BEVERLY HILLS, CA – FEBRUARY 26: Singer-songwriter Katy Perry attends the 2017 Vanity Fair Oscar … [+]
Katy Perry has faced criticism and dealt with controversy in the past, but now she may have a new law named after her…but it’s not meant to be an honor.
Throughout the past few years, the pop superstar has been embroiled in several legal battles with elderly homeowners in California over sales of homes. Now, a nationwide legislative effort aimed at safeguarding the rights of older homeowners during property sales that is beginning its legal journey bears her name.
Spearheaded by the family of one such homeowner who is currently entangled in a legal dispute with Perry, the Protecting Elder Realty for Retirement Years Act, or the Katy PERRY Act, aims to introduce measures to protect older people with various health concerns from potential financial exploitation in real estate transactions.
According to a website created to educate people about the new would-be law, “The Katy PERRY Act addresses the risks of elder financial abuse, especially as it relates to property and real estate sales and transfers. The Act establishes a 72 hour cool-down period during which either party involved in a contract for conveyance of a personal residence, in which one party is over the age of 75, can rescind the agreement without penalty.”
The high-profile case that fueled the creation of the Katy PERRY Act involves Perry herself and the 84-year-old founder of 1-800-Flowers, Carl Westcott. The entrepreneur has filed a lawsuit seeking to halt the sale of his eight-bedroom, 11-bathroom Santa Barbara mansion to Perry and her partner, Orlando Bloom. The singer and actor were scheduled to buy the mansion for $15 million, but now Westcott and his family are trying to stop the deal.
Westcott’s contention is that he was unable to provide informed consent for the sale due to his mental decline and his use of prescription opiates following a significant surgery. His family is working with him to ensure Perry doesn’t own the home, and now they’ve taken the fight to a new level with this might-be law.
This latest legal battle is not the first instance where Perry has found herself in a dispute with elderly real estate owners who go on to seek to block her acquisition. Several years ago, the Grammy nominee faced a legal challenge from a group of nuns who intended to sell their California estate to someone other than the singer. Perry ultimately won the lawsuit, but it’s remembered largely due to the unfortunate collapse and subsequent passing of one of the nuns during the trial.