The Consumer Protection & Business Committee held a public hearing on House Bill 1081, which would create statutory protections for property owners who receive unsolicited offers to purchase property that is not currently listed for sale. Staff briefed the committee and Representative Brandy Donaghy, the bill’s prime sponsor, described the measure as a consumer protection to deter predatory solicitations.

Key provisions: HB1081 would require that when a property owner is solicited by public advertising or by written, electronic or in‑person contact for a property that is not listed for sale, the owner has three specified rights: (1) the right to an appraisal, (2) the right to receive notice of the right to an appraisal in the contract, and (3) the right to cancel the purchase contract without penalty within defined time periods. If the owner chooses an appraisal, the owner may select the appraiser and the buyer is responsible for that expense; the appraisal must be ordered within three business days after execution of the purchase contract and the owner then has four business days after receiving the appraisal to cancel. If the owner declines an appraisal, the owner has ten business days to cancel. The bill would require purchase contracts for solicited transactions to state these rights and require the seller’s affirmative acknowledgement. Staff said violations would be enforced under the Consumer Protection Act.

Sponsor and committee questions: Representative Donaghy said she does not presume all unsolicited purchase offers are predatory but said the bill is designed to ensure owners have enough information to make an informed decision. Committee members asked whether similar rights already exist; staff replied these specific statutory rights are not currently in state law and would not automatically be supplied absent contract language. A member asked about the scope of the Consumer Protection Act; the sponsor said the bill is targeted at predatory activity and that ordinary business actors complying with the law should not be subject to enforcement actions if acting in good faith.

Stakeholder testimony: Washington Realtors testified in support and said it had worked with the sponsor on the bill. The Washington Land Title Association also supported the bill but offered technical amendments: explicitly referencing a purchase and sale agreement, including the appraisal right inside that agreement, clarifying consistent terminology (for buyer/potential buyer and solicited real property) and invoking existing law for handling earnest money in disputed transactions. The sponsor indicated willingness to work with stakeholders on technical fixes.

What’s next: the committee closed the public hearing on HB1081. No formal vote was taken during the hearing; the sponsor and stakeholders expect technical amendments to clarify contract language and earnest money handling.