Rancho Palos Verdes city officials announced a $42 million property buyout program for residents affected by the landslides that ravaged neighborhoods like Seaview and Portuguese Bend, cutting off utility services to hundreds of houses.

Through the buyout program, the city and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services will purchase homes with funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Housing prices will be determined by their value on December 1, 2022, before land movements accelerate, destabilizing power lines and destroying properties. The city will offer 75% of the property’s value and the house will be converted to open space, with future development limited.

How to participate in the buyback program

If residents want to take advantage of the program, they must act quickly. Residents have until 5:30 p.m. on November 4 to request a voluntary inspection from the city. The deadline to submit a redemption request is November 8 at 4:30 p.m.

City and Cal OES officials will then ensure the property meets FEMA eligibility criteria:

• The home cannot be owned by a bank (mortgages are not considered bank property) or foreclosed.
• The property was not sold after December 1, 2022.
• There are no illegal additions or structures on the property.

Funding will be prioritized for properties that meet these criteria:

• Have received a red or yellow tag or are in imminent danger of receiving a red or yellow tag by building inspectors.
• Are without power indefinitely.
• Are able to support the city’s temporary measures to slow land movement during the upcoming winter season.

If a request is accepted, the city plans to close its doors in 45 days. Residents who accept buyouts will be required to sign a liability waiver and remove any legal claims and lawsuits pending against the city.

The application can be found on the city’s website here.

The resident gives his opinion

Shari Twidwell, who lives with her parents in the Portuguese Bend area, said they probably won’t participate in the buyout program.

“It seems like the money is pretty small, considering the situation and the number of houses, and I don’t think we would be considered,” she said, noting that the damage to their house are not as important as those of some of their inhabitants. neighbors.

The family will reconsider whether the city offers another program in the future, she added.

How we got here

Above-average precipitation over the past two winters has accelerated land movement in the ancient landslide complex of the Portuguese Grand Curve region. At one point, the earth was moving as much as 1 foot per week in some areas. City officials have since announced that ground movements have slowed to an average of 8 inches per week.

Land movement also changed the topography of the area: in the Portuguese Bend Beach Club area, the land bulged out about 2 meters above the ocean, creating a new beach.

The unstable terrain also caused indefinite power and gas outages to more than 200 homes in Rancho Palos Verdes and the neighboring town of Rolling Hills. The damage prompted some residents to move, while others have installed generators and solar panels to fight to stay.