Question: Some people who survived the Aug. 8 inferno won’t want to live in Lahaina anymore. Not everybody has deep roots there and the fire was so scary that some will want to start somewhere new where they feel safer. Will they be denied the right to sell property they own in Lahaina or elsewhere in Maui? What about off-Maui descendants of people who died in the fire, who may inherit property? Will they be able to sell it? There’s been much discussion about rebuilding Lahaina the way the community wants, but much of what burned was residential private property.
Answer: A section of the sixth emergency proclamation on the wildfires, issued by Gov. Josh Green on Aug. 19, targets buyers who make unsolicited offers for property in the Maui wildfire disaster zones, not sellers. It seeks to punish predatory land speculators who take advantage of property owners in financial distress after the fires, but it doesn’t prevent owners from putting their property on the market if they wish.
So, to answer your questions, private property owners still have rights under this proclamation, which states that “any person who intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly makes an unsolicited offer to an owner of real property located in the areas encompassed by United States Postal ZIP codes 96761, 96767, and 96790 on the island of Maui to purchase or otherwise acquire any interest in the real property shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction, the person shall be fined no more than $5,000, imprisoned no more than one year, or both.”
Also, the proclamation says that “it shall be an affirmative defense to prosecution if the property owner to whom the offer was made was not impacted by this wildfire emergency.”
Read the full proclamation at 808ne.ws/6thproc Opens in a new tab.
The first two zip codes are in Lahaina and the third is in Kula.
Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez has urged property owners in those zip codes to report any unsolicited offers, “that is, offers not asked for or requested,” by calling 911 or emailing the Department of the Attorney General at hawaiiag@ hawaii.gov. The AG’s office is investigating eight complaints about unsolicited offers, the Associated Press reported Friday.
At least 115 people died in the Lahaina fire, and about 385 people remain unaccounted for, authorities said Friday. Many residential and business owners are eager to return to Lahaina to see what’s left of their properties, but can’t do so until after the disaster zone is cleared of hazardous material.
Q: I thought camping at Bellows was closed because of the turtles but my granddaughter says her friends are camping there. Is that OK?
A: Yes, with a permit. The summer suspension of overnight camping during sea turtle nesting season has ended. Honolulu’s Department of Parks and Recreation has resumed taking reservations at camping. honolulu.gov/ Opens in a new tab for weekend overnight camping at Bellows Field Beach Park in Waimanalo.
Mahalo
Mahalo to the kind person who found my driver’s license, which had fallen out of my pocket at some point while I was away from home. Once I discovered I had lost it, the worst possible thoughts sent me into a state of worry about what could happen if my driver’s license falls into the wrong hands. By the time I arrived home, I had seen on my security camera that a stranger had knocked on my door, and then realizing nobody was home, had left my license in my mailbox. He saved me time and most importantly worry. He went out of his way to drive to my home, and I couldn’t be more grateful. His kindness is inspiring. — Thank you, T.C.
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
