California MHP News

Tue, Jul 28, 2020 – Residents of Rainbow Mobile Home Park received notice today that there will be a change in management effective Sat, Aug 1, 2020.

Dear Resident: Please be advised that effective August 1, 2020, Bessire and Casenhiser, Inc. assumed the direct management control of Rainbow Mobile Home Park. Note: There has been no change in ownership.
Scott Bessire, Senior Property Manager

Previous News

• 2019-02-12 – Kort & Scott Purchase Rainbow Mobile Home Park in Jun 2018
• 2018-05-27 – Kort & Scott DBAs – Rainbow MHP Associates LP

Tue, Jul 21, 2020 – According to data obtained from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), there are 5,244 Active Mobile Home and RV Parks totaling 452,261 lots/spaces in the State of California. Of those 452,261 lots/spaces, 363,473 are mobile home spaces, 66,472 are RV lots with drains and 22,316 are RV lots without drains.

There are 703 Closed Mobile Home and RV Parks totaling 21,705 lots/spaces. Of those 21,705 lots/spaces, 11,909 are mobile home spaces, 6,933 are RV lots with drains and 2,863 are RV lots without drains.

As of Tue, Jul 21, 2020, the HCD has data for a total of 5,947 Mobile Home and RV Parks totaling 473,966 lots/spaces which includes Active and Closed listings. Of those 473,966 lots/spaces, 375,382 are mobile home spaces, 73,405 are RV lots with drains and 25,179 RV lots without drains.

HCD Note: HCD has enforcement of 81.4 percent of the parks and 75.5 percent of the lots in the State of California. The overall average park size is 86 lots; 80 for Mobile Home Parks, and 88 for RV Parks.

The below Top 10 Largest Mobile Home and RV Park listings in California are based on the HCD Mobile Home and RV Parks Active Listings as of Tue, Jul 21, 2020.

Mon, Jul 20, 2020 – This table of Investors, Park Owners and/or Park Management Companies is a work in progress as of Fri, Jul 17, 2020. The number of Sites data may not be accurate and is rounded up to the nearest quarter (25, 50, 75, 00). The MHPHOA are performing ongoing research in this area to see if we can accurately account for the total number of Sites for each entity listed. Address and Website information are accurate based on recent audits performed for data verification against publicly available records.

Fri, Jul 17, 2020 – The State Legislature processes are very different this year due to the COVID-19 restrictions. In order to get further information, GSMOL members should subscribe to the Legislative bulletin “This Week at the Capitol” by clicking on the yellow button that says “Sign up for our Email List” on the home page. This weekly email bulletin, paid for by GSMOL members’ dues, is a benefit of membership in our organization.

1. SB-915 Mobilehome parks: emergency relief: coronavirus (COVID-19).
   SB-915 passed the Senate Floor. It will be heard in Assembly Housing Committee on Tue, Jul 28, 2020.
2. SB-999 Mobilehome park residencies: rent control: exemption: COVID-19.
   SB-999 Passed the Senate Floor on Mon, Jun 22, 2020. It will be heard by the Assembly Housing Committee on Tue, Jul 28, 2020.
3. SB-1117 Master-meter customers: electrical or gas service.
   SB-1117 Passed the Senate Floor with 39 Ayes and one abstention! Now in the Assembly awaiting Committee assignment.
4. AB-2690 Mobilehome parks: local ordinances.
   AB-2690 Passed the Assembly Floor. It will be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee next.
5. AB-2782 Mobilehome parks: change of use.
   AB-2782 Passed the Assembly Floor. It will be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee next.

Related: WMA Bills of Interest – This section tracks WMA’s bills of interest as they make their way through the legislative process.

Wed, Jan 1, 2020 – Historical Assembly Bill (AB) NOT Passed – Thu, Feb 18, 2016 – AB-2351 Mobilehome parks: rent control. Introduced by Assembly Member Roger Hernández – An act to repeal Section 798.17 of the Civil Code, relating to mobilehome parks.

The Mobilehome Residency Law governs the terms and conditions of residency in mobilehome parks, and exempts a rental agreement that satisfies specified criteria, including that it be in excess of 12-months’ duration, from any ordinance, rule, regulation, or initiative measure adopted by a local governmental entity that establishes a maximum amount a landlord may charge a tenant for rent.

This bill would repeal these provisions. The bill would make a statement of legislative findings.

Mon, Jul 13, 2020 – On a hot evening in June, residents of the Glenbrook Trails manufactured home park for seniors in Loomis gathered outside in an empty site. Through their face masks, they discussed their fears about the new leases they’ve been offered. The leases would last 25 years – a quarter of a century tied to the same management company.

Long-term leases, like the 25-year lease offered to residents of Glenbrook Trails, are a tactic used by park management companies to avoid local rent stabilization and continue raising rent, said Linda Nye, the president of the Golden State Manufactured Home Owners League (GSMOL).

Long-term leases in parks like Glenbrook Trails rely on a loophole in state law that exempts leases in mobile and manufactured home parks longer than 12 months from local rent controls. Under the current law, management companies can raise rents at whichever rate they set in the lease, even if it exceeds local rent stabilization ordinances.

State Senator Tom Umberg, D-Santa Ana, proposed a bill in February that would close the loophole that exempts long-term mobile and manufactured home leases from rent control. The bill, SB 999, would ensure that long-term leases are subject to local rent control ordinances. The bill passed the California Senate on June 22 and is now awaiting committee assignment in the Assembly.

Thu, Jul 9, 2020 – California’s state housing agency did not conduct full inspections at more than half of the state’s mobile home parks between 2010 and 2019 and should improve oversight to protect residents, a state audit said Thursday.

The audit was requested by state Sen. Connie M. Leyva (D-Chino) as chairwoman of the Senate Select Committee on Manufactured Home Communities after she heard complaints from mobile home owners about lax state oversight.

On Thursday, Leyva called the findings “disturbing” and “unacceptable” and said her committee will provide its oversight to make sure there is follow-up action.

As mobile homes are a vital option for affordable housing in California, it is clear that the state must improve both the quality and frequency of these inspections so that we can keep the approximately 2 million mobile home residents living at nearly 5,000 mobile home parks healthy and safe, Leyva said.

Thu, Jul 9, 2020 – As directed by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, my office conducted an audit of the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). Our assessment focused on the mobile home park and complaint inspections that HCD conducts under its Mobilehome and Special Occupancy Parks Program (parks program). This report concludes that HCD can better protect mobile home park residents’ health and safety by improving its inspection processes. It also needs to better manage the costs and resources of the parks program.

Although HCD is meeting its statutory goal of conducting park inspections at 5 percent of parks annually, it did not conduct park inspections at more than half of the active parks in its jurisdiction between 2010 and 2019, and its data indicate that it did not visit 9 percent of parks, or 330 parks representing 5,700 mobile home units, for any reason during that time. Long gaps between inspectors’ visits to a park increase the risk that health and safety violations remain undetected and unreported. By improving its selection process for annual park inspections to include some parks that it has not visited in recent years and implementing guidance for informal visits, HCD could reduce the risks posed by health and safety violations at parks.

Furthermore, HCD also has not adequately communicated with residents during park inspections and with individuals who submit complaints. For example, HCD did not consistently notify residents of violations within required time frames, nor did it share all required information about the rights, responsibilities, and resources available to park residents. As a result, some residents may have missed opportunities to obtain help in correcting violations before parks initiated steps to evict them.
Elaine M. Howle, CPA – California State Auditor

Sat, Jul 4, 2020 – This is an audio-visual time-lapse of every death from the Coronavirus pandemic from January to June 30, 2020. Inspired by Isao Hashimoto’s “A Time-Lapse Map of Every Nuclear Explosion Since 1945”; each country is represented by a tone and an expanding blip on the map when a death from COVID-19 is recorded. Each day is 4 seconds long, and at the top of the screen is the date and a counter showing the total numbers of deaths. Every country that has had a fatality is included.

Thu, Jul 2, 2020 – The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) is pleased to announce the Mobilehome Assistance Center is now accepting complaints from mobilehome/manufactured homeowners for issues within mobilehome parks related to Mobilehome Residency Law violations.

Who can submit a complaint?

Any mobilehome/manufactured homeowner who lives in a mobilehome park.

What types of complaints can be submitted for consideration?

Any complaints for issues within mobilehome parks related to Mobilehome Residency Law violations (California Civil Code). Common violations include illegal grounds for eviction, failure to provide proper notice of rent increases, or no written rental agreement between the park and mobilehome owner.

How does a mobilehome/manufactured homeowner submit their complaint?

Complaints must be submitted to HCD. HCD provides help to resolve and coordinate resolution of the most-severe alleged violations of the Mobilehome Residency Law.

Visit the Submit a Complaint webpage for details.

Please Note: HCD is prohibited from arbitrating, mediating, negotiating, or providing legal advice in connection with mobilehome park rent disputes, lease or rental agreements, or disputes arising from rental or lease agreements.

How long will the program last?

The Mobilehome Residency Law Protection Program is a limited-term program that begins July 1, 2020 and ends January 1, 2024 (unless the program is extended by the California Legislature).