Rancho Palos Verdes announces buyout program for homes affected by land movement

Rancho Palos Verdes city officials have announced a $42 million property buyout program for residents affected by land movement that has been ravaging neighborhoods like Seaview and Portuguese Bend, cutting utilities to hundreds of homes in the process.

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. Home prices will be determined by how much they were valued on Dec. 1, 2022, before land movement accelerated, destabilizing power lines and destroying properties. The city will offer 75% of the property value and the home will be converted to open space, with future development restricted.

How to take part in the buyout program

If residents want to take advantage of the program, they have to act fast. Residents have until 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 4 to request a voluntary inspection from the city. The deadline to submit a buyout application is 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 8.

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City and Cal OES officials will then make sure the property meets FEMA’s eligibility criteria:

• The home cannot be bank owned (mortgages are not considered bank ownership) or in foreclosure.
• The property was not sold after Dec. 1, 2022.
• There are no illegal add-ons and structures on the property.

Funding will be prioritized for properties that meet these criteria:

• Have been red or yellow tagged or are in imminent danger of being red or yellow tagged by building inspectors. 
• Are without power indefinitely.
• Are in a location to aid the city’s temporary measures to slow down land movement during the upcoming winter season.

If an application is accepted, the city anticipates closing in 45 days. Residents who accept the buyouts will have to sign a liability release and withdraw any current legal claims and lawsuits they have against the city.

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

Resident weighs in

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

"It sounds like the money is pretty small, given the situation and the number of homes, and I don’t think we would be considered," she said, noting that the damage to their home isn't as extensive as some of their neighbors.

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

How we got here

Above average rainfall over the last two winters accelerated land movement in the ancient landslide complex in the Greater Portuguese Bend area. At one point, land was moving up to 1 foot a week in some areas. City officials have since announced that land movement has slowed to an average 8 inches a week.

The shifting land has also changed the topography of the area: in the Portuguese Bend Beach Club area, land has bulged upward of about 6 feet from the ocean, creating a new beach.

The unstable land has also caused indefinite power and gas shutoffs for more than 200 homes in Rancho Palos Verdes and the neighboring city of Rolling Hills. The damage has prompted some residents to move out, while others have installed generators and solar panels as they fight to stay.