State responsibility areas: fire prevention fees.

Existing law requires the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to adopt emergency regulations to establish a fire prevention fee in an amount not to exceed $150 to be charged annually on each habitable structure on a parcel that is within a state responsibility area. Existing law requires the fee to be levied upon the owner of a habitable structure if that person owns the structure on July 1 of the year for which the fee is due. This bill would permit the owner of a property with one or more habitable structures subject to the fire prevention fee to, when selling the property, negotiate as one of the terms of the sale the apportionment between the parties of liability for payment of the fee, as specified. This bill would require the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to notify an owner subject to a fire prevention fee that the owner may, when selling the habitable structure or structures, negotiate the apportionment of liability for payment of the fee between the parties as one of the terms of the sale.