COEUR d’ALENE — To say that Kathy Hunt was happy when Gov. Brad Little signed House Bill 444 would be an understatement.

“I'm tickled,” the Coeur d'Alene woman said Wednesday. “I'm just tickled pink. It made my day.”

The governor’s signature ended a fight for Hunt that began nearly 20 years ago.

The bill will amend Idaho Code Section 31-808 to exclude property acquired by tax deed from being gifted to other government entities without compensation to the property owner, according to the Mountain States Policy Center.

“Home equity theft is an egregious practice where the government is allowed to foreclose on a property through tax liens, sell the property, and keep all of the equity after the debts are paid,” wrote Madilynne Clark, with MSPC.

Hunt said when she became aware that people could lose their home due to unpaid property taxes, despite the property being worth far more than the unpaid taxes and the owner receiving no compensation, she needed to do something.

She used the example of a house worth $250,000, $8,000 owed in property taxes. That would leave a $242,000 profit and Hunt questioned where that money went if not back to the owner.

“I don’t like injustice,” Hunt told The Press in a recent interview.

She researched Kootenai County properties lost to unpaid property taxes, what the value was, the minimum bid and what it went for. She also wrote letters about the issue and contacted elected leaders. Nothing happened, but she didn't lose hope it would.

Nearly 20 years later, Hunt feels vindicated.

“It took a while but it paid off,” she said.