For some time now California legislators have been trying to push a bill through that we believe would hurt home owners. While the core problem this bill was trying to address may have been valid, this was the wrong way to go.
In a nutshell the bill allowed virtually anyone to place a lien against a home. There was no need to prove that money is owed, just place the lien, and then go to court. The original idea was to protect wage earners from employers that might try to skip out on wages due. The bill allowed ANYONE to file the lien FIRST.
One did not need to even be an employee; that would be confirmed or disputed later. In our eyes this total circumvents the American ideal of innocence until proof of guilt. The bill’s intention may have been good, but the impact was not.
The bill was AB 2416. It was defeated Friday. To pass it needed 21 yes votes. It received only 13. This is another example of how Realtors® are working to protect home owner’s rights. This was done at OUR expense, not tax dollars!
For more information please reference bill AB 2416. Or contact DeAnn Kerr at deannk@car.org or Rian Barrett at rianb@car.org.