETHATACCESS DETERMINES THAT ACCESS TO THE ADJOINING OWNEROWNER'S 'S PROPERTY IS NOT NECESSARY TO ALLOWCOMPLETE REPAIR TO OR MAINTENANCE ONTHEREQUESTINGOWNER SPROPERTYANDWILLNOTNEGATIVELYAFFECT ANY EASEMENT ON THE ADJOININGREPAIRS OWNER 'S PROPERTY,THE COURT SHALL GRANTACCESSASTHECOURTDEEMSNECESSARYTOALLOWCOMPLETIONOF THE REPAIR OR MAINTENANCEMAINTENANCE. .

(5) IF THE COURT SHALLDETERMINES PRESCRIBETHAT THEACCESS CONDITIONSTO ANDTHE DURATIONADJOINING OFOWNER'S THEPROPERTY REQUESTINGIS OWNERNECESSARY STO ACCESSALLOW REPAIR TO OR MAINTENANCE ONTHEREQUESTINGOWNER'S PROPERTYAND WILLNOTNEGATIVELY AFFECT ANY EASEMENT ON THE ADJOINING OWNEROWNER'S 'SPROPERTY, PROPERTYTHE ANDCOURT MAYSHALL REQUIREGRANTACCESS :AS THECOURTDEEMS NECESSARYTOALLOWCOMPLETION OF THE REPAIR OR MAINTENANCE.

(a)THE REASONABLECOURT NOTICESHALL TOTHEPRESCRIBE ADJOININGOWNERTHE INCONDITIONS ADVANCEAND DURATION OF THE REQUESTING OWNER'S ACCESS ;TO THE ADJOINING OWNER'S PROPERTY AND MAY REQUIRE:

(b)(a) REASONABLE COMPENSATIONNOTICE TO THE ADJOINING OWNER ;IN ADVANCE OF THE ACCESS;

(c)(b) THATREASONABLE THECOMPENSATION REQUESTINGTO OWNER PURCHASE INSURANCE OR POST BONDTOCOVERANYDAMAGETOPROPERTY ,PERSONALINJURY ,ORLOSSOF LIFE,THAT MAY OCCUR BECAUSE OF THE REPAIRADJOINING OROWNER; MAINTENANCE ;OR (d) ANY OTHER CONDITION DEEMED NECESSARY BY THE COURT .

(6)(c) THISTHAT SECTIONTHE DOESREQUESTING NOTOWNER APPLYPURCHASE IFINSURANCE THEOR ADJOININGPOST PROPERTYBONDTO ISCOVERANY OWNEDDAMAGETO ORPROPERTY, CONTROLLEDPERSONAL BYINJURY, THEORLOSS FEDERALOF GOVERNMENTLIFE, ,THETHAT STATEMAY ,OROCCUR ABECAUSE POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THE STAT.REPAIR OR MAINTENANCE;

PAGEOR 3-SENATE(d) BILLANY 26-177OTHER SECTIONCONDITION 2.DEEMED NECESSARY BY THE COURT.

(6) THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY IF THE ADJOINING PROPERTY IS OWNED OR CONTROLLED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE STATE, OR A POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THE STATE.

PA G E 3-SEN A TE BILL 26-177 SECTION 2.

on the day following the expiration of the ninety-dayperiodninety-day period after final adjournment ofofthe the general assembly(Augustassembly (August 12, 2026, if adjournment sine die is on May 13, 2026);

except that, if a referendumpetitionisfiledpursuanttosection1(3)ofarticleVofthestatereferendum petition is filed pursuantto section 1(3) ofarticle V ofthe state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect unless PAGE 4-SENATE BILL 26-177 approvedbythepeopleatthegeneralelectiontobeheldinNovember2026approved bythe people at the general electionto be held inNovember2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date ofofthe the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.

____________________________amesRashad ____________________________ James Rashad Coleman, Sr.

Julie McCluskie PRESIDENT OF SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES ____________________________s ____________________________er Esther van Mourik Vanessa\ Reilly~ ~ V anesi11y SECRETARY OF CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES APPROVED________________________________________APPROVED (Dateo andnT Time)blko~ _________________________________________V h~ 26 ~ 202.f:ocltz:ooF1"' (D e and ·me) Jared S.

Polis GOVERNORGOVERNO OF THEOFCOLORADO STATE OF COLORADO PAGE 5-SENATE BILL 26-177