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Amend CSHB 1604 (house committee printing) as follows:
(1)  On page 2, lines 7-8, strike "Subsection (a-1)" and substitute "Subsections (a-1), (a-2), (a-3), (a-4), and (a-5)".
(2)  On page 3, between lines 13 and 14, add the following:
(a-2)  An earnest money contract entered into under Subsection (a-1) is void if the plat for the land has not been finally approved and recorded before the 91st day after the date the earnest money contract is signed by the potential purchaser, unless the potential purchaser agrees in writing to extend the period for plat approval and recording for an additional 90-day period. Only one extension may be granted under this subsection.
(a-3)  If an earnest money contract is void under Subsection (a-2), the seller shall refund all earnest money paid to the potential purchaser not later than the 30th day after the date the earnest money contract becomes void under Subsection (a-2). If the seller fails to refund the earnest money to the potential purchaser in violation of this subsection, the potential purchaser, in a suit to recover the earnest money, may recover an amount equal to three times the amount of the earnest money required to be refunded, plus reasonable attorney's fees.
(a-4)  Before entering into an earnest money contract with a potential purchaser and before a plat has been finally approved and recorded for the land as permitted under Subsection (a-1), a person must provide written notice to the attorney general and to the local government responsible for approving the plat. The notice must include:
(1)  a statement of intent to enter into an earnest money contract under Subsection (a-1);
(2)  a legal description of the land to be included in the subdivision;
(3)  each county in which all or part of the subdivision is located; and
(4)  the number of proposed individual lots to be included in the subdivision.
(a-5)  The attorney general may adopt rules regarding the notice to be provided under Subsection (a-4).
(3)  Add the following appropriately numbered SECTION to the bill and renumber subsequent SECTIONS of the bill accordingly:
Sec. 232.0806.  SUIT BY PRIVATE PERSON IN ECONOMICALLY DISTRESSED AREA. A person who has purchased or is purchasing a lot in a subdivision for residential purposes that does not have water and sewer services as required by this subchapter and is located in an economically distressed area, as defined by Section 17.921, Water Code, from a subdivider may bring suit in the district court in which the property is located or in a district court in Travis County to:
(1)  declare the sale of the property void, require the subdivider to return the purchase price of the property, and recover from the subdivider:
(A)  the market value of any permanent improvements the person placed on the property;
(B)  actual expenses incurred as a direct result of the failure to provide adequate water and sewer facilities;
(C)  court costs; and
(D)  reasonable attorney's fees; or
(2)  enjoin a violation or threatened violation of Section 232.072, require the subdivider to plat or amend an existing plat under Sections 232.011 and 232.081, and recover from the subdivider:
(A)  actual expenses incurred as a direct result of the failure to provide adequate water and sewer facilities;
(B)  court costs; and
(C)  reasonable attorney's fees.