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Committee advances Sen. Perez’s bill to curb unsolicited investor offers after wildfires
Summary
SB 1090 would bar unsolicited purchase offers for five years by large owners in declared wildfire disaster zones; proponents said Altadena residents faced persistent lowball solicitations after the Eaton Fire, while real-estate and title groups raised enforcement and First Amendment concerns.
Senator Perez presented SB 1090 to prohibit unsolicited purchase offers for five years in declared wildfire disaster areas when the outreach comes from any entity owning 75 or more single-family properties. The author said the measure is modeled on federal and executive actions and aims to protect disaster survivors from persistent lowball solicitations during the long rebuilding process.
Iris Craig of Strategic Actions for a Just Economy described residents in Altadena who received repeated calls and texts offering cash for burned properties. “These calls became persistent, and she has received over a dozen unsolicited offers,” Craig said, describing behavior advocates call predatory.
Representatives of the California Association of Realtors and the California Land Title Association voiced concerns about operational questions, enforcement and potential limits on commercial speech; committee counsel and members discussed how the bill treats targeted solicitations versus general advertising and whether five years is the appropriate period for a moratorium.
Senator Stern and others asked whether digital ads and posted signs would be covered; proponents said the bill focuses on direct, targeted offers and on large institutional purchasers and that broader advertising issues merit further discussion. After debate about scope and enforcement, the committee recorded a favorable recommendation to move SB 1090 to the floor.
