Bill Text: CA SB1079 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Residential property: foreclosure.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2020-09-28 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 202, Statutes of 2020. [SB1079 Detail]
Download: California-2019-SB1079-Amended.html
Amended
IN
Assembly
August 10, 2020 |
Amended
IN
Senate
June 18, 2020 |
Amended
IN
Senate
May 29, 2020 |
Amended
IN
Senate
May 13, 2020 |
Introduced by Senator Skinner (Coauthor: Senator Rubio) |
February 19, 2020 |
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
This bill would also require a trustee, during the 20-day period before the date of sale, to receive offers from individuals who would be owner-occupants of the home and from a public entity that is utilizing public funds to purchase the property and would require any offer from a prospective owner-occupant to be accompanied by an owner-occupant certification. The bill would define the terms “owner-occupants” and “public entity” for purposes of these provisions.
Existing law specifies the procedure for the foreclosure of a mortgage or deed of trust secured by real property or an estate for years by judicial action. Under existing law, in an action for the recovery of any debt or enforcement of any right secured by a mortgage, the court may direct the sale of the encumbered real property or estate for years and order the proceeds applied to the payment of court costs, the expenses of levy and sale, and the amount due to the plaintiff, as provided.
This bill, if the court directs the sale of encumbered property
pursuant to these provisions to recover a debt or enforce a right secured by mortgage upon a residential real property, as defined, would require the mortgagee to offer that property, first to individuals who will be owner-occupants of the home, or to a public entity that is utilizing public funds to purchase the property, for the first 20 days the property is listed. The bill would authorize any person to submit an offer to purchase the property after the first 20 days following the listing and would require that these offers be considered along with the offers submitted during the first 20-day listing period. The bill would require an owner-occupant purchaser to sign a specified certification. The bill would prescribe definitions of “owner-occupants” and “public entity” for these purposes.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO Local Program: NOBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
(a)As used in this section and Sections 2924g and 2924h, “property” means real property or a leasehold estate therein, and “calendar week” means Monday through Saturday, inclusive.
(b)(1)Except as provided in subdivision (c), before any sale of property can be made under the power of sale contained in any deed of trust or mortgage, or any resale resulting from a rescission for a failure of consideration pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 2924h, notice of the sale thereof shall be given by posting a written notice of the time of sale and of the street address and the specific place at the street address where the sale will be held, and describing the property to be
sold, at least 20 days before the date of sale in one public place in the city where the property is to be sold, if the property is to be sold in a city, or, if not, then in one public place in the county seat of the county where the property is to be sold, and publishing a copy once a week for three consecutive calendar weeks.
(2)The first publication to be at least 20 days before the date of sale, in a newspaper of general circulation published in the city in which the property or some part thereof is situated, if any part thereof is situated in a city, if not, then in a newspaper of general circulation published in the public notice district in which the property or some part thereof is situated, or in case no newspaper of general circulation is published in the city or public notice district, as the case may be, in a newspaper of general
circulation published in the county in which the property or some part thereof is situated, or in case no newspaper of general circulation is published in the city or public notice district or county, as the case may be, in a newspaper of general circulation published in the county in this state that is contiguous to the county in which the property or some part thereof is situated and has, by comparison with all similarly contiguous counties, the highest population based upon total county population as determined by the most recent federal decennial census published by the Bureau of the Census. For the purposes of this section, publication of notice in a public notice district is governed by Chapter 1.1 (commencing with Section 6080) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code.
(3)A copy of the notice of sale shall also be posted in a conspicuous
place on the property to be sold at least 20 days before the date of sale, where possible and where not restricted for any reason. If the property is a single-family residence the posting shall be on a door of the residence, but, if not possible or restricted, then
the notice shall be posted in a conspicuous place on the property; however, if access is denied because a common entrance to the property is restricted by a guard gate or similar impediment, the property may be posted at that guard gate or similar impediment to any development community.
(4)The notice of sale shall conform to the minimum requirements of Section 6043 of the Government Code and be recorded with the county recorder of the county in which the property or some part thereof is situated at least 20 days prior to the date of sale.
(5)The notice of sale shall contain the name, street address in this state, which may reflect an agent of the trustee, and either a toll-free telephone number or telephone number in this state of the trustee, and the name
of the original trustor, and also shall contain the statement required by paragraph (3) of subdivision (c). In addition to any other description of the property, the notice shall describe the property by giving its street address, if any, or other common designation, if any, and a county assessor’s parcel number; but if the property has no street address or other common designation, the notice shall contain a legal description of the property, the name and address of the beneficiary at whose request the sale is to be conducted, and a statement that directions may be obtained pursuant to a written request submitted to the beneficiary within 10 days from the first publication of the notice. Directions shall be deemed reasonably sufficient to locate the property if information as to the location of the property is given by reference to the direction and approximate distance from the nearest crossroads,
frontage road, or access road. If a legal description or a county assessor’s parcel number and either a street address or another common designation of the property is given, the validity of the notice and the validity of the sale shall not be affected by the fact that the street address, other common designation, name and address of the beneficiary, or the directions obtained therefrom are erroneous or that the street address, other common designation, name and address of the beneficiary, or directions obtained therefrom are omitted.
(6)The term “newspaper of general circulation,” as used in this section, has the same meaning as defined in Article 1 (commencing with Section 6000) of Chapter 1 of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code.
(7)The notice of sale shall contain
a statement of the total amount of the unpaid balance of the obligation secured by the property to be sold and reasonably estimated costs, expenses, advances at the time of the initial publication of the notice of sale, and, if republished pursuant to a cancellation of a cash equivalent pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 2924h, a reference of that fact; provided, that the trustee shall incur no liability for any good faith error in stating the proper amount, including any amount provided in good faith by or on behalf of the beneficiary. An inaccurate statement of this amount shall not affect the validity of any sale to a bona fide purchaser for value, nor shall the failure to post the notice of sale on a door as provided by this subdivision affect the validity of any sale to a bona fide purchaser for value.
(8)(A)On and after April 1, 2012, if the deed of trust or mortgage containing a power of sale is secured by real property containing from one to four single-family residences, the notice of sale shall contain substantially the following language, in addition to the language required pursuant to paragraphs (1) to (7), inclusive:
NOTICE TO POTENTIAL BIDDERS: If you are considering bidding on this property lien, you should understand that there are risks involved in bidding at a trustee auction. You will be bidding on a lien, not on the property itself. Placing the highest bid at a trustee auction does not automatically entitle you to free and clear ownership of the property. You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off may be a junior lien. If you are the highest bidder at the auction, you are or may
be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lien being auctioned off, before you can receive clear title to the property. You are encouraged to investigate the existence, priority, and size of outstanding liens that may exist on this property by contacting the county recorder’s office or a title insurance company, either of which may charge you a fee for this information. If you consult either of these resources, you should be aware that the same lender may hold more than one mortgage or deed of trust on the property.
NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: The sale date shown on this notice of sale may be postponed one or more times by the mortgagee, beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requires that information about trustee sale postponements be made available to
you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale. If you wish to learn whether your sale date has been postponed, and, if applicable, the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property, you may call [telephone number for information regarding the trustee’s sale] or visit this internet website [internet website address for information regarding the sale of this property], using the file number assigned to this case [case file number]. Information about postponements that are very short in duration or that occur close in time to the scheduled sale may not immediately be reflected in the telephone information or on the internet website. The best way to verify postponement information is to attend the scheduled sale.
(B)A mortgagee, beneficiary, trustee, or authorized
agent shall make a good faith effort to provide up-to-date information regarding sale dates and postponements to persons who wish this information. This information shall be made available free of charge. It may be made available via an internet website, a telephone recording that is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or through any other means that allows 24 hours a day, seven days a week, no-cost access to updated
information. A disruption of any of these methods of providing sale date and postponement information to allow for reasonable maintenance or due to a service outage shall not be deemed to be a violation of the good faith standard.
(C)Except as provided in subparagraph (B), nothing in the wording of the notices required by subparagraph (A) is intended to modify or create any substantive rights or obligations for any person providing, or specified in, either of the required notices. Failure to comply with subparagraph (A) or (B) shall not invalidate any sale that would otherwise be valid under Section 2924f.
(D)Information provided pursuant to subparagraph (A) does not constitute the public declaration required by subdivision (d) of Section 2924g.
(9)If the sale of the property is to be a unified sale as provided in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 9604 of the Commercial Code, the notice of sale shall also contain a description of the personal property or fixtures to be sold. In the case where it is contemplated that all of the personal property or fixtures are to be sold, the description in the notice of the personal property or fixtures shall be sufficient if it is the same as the description of the personal property or fixtures contained in the agreement creating the security interest in or encumbrance on the personal property or fixtures or the filed financing statement relating to the personal property or fixtures. In all other cases, the description in the notice shall be sufficient if it would be a sufficient description of the personal property or
fixtures under Section 9108 of the Commercial Code. Inclusion of a reference to or a description of personal property or fixtures in a notice of sale hereunder shall not constitute an election by the secured party to conduct a unified sale pursuant to subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 9604 of the Commercial Code, shall not obligate the secured party to conduct a unified sale pursuant to subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 9604 of the Commercial Code, and in no way shall render defective or noncomplying either that notice or a sale pursuant to that notice by reason of the fact that the sale includes none or less than all of the personal property or fixtures referred to or described in the notice. This paragraph shall not otherwise affect the obligations or duties of a secured party under the Commercial Code.
(c)(1)This subdivision applies only to deeds of trust or mortgages which contain a power of sale and which are secured by real property containing a single-family, owner-occupied residence, where the obligation secured by the deed of trust or mortgage is contained in a contract for goods or services subject to the provisions of the Unruh Act (Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 1801) of Title 2 of Part 4 of Division 3).
(2)Except as otherwise expressly set forth in this subdivision, all other provisions of law relating to the exercise of a power of sale shall govern the exercise of a power of sale contained in a deed of trust or mortgage described in paragraph (1).
(3)If any default of the obligation
secured by a deed of trust or mortgage described in paragraph (1) has not been cured within 30 days after the recordation of the notice of default, the trustee or mortgagee shall mail to the trustor or mortgagor, at their last known address, a copy of the following statement:
YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A |
, |
(Deed of trust or mortgage) |
---|
DATED____. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT |
(4)All sales of real property pursuant to a power of sale contained in any deed of trust or mortgage described in paragraph (1) shall be held in the county where the residence is located and shall be made to the person making the highest offer. During the 20-day period prior to the date of sale, the trustee shall receive offers from individuals who will be owner-occupants of the home and from a public entity that is utilizing public funds to purchase the property. Any offer from a prospective owner-occupant shall be accompanied by an owner-occupant certification. The trustee may
receive offers during the 10-day period immediately prior to the date of sale and if any offer is accepted in writing by both the trustor or mortgagor and the beneficiary or mortgagee prior to the time set for sale, the sale shall be postponed to a date certain and prior to which the property may be conveyed by the trustor to the person making the offer according to its terms. The offer is revocable until accepted. The performance of the offer, following acceptance, according to its terms, by a conveyance of the property to the offeror, shall operate to terminate any further proceeding under the notice of sale and it shall be deemed revoked.
For the purposes of this paragraph, the following definitions shall apply:
“Owner-occupants” means buyers who will occupy the property as their principal residence within 60 days of
closing and will maintain their occupancy for at least one year.
“Public entity” means the state, the Regents of the University of California, a county, city, district, public authority, or public agency, and any other political subdivision or public corporation in the state, including, but not limited to, a community land trust or a nonprofit entity providing affordable housing.
(5)In addition to the trustee fee pursuant to Section 2924c, the trustee or mortgagee pursuant to a deed of trust or mortgage subject to this subdivision shall be entitled to charge an additional fee of fifty dollars ($50).
(6)This subdivision applies only to property on which notices of default were filed on or after the effective date of this subdivision.
(d)With respect to residential real property containing no more than four dwelling units, a separate document containing a summary of the notice of sale information in English and the languages described in Section 1632 shall be attached to the notice of sale provided to the mortgagor or trustor pursuant to Section 2923.3.
SECTION 1.
Section 2924f of the Civil Code is amended to read:2924f.
(a) As used in this section and Sections 2924g and 2924h, “property” means real property or a leasehold estate therein, and “calendar week” means Monday through Saturday, inclusive.YOU ARE IN
DEFAULT UNDER A |
, |
(Deed of trust or mortgage) |
---|
DATED ____. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. |
SEC. 2.
Section 2924f is added to the Civil Code, to read:2924f.
(a) As used in this section and Sections 2924g and 2924h, “property” means real property or a leasehold estate therein, and “calendar week” means Monday through Saturday, inclusive.SEC. 2.SEC. 3.
Section 2924g of the Civil Code is amended to read:2924g.
(a) (1) All sales of property under the power of sale contained in any deed of trust or mortgage shall be held in the county where the property or some part thereof is situated, and shall be made at auction, to the highest bidder, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on any business day, Monday through Friday.(4)Notwithstanding any other law, a sale of property under the power of sale contained in any deed of trust or mortgage shall be subject to the follow restrictions:
(A)No person shall be permitted to purchase more than three properties in the same county on the same date pursuant to procedures described in this
section. For purposes of this paragraph, “person” is defined as the entity in whose name title to the property is recorded.
(B)A trustee shall not bundle properties for the purpose of sale. Each property shall be bid on separately, unless the deed of trust or mortgage provides otherwise.
SEC. 4.
Section 2924g is added to the Civil Code, to read:2924g.
(a) All sales of property under the power of sale contained in any deed of trust or mortgage shall be held in the county where the property or some part thereof is situated, and shall be made at auction, to the highest bidder, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on any business day, Monday through Friday.SEC. 5.
Section 2924h of the Civil Code is amended to read:2924h.
(a) Each and every bid made by a bidder at a trustee’s sale under a power of sale contained in a deed of trust or mortgage shall be deemed to be an irrevocable offer by that bidder to purchase the property being sold by the trustee under the power of sale for the amount of the bid. Any second or subsequent bid by the same bidder or any other bidder for a higher amount shall be a cancellation of the prior bid.SEC. 6.
Section 2924h is added to the Civil Code, to read:2924h.
(a) Each and every bid made by a bidder at a trustee’s sale under a power of sale contained in a deed of trust or mortgage shall be deemed to be an irrevocable offer by that bidder to purchase the property being sold by the trustee under the power of sale for the amount of the bid. Any second or subsequent bid by the same bidder or any other bidder for a higher amount shall be a cancellation of the prior bid.SEC. 7.
Section 2924m is added to the Civil Code, to read:2924m.
(a) For purposes of this section:SEC. 8.
Section 2924n is added to the Civil Code, to read:2924n.
Nothing in this article shall relieve a person deemed the legal owner of real property when the trustee’s deed is recorded from complying with applicable law regarding the eviction or displacement of tenants, including, but not limited to, notice requirements, requirements for the provision of temporary or permanent relocation assistance, the right to return, and just cause eviction requirements.SEC. 3.SEC. 9.
Section 2929.3 of the Civil Code is amended to read:2929.3.
(a) (1) A legal owner shall maintain vacant residential property purchased by that owner at a foreclosure(2)
(3)
(a)If in any action to recover a debt or enforce a right secured by mortgage upon a residential real property pursuant to this chapter the court directs the sale of the encumbered property pursuant to Section 726, the mortgagee shall, before offering the residential real property for sale on the open market in accordance with this chapter, first offer that property exclusively to individuals who will be owner-occupants of the home, or to a public entity that is utilizing public funds to purchase the property, for the first 20 days the property is listed on the market. After the first 20 days that the property is listed, any person may submit an offer to purchase the property and these offers shall be considered along with
the offers submitted during the first 20-day listing period. An owner-occupant purchaser shall be required to sign an owner-occupant certification as a rider to the residential real estate purchase and sale contract.
(b)For the purpose of this section:
(1)“Owner-occupants” means buyers who will occupy the property as their principal residence within 60 days of closing and will maintain their occupancy for at least one year.
(2)“Public entity” means the state, the Regents of the University of California, a county, city, district, public authority, public agency, and any other political subdivision or public corporation in the state, including, but not limited to, a community land trust or a nonprofit entity providing
affordable housing.