C.A.R. Business Meetings & Legislative Day By Andy Bencosme, AAR 2012 President-Elect and Micah Adams, YPN Co-Chairman The California Association of REALTORS® recently held their Annual Legislative Day followed by business meetings of committees, forums, and Board of Director’s meetings. During Legislative Day, we started with the briefing session where representatives of C.A.R. reviewed the issues, policies and procedures for visiting our State Legislators. Approximately 1,500 REALTORS® converged on the Sacramento Convention Center to hear California Governor Jerry Brown Jr. speak about issues affecting the real estate industry and our state. One of the issues discussed was AB 1745 (Torres). This C.A.R. sponsored bill would prevent lenders from foreclosing on a property after having approved a short sale. C.A.R. is sponsoring AB 1745 because the banks’ current “dual tracking” procedure of allowing both a foreclosure and a short sale approval process to run concurrently has resulted in families losing their homes when a short sale has already been approved. The second issue includes several bills which C.A.R. is opposing regarding Foreclosure Procedure Reform. They have been introduced as a package and sponsored by the state Attorney General. C.A.R. opposes provisions in these measures which will: (1) force those recording a Notice of Default (NOD) to certify the chain of title of the note and mortgage or deed of trust; (2) create a very broad definition of a “robosigned document” and impose civil penalties for recording that document; and (3) permanently establish a 90-day notice to vacate foreclosed properties. To discuss these issues the representatives from the AAR visited the Capitol and had meetings with Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, Senator Bob Huff and Senator Carol Liu. During these meetings, we thanked them for the legislation they supported or opposed that was in our best interest of private property rights and discussed our position on the bills I mentioned above. We also talked at length about the current state of the real estate market. During lunch that day, our AAR representation joined members of the Pasadena-Foothill Association of REALTORS® and members of the Glendale Association of REALTORS® at the Sheraton Grand Hotel and heard from our Government Affairs Director, Chip Ahlswede. The AAR had a large contingent of REALTORS® take part in Legislative Day and the business meetings that AAR members with Assemblyman, Anthony Portantino are (L to R): Yvonne Rosas-Petty, followed. Two members of the group Margaret Garemore; Assemblyman, Anthony Portantino; Sonia Santos and Daniel Petty. (Continued on page 9)
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June 2012
AAR Leadership members in Sacramento for the C.A.R. Business Meetings and Legislative Day are (Top L to R): Nick Zigic, Micah Adams, Joe Pacilio and AAR Executive Vice-President, Andrew Cooper. (Middle L to R): Kelvin Chang, Kelvin Wong, Roy Blume, Brown Ho and AAR 2012 President-Elect, Andy Bencosme. (Front L to R): Connie Hanson, Sonia Santos; AAR 2012 President, Ryan Asao; Sylvia Ramos, Irene Yamagata and Margaret Garemore. Not pictured: George Monte, Richard Stone, Mike Vachani and Jeanne Keating.