Local residents of Maui Island, Hawaii: Will not leave, American real estate developers want to purchase disaster affected land at a low price
A large fire broke out on Maui Island, Hawaii, USA on the 8th of this month. Currently, the fire has caused 115 deaths and about 850 people are missing. Search work is still ongoing.
Shortly after the fire broke out, many residents of La Haina, especially those who had previously lived in coastal areas, constantly received calls or emails from real estate agencies to purchase land at low prices. These residents angrily expressed that some people are extremely greedy and are determined to use this disaster to plunder land and profit from it.
As a seaside tourist destination, Lahaina's real estate has always been favored by investors, with high housing prices, and many indigenous people have been resisting excessive development of their communities. After the fire broke out, real estate developers took advantage of the situation and disregarded the physical and mental harm suffered by the disaster victims, constantly harassing them through phone or email, offering extremely low prices to acquire the land. Local resident Deb Loveler previously owned a century old house on the beach of La Haina. After the house was burned down, she also became a victim of harassment from real estate developers.
![Local residents of Maui Island, Hawaii: Will not leave, American real estate developers want to purchase disaster affected land at a low price](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/16071fb2a1ca173fa37bd932c7c6c3c1.jpg)
Deb Loveler, a resident of La Haina: I've received a bunch of these emails, they want to buy your house and already have your address. They first apologize for the losses you have suffered, and then say what they are willing to do if you wish to move and settle elsewhere. I can't remember the specific wording, but the email content is roughly like this. I'm surprised, I wonder how they know my email, identity information, and my house address.
It is understood that these emails sent to residents of La Haina usually promise to complete cash transactions within a week as long as they are willing to move out. Some desperate families had no other choice but to agree, but Deb Loveler deleted all the similar emails she received and did not reply. Soon, the real estate developer came to their door again through interpersonal relationships.
Deb Loveler, a resident of La Haina: I received a phone call from someone my son knows who rarely contacts me. At that time, I thought maybe he had just heard about the fire and called to express his greetings. It was really nice. As soon as I picked up the phone, the first thing he said was, "Deb, I want you to sit down and listen to me." I had a bad feeling, and when I said something, he confessed the acquisition of the land. I went crazy on the spot, completely crazy.
![Local residents of Maui Island, Hawaii: Will not leave, American real estate developers want to purchase disaster affected land at a low price](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/b4a6463c722fb32aedf5ab7deb8cf395.jpg)
Deb Loveler said that this will always be her home and she will never leave.
Deb Loveler, a resident of La Haina: We won't leave, we won't. If I have to set up a tent on the ruins, I am willing to do anything.