While the Memphis housing market may have cooled somewhat, a new bill would limit those pesky calls and texts from randos asking, “Do you want to sell your house?”
The “anti-harassment” bill would limit “the number of times that a real estate developer, business entity, or individual working on behalf of the developer or business entity [would be] permitted to contact a property owner to make an unsolicited offer to buy the property owner’s property.”
That limit is one time per calendar year. That contact is through a call, text, email, mail, fax, or any other form of contact. Each contact beyond one is considered a separate violation. A call and two texts? That’s two violations.
Break the rule and the person you contacted can report the contact to consumer affairs division of the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office. Under the proposed rule, that office would have to begin an investigation into the contact within 15 business days after the complaint is submitted.
If a developer, business, or individual is found guilty of violating the rule, they can be fined up to $1,500. A court could also charge the violator with costs associated with the investigation and prosecution, including attorney fees.
The bill is the first from new state Sen. Charlane Oliver (D-Nashville). In a post on Medium, Oliver called the behavior of these developers “predatory” and said it is shrinking “supply of affordable housing and taking advantage of longtime homeowners who may not know what their home is worth.”
“Tennesseans are being displaced due to rising housing costs, driven by corporate greed, unchecked growth and gentrification,” Oliver said in the post. “I’m filing anti-harassment legislation to enact penalties on predatory developers who pressure homeowners into selling their property. We must help families protect their most valuable asset and those who want a path to homeownership.”
The idea for the legislation came as Oliver said she watched “schemers” target older homeowners after the 2020 tornado struck Nashville.
No one should suffer incessant harassment just because they own a home.
Sen. Charlane Oliver (D-Nashville)
“No one should suffer incessant harassment just because they own a home,” Oliver said. “It’s time for the legislature to create some guardrails to protect Tennesseans, and especially our senior citizens, from these deceptive, high-pressure tactics.”
For a deep dive on the issue in Memphis, read the Flyer’s 2020 cover story from Chris McCoy here.