California MHP News

Mon, Mar 2, 2026 – The Fortuna City Council will meet in a special session today, Monday, March 2 at 5 p.m. at City Hall, 621 11th Street. The posted agenda includes a closed session to discuss potential litigation connected to Royal Crest Mobile Home Park and its owner, Storz Management. This is the latest development in a months-long dispute over space rent increases.

As Lost Coast Outpost has detailed in prior coverage, the conflict is about rising rents at the park. The City is being asked to consider a permanent rent stabilization ordinance but is concerned about legal exposure if stronger laws are enacted. LoCO’s reporting lays out the competing arguments from park residents, park ownership and city officials, as well as the debate over a proposed memorandum of understanding.

In September 2025, the City Council adopted an urgency ordinance placing a temporary moratorium on mobilehome space rent increases until April 30, 2026, or until a permanent ordinance is enacted or the moratorium is repealed. The ordinance cites findings that many mobilehome park residents are seniors or low-income households with limited ability to relocate and that rapid increases could threaten housing stability.

An advocacy group, Save Our Seniors (SOS), notified media this weekend that members intend to speak during public comment before the council moves into closed session. They stated, ‘Park owner (Storz Management) at Royal Crest is increasing rents beyond affordability and continue to claim that the mobile home owners CAN AFFORD continued increases. Storz is also pressing with the Fortuna City Council that an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding), which is not enforceable and allows for loopholes benefiting the park owner, that it (MOU) will work for all parties.’

Tue, Sep 30, 2025 – In a decision welcomed by many local seniors, the Fortuna City Council voted 4-1 on Monday, September 29, 2025, to approve an urgency ordinance placing a moratorium on mobile home rent increases until April 2026.

The special meeting was called after weeks of pleas from residents of Royal Crest Mobile Home Park and members of ‘Save Our Seniors’ (SOS) coalition. The group, comprised largely of seniors on fixed incomes, warned that without action, many could be displaced by rising lot rents.

For residents who have been organizing under the SOS banner, the moratorium represents what they describe as long-awaited relief from mounting financial pressures. Several spoke during public comment, underscoring the human impact of escalating housing costs.

The moratorium is set to last until April 30, 2026, effectively halting any rent increases for mobile home spaces within the city for the next 18 months. City officials described the ordinance as a temporary measure intended to stabilize rents while giving Fortuna time to evaluate long-term solutions.

Fri, Sep 26, 2025 – A lawyer representing the owners of the Royal Crest Mobile Home park said in a lengthy letter sent to the Fortuna City Council that the upcoming moratorium on mobile home lot rent increases was unnecessary and could lead to ‘costly and unwanted’ litigation.

The attorney, Anthony Rodriguez, said that a rent increase planned for January 1, 2026 was already tied to the Consumer Price Index at 2.49%. Both advocates for the Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) and the owners have agreed that any future raises in rent will be tied to the CPI, though the Save Our Seniors prefer that lot rents only go up 75% of the CPI.

Rodriguez also said that the owners have ‘promised’ not to raise the rent again until January 2027, and threatened to ditch a rent credit program for their residents if the moratorium is passed on Monday.

‘I can assure the Council that these are issues that can result in litigation lasting many years, resulting in unwanted stress and expense for all concerned,’ Rodriguez said. ‘…If the parties are willing to agree to a long-term plan regarding rent increases at Royal Crest, my clients are willing to waive their right to pursue litigation in each of these issues.’

Thu, Sep 25, 2025 – On Wednesday, after a Fortuna City Council special meeting in closed session to discuss ‘significant exposure to litigation’ over a proposed mobile home rent stabilization ordinance, residents of a park learned the city would start developing one and freeze rent increases at parks in the meantime.

In a brief report for those at city hall, city attorney Ryan Plotz said the council will see a temporary moratorium on rent increases for mobile home parks Monday.

‘The idea (is) that we impose the moratorium while the council works to develop its own rent stabilization ordinance,’ he said.

City Manager Amy Nilsen said Thursday the moratorium will give staff time to develop the law, with a sunset date of April 30, 2025.

Residents of Royal Crest Mobile Estates, a 55+ park of about 200 spaces where most mobile home park residents in the city live, have been organizing for months for the council to pass a rent stabilization ordinance. The 2025 rates for lot rent ranges from $822 to $914, not including utilities or property taxes. Residents point to yearly rent hikes, totaling a 20% increase over the past four years.

Tue, Sep 16, 2025 – On Monday evening, the Fortuna City Council took a step toward temporarily freezing rent increases at mobile home parks, as residents call for an ordinance that would limit yearly rent hikes at Royal Crest Mobile Estates.

But the council was hesitant to adopt a rent stabilization ordinance, and rather, sought to enter a voluntary agreement with the owner to cap increases, to avoid the possible cost of getting sued. In the meantime, the council moved to have city staff develop a moratorium on rent increases, approved on a vote of 4-1 with councilmember Abe Stevens dissenting.

The 55+ park, with about 200 spaces, hosts over 150 homeowners petitioning the council to adopt legislation capping increases. Many say the rent increases are pricing them out of their homes as they live on fixed incomes. Rent for the lot their home sits on in 2012 was $419, while in 2025 it’s $822.

Councilmembers were empathetic, but concerned about getting sued by Storz Management.