House Journal: Page 1853: Thursday, May 3, 2001
Construction and building professionals today design structures to last for decades, if
not centuries. While some defects may arise in the first years after construction, others
may not surface within a ten year period of time. During consideration of Senate File
222, legislators heard from large numbers of homeowners and businesses stating that a
ten year statute of repose was too restrictive. As business building owners, corporate
entities such as Principal Financial Group, Meredith Corporation, and Wells Fargo all
expressed concern over reducing the statute of repose in these situations.
Supporters of Senate File 222 have also asserted that the statue of repose should be
shortened to ten years in order to bring Iowa more in line with other states' legislation.
While some states do provide shorter time periods, they have also created exceptions to
the statute in order to maintain consumer protection.
Legislators here considered exceptions to Iowa's statute of repose via amendments
to Senate File 222. These exceptions would have removed the time limitation for filing
suit where there are allegations of a contractor's intentional disregard of building
codes, breach of express warranties, fraud, willful misconduct, or use of defective
materials. Unfortunately, the General Assembly chose not to include any exceptions to
the statute of repose, thus further limiting the legal rights of consumers who may fall
victim to the misdeeds of others.
For the above reasons, I hereby respectfully disapprove Senate File 222.
Sincerely,
Thomas J. Vilsack
Governor
COMMUNICATION RECEIVED
The following communication was received and filed in the office of
the Chief Clerk:
DEPARTMENT OF PERSONNEL
The Annual Report, pursuant to Chapter 19A.8, Code of Iowa.
CERTIFICATES OF RECOGNITION
MR. SPEAKER: The Chief Clerk of the House respectfully reports
that certificates of recognition have been issued as follows.
MARGARET A. THOMSON
Chief Clerk of the House
2001\1130 Village of Bonaparte - For being named to the list of the Dozen
Distinctive Destinations, as one of the best preserved and unique
communities in the United States, by the National Trust for
Historic Preservation.
© 2001 Cornell College and
League of Women Voters of Iowa
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Last update: Fri May 4 13:35:00 CDT 2001
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