In early November, residents of the town of Ladera submitted a formal amendment to San Mateo County. They’re asking to remove old racial restrictions on the titles to all 534 lots in the city. They want them replaced with a statement asserting that QUOTE, “the Ladera community supports diversity, equity, and inclusion, UNQUOTE.
A Ladera couple told the San Francisco Chronicle they discovered the deed for their home purchased in 1991 contained racial restrictions. This included a ban on all owners and occupants, other than those of the Caucasian or white race, with the exception of domestic servants.
These sorts of covenants are being discovered by homeowners around the country.
In September, California lawmakers approvedAB 1466. The bill compels the state’s real estate industry to notify buyers of any racial covenants and their rights to modify them. The law also requires that modifications be made easier and that money is allocated to identify and map covenants that linger in the state. California counties must also devise a standard modification form.