Legal Question in Real Estate Law in California

Re: Petitions

Petitions are of many types and of varying scope. Some are designed as "initiatives," meaning they ask for a particular proposition to be placed on a municipal, county or statewide ballot. Others are more simply intended to present a point of view to a legislative body such as the city council.

If you want to put something on a statewide ballot, the Secretary of State's office should be consulted regarding procedures. Go to www.ss.ca.gov and follow the menus for elections, then initiatives, and you will find plenty of information available.

However, if you are addressing a local (community) concern, it is probably more appropriate to contact the local agencies such as city clerk. They may send you right back to the secretary of State or perhaps will have some local procedures to describe.

Re: Petitions

Mr. Whipple's advice is again correct and detailed.

You need to considered what you want done and whether it can be done. If you want the state to take ove the houses and make them available to low income people, or to tear the down, you need remember that you probably can not force the state to do so and it can not afford to pay the current owners for the value of their property as the law would require.