Mexico City.- In 2023, a legislative proposal in the United States generated controversy when we were named after one of the most famous artists in the world: Katy Perry. The so -called Perry Law (Protecting Elder Realty For Retirement Years Act) It was not approved, but its discussion highlighted a growing problem: financial abuse against older adults in real estate transactions.
Although the initiative did not advance in Congress, its media impact revived debates on the legal protection of vulnerable people. Here we tell you everything you should know.
What is Katy Perry law?
Perry law was a proposal presented by a bipartisan group of US legislators, mainly from Texas, California, New Mexico and New York. His main objective was to protect older adults (Especially those with cognitive deterioration or under medical treatment) in real estate transactions.
72 -hour reflection period for people over 75 to cancel a contract without penalty.
Greater supervision in signatures of high value documents.
Protection against predatory sales, such as companies that buy properties below the market.
Although it was never formally discussed, the initiative gained national attention due to two controversial cases linked to Katy Perry.
The Carl Westcott case: the sale under medical effects
The strongest impulse to Perry law arose from Carl Westcott, An 85 -year -old businessman diagnosed with Huntington’s disease. In May 2020, Westcott bought a mansion in Santa Barbara for $ 11.25 million, but days later he received an offer of $ 15 million Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom.
According to judicial documents, Westcott had undergone six -hour back surgery and was under treatment With opioids when he signed the contract. His lawyers argued that he was not in a position to make financial decisions, but in 2023 a judge failed in favor of Perry, ratifying the sale in May 2024.
The battle of Katy Perry’s house with Carl Westcott, 84, has inspired a new bill called ‘Katy Perry’ law that aims to protect the old woman from “financial abuse” when it comes to real estate.
The law is being driven by the family of … pic.twitter.com/8LPFHK9Kex
– 703 đ” (@Sietecerotres_) October 2, 2023
Los Angeles nuns: Another real estate dispute
This was not Perry’s first conflict with older adults. In 2013, he tried to buy a convent in Los Angeles, but the resident nuns refused and preferred to sell it to a local businesswoman. After a long legal battle, Perry won the purchase right in 2017, but the contract expired in 2019 without the transaction being completed.
The case had a tragic turn when one of the nuns died during a judicial hearing in 2018, increasing the controversy around these legal conflicts.
The Katy Perry Act.
Nun … pic.twitter.com/vcnfytjbas
– Old Timer (@gnarlyamerican) April 26, 2025
Why is it called ‘Katy Perry’ law?
The name Perry is an acronym for Protecting Elder Realty For Retirement Years Act, But it also refers to media cases linked to the singer. Although the proposal was never law, a request at Change.org still circulates with more than 350 signatures supporting its implementation.
According to data cited by its promoters, In 2020 more than 93 thousand older adults denounced financial fraudswith losses greater than $ 500 million.
Perry law reflects a real problem: The vulnerability of older adults in real estate transactions. Although it did not become law, its discussion showed the need for legal mechanisms that protect this group of financial abuse.
