SB 458 – effective July 11, states no liability will inure to sellers of short sale 1-4 unit properties in California with respect to second position loans. (Recall that first position loans sold short lost recourse liability becasue of SB 931 in 2010).
Good news? Or bad?
Some say it will actually hurt sales in California, becasue banks won’t have any incentive to deal and will just foreclose. Maybe.
I’d bet neither law stays on the books very long. Huh? Why not?
The US and State Constitutions have Ex Post Facto laws. Fancy words that mean, in essence, “Thou shalt not pass a law that interferes with a preexisting contractual relationship.”
Isn’t that just what these laws did? Change the preexisting contractual relationship between a bank and a borrower?
With hundreds of BILLIONS of dollars at risk, don’t you think the banks will challenge the laws? I would.
We’ll all find out in about three years. That’s how long it takes for a trial, and then an appeal. (Longer if it goes to either of the Supreme Courts – state or federal.)
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