HRS §206-12
Requirement to offer land back if not developed
Read the official text at capitol.hawaii.gov ↗If the state buys land for housing but does not start developing it within two years, the state must offer to sell it back to the original owners at the same price. The land counts as "in development" only if real steps like plans and financing are underway.
landownersstate agencies
The statute, as written — Requirement to develop
A copy, taken August 20, 2026. The version published by the Legislature is the one that governs, and it may have changed since. Check it before relying on anything here.
Any land acquired by the board of land and natural resources, which is not subdivided and developed either by the board or a private developer, or is not in the process of subdivision and development for residential use, within two years from the date of its acquisition, shall be offered for sale by the board, free of any liens or encumbrances created by the board, to the owner or owners from whom the fee simple ownership of the same was acquired by the board, or their respective successors in interest, at the price at which the land was purchased. Land shall be considered to be in the process of subdivision and development when the board or the private developer has prepared subdivision and construction plans, arranged for financing, and applied to government agencies, and otherwise taken such steps as may be appropriate for the construction of the proposed development and is diligently prosecuting the development in good faith.
LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.