Katy Perry Act: A housing bill is inspired by the singer's $15 million Santa Barbara lawsuit

 Katy Perry Act: A housing bill is inspired by the singer's $15 million Santa Barbara lawsuit

Katy Perry, an American singer and songwriter, has a history of housing challenges. This time, a housing measure was motivated by a litigation in which the musician is involved.

The $15 million Santa Barbara property Katy Perry and her husband Orlando Bloom purchased in July 2020 is currently the subject of a legal dispute with 84-year-old veteran Carl Westcott, who was the previous owner.

Actor Katy Perry

The "Protecting Elder Realty for Retirement Years Act," often known as "The Katy Perry Act," is currently being promoted by Carl's son Chart and other family members.

On the website, it is stated that "The Katy PERRY Act addresses the risks of elder financial abuse, particularly as it relates to property and real estate sales and transfers."

The Act established a 72-hour cooling-off period during which either party to a contract for the transfer of a residential residence in which one party is over the age of 75 may cancel the arrangement without incurring any fees.

According to the act's page, "elder fraud" or "financial elder abuse" is a widespread problem in the US.

The FBI reports a 400% increase in the frequency of internet fraud that targets seniors in recent years.

The Federal Trade Commission estimated that over 93,000 fraud complaints totaling over $500 million in losses had been made by people 60 and over in 2020.

"At the present moment, no regulations exist to safeguard senior persons from real estate deals that unfairly target elderly people whose mental state may be impaired at the time of sale. The bill's conclusion reads, "The PERRY Act addresses the hazards of elder financial abuse, particularly as they pertain to property and real estate purchases and transfers.

Carl v. Katy: The Court Case

Carl "did not want to sell his home at all," according to court filings, despite being heavily drugged with "several intoxicating pain-killing opiates."

The veteran allegedly received a 2015 diagnosis of the brain illness Huntington's Disease.

According to paperwork filed with the Los Angeles County Superior Court, "The multiple opiate pharmaceuticals, which were synthetic equivalents of morphine, disoriented and intoxicated [Westcott], robbing him of reason and understanding with respect to the terms and consequences of the agreements, and severely impairing [Westcott's] cognitive functioning to the point he was of unsound mind and not proficient to give his free, voluntary, or intelligent consent to the contract."

"Therefore, the agreement [Westcott] made to sell his house is void or voidable."

Reaction on social media

"What an intriguing suggestion! Protecting vulnerable people from financial abuse is essential, especially for the elderly, said a user on X in support of the initiative.

Another user said, "Starting to see a theme... 2nd time KP has supposedly sued for not being able to buy a property from an old person.