HB 882 — An Act prohibiting the harassment of homeowners by real estate professionals and construction companies; and imposing penalties.

PRINTER'S NO.   920

                   THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                       HOUSE BILL
                       No. 882
                                                Session of
                                                  2025

     INTRODUCED BY ISAACSON, CARROLL, GREEN, HILL-EVANS, NEILSON,
        SANCHEZ AND WAXMAN, MARCH 11, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT,
        MARCH 11, 2025


                                     AN ACT
 1   Prohibiting the harassment of homeowners by real estate
 2      professionals and construction companies; and imposing
 3      penalties.
 4      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 5   hereby enacts as follows:
 6   Section 1.   Short title.
 7      This act shall be known and may be cited as the Homeowner
 8   Harassment Prevention Act.
 9   Section 2.   Definitions.
10      The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
11   have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
12   context clearly indicates otherwise:
13      "Predatory tactics."     Any of the following:
14          (1)   Repeated and unsolicited attempts by a person,
15      within a one-year period, to contact a homeowner when the
16      homeowner has affirmatively requested that the person, or the
17      person's agent or assignee, refrain from that activity.
18          (2)   A threat to a homeowner, whether expressed or
 1      implied, regarding sale of the homeowner's real property.
 2      "Real estate developer."
 3          (1)   A person who:
 4                (i)    acquires improved or unimproved real property;
 5                (ii)    improves the real property, if unimproved, with
 6          a residential building or improves an existing
 7          residential building on the real property; and
 8                (iii)    sells the improved real property or any
 9          portion thereof.
10          (2)   The term does not include a person who makes
11      improvements to real property that constitute the person's
12      primary residence if:
13                (i)    the primary residence is a single-family
14          dwelling or a multiple-family dwelling that does not
15          exceed three stories in height and contains six or fewer
16          dwelling units; and
17                (ii)    no more than one real property is sold by the
18          person during a calendar year.
19      "Real estate professional."      A real estate agent, real estate
20   broker or real estate developer.
21   Section 3.   Required disclosures.
22      At the time of contacting a homeowner, a real estate
23   professional, construction company or other person engaged in
24   acquiring real property for development, or his agent or
25   assignee, shall identify himself and the intended buyer of the
26   homeowner's real property.
27   Section 4.   Prohibited acts.
28      A real estate professional, construction company or other
29   person engaged in acquiring real property for development, their
30   agent or assignee, may not use predatory tactics to solicit a

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 1   homeowner to sell the homeowner's real property.
 2   Section 5.   Civil penalties.
 3      In addition to any other penalty provided under law, the
 4   Office of Attorney General may assess a civil penalty against a
 5   person who violates any provision of this act of not less than
 6   $2,000 nor more than $10,000 for each violation. Each day that a
 7   violation continues shall constitute a separate and distinct
 8   violation.
 9   Section 6.   Right of action.
10      A person who is aggrieved by a violation of the provisions of
11   this act may bring a civil action in a court of competent
12   jurisdiction for legal and equitable relief as may be
13   appropriate to effectuate the purposes of this act. The court
14   may, in addition to any judgment awarded the plaintiff, award
15   reasonable attorney fees and costs of action to be paid by the
16   defendant.
17   Section 7.   Vicarious liability.
18      All parties to a solicitation of a homeowner to sell the
19   homeowner's real property in violation of this act shall be
20   vicariously liable for the violations of this act.
21   Section 8.   Effective date.
22      This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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