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Safe harbor

A provision granting protection from liability or penalty if certain conditions are met.  A safe harbor provision may be included in statutes or regulations to give peace of mind to good-faith actors who might otherwise violate the law on technicalities beyond their reasonable control.  

 

A new state law requires landowners to measure and report the size of their property.  State counties will then conduct spot-checks to detect any discrepancies.  The state law provides a fine of $500 for each under-reported acre of land.  

However, the new law includes a safe harbor clause.  Under this clause, landowners will not be assessed a fine if they relied in good faith on a faulty measuring tool or third-party surveyor.