California MHP News

Wed, Jan 31, 2024 – A Fresno judge on Wednesday told mobile home park owner Harmony Communities that it can’t La Hacienda Mobile Estates until a final ruling is issued. The judge also put a stop to multiple ongoing evictions at the park.

In September 2023, a coalition of tenants at the mobile home park sued Stockton-based Harmony for what they say are multiple unlawful evictions, a predatory business model, and a planned closure of the park.

Attorneys for two tenant groups, Hacienda Homeowners for Justice and Trails End United for Change, filed a request for an injunction. Fresno County Superior Court Judge D. Tyler Tharpe issued a tentative ruling in favor of the tenant groups.

‘Plaintiffs have shown that they are likely to prevail on the merits of several of their claims, and that they will suffer irreparable harm if the requested injunction is not granted,” said Tharpe in his ruling. “According to plaintiffs’ evidence, defendants have refused to recognize the tenancies of plaintiffs’ members despite their having resided at the park for years or even decades.’

The attorney for La Hacienda tenants, Mariah Thompson, said the order means her clients can litigate the merits of their eviction cases without fear that they will become homeless in the meantime.

From the 2024 MRL Introduction:

Note: Mobilehome Residency Law Protection Program (MRLPP). Beginning July 1, 2021, any mobilehome or manufactured homeowner living in a mobilehome park under a rental agreement may submit a complaint for an alleged violation of the Mobilehome Residency Law. Any mobilehome or manufactured homeowner residing in a permitted mobilehome park is eligible to submit a complaint. Complaints must be submitted to HCD. HCD provides assistance to help resolve and coordinate resolution of the most severe alleged violations of the Mobilehome Residency Law. For questions regarding the MRLPP please call 1-800-952-8356, email MRLComplaint@HCD.CA.gov or visit https://www.HCD.CA.gov/.

For the 2024 edition, Assembly Bill 604 (CIV §798.40) clarifies the scope of AB 1061 (Lee, Chapter 625, Statutes of 2021) to explicitly include residents of all mobilehome parks in each of the protections within the statute. These protections include capping each residents’ water service charges to only their proportional share based on monthly usage plus a reasonable administrative fee, eliminating arbitrary and unfair water “service” charges and fees. AB 1280 (CIV §1103.2) revises the Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement that must be provided by a property seller to a potential buyer to include more specific disclosures regarding whether the property falls within current local, or state, high and very high fire hazard severity zones.

Fri, Jan 26, 2024 – This table of Mobile Home Parks, RV Parks, and Manufactured Home Communities for Sale in California is a work in progress as of Friday, January 26, 2024. Data is being updated regularly.

This is a partial listing and covers the period 2021-01-01 to 2024-01-26. This is NOT a complete list of mobile home parks for sale in California. Many sales of mobile home parks are usually done via Pocket Listings (aka Off-Market Listings, Exclusive Listings), they are not marketed via public channels.

Tue, Jan 23, 2024 – In yet another challenge to the city’s mobile home rules, the owners of Youngstown Mobile Home Park have filed a second lawsuit against Petaluma, this time claiming that an overlay district passed last October to protect senior residents violates federal fair housing laws.

In the suit – filed Jan. 12 in Sonoma County Superior Court against the city of Petaluma, its City Council and 20 unnamed individuals – the park owners claim the city’s senior mobile home park overlay prevents them from renting to younger people and thus forces them to discriminate against potential renters in violation of the Fair Housing Act and its amendments.

The unnamed owners, filing as “Youngstown MHP LLC,” also claim in the suit that their attempt last June to convert the historically seniors-only park to all-ages was intended to “put Youngstown on viable financial footing.”

The latest legal maneuver follows an attempt last summer by owners to raise rents by over $900, as well as threats to outright close the 102-unit mobile home park on North McDowell Boulevard in the wake of the city’s push to strengthen its mobile home laws.

The proposed rent hike triggered an arbitration process that began Jan. 17, with residents gathering to watch as lawyers and witnesses debated the case.

Little Woods residents, themselves hit with proposed rent hikes of over 300%, are scheduled to begin their own arbitration proceedings in March. Residents at both parks must shoulder the costs of arbitration – said to be at least $50,000 – although Petaluma People Services Center has offered to assist with fundraising to cover some of those costs.

Fri, Jan 19, 2024 – From the 2024 California Mobilehome Residency Law Frequently Asked Questions: Rents, Fees and Taxes, 6. Security Deposit

Resident Question: Can the park charge first and last months’ rent plus a 2-month security deposit?

MRL Answer: Normally, when a mobilehome owner is accepted for residency in a mobilehome park and signs a rental agreement, charging first month’s rent and a 2-month security deposit are permitted. (Civil Code §798.39) After one full year of satisfactory residency (meaning all rent and fees have been paid during that time), the resident is entitled to request a refund of the 2-month security deposit, or may request a refund at the time he or she vacates the park and sells the home. (Civil Code §798.39(b))
2024 California MRL FAQs

Submit your request for a security deposit refund in writing to park management today. The MRL specifically states that park management must refund your deposit after one full year of satisfactory residency if requested in writing.

Do not wait until you vacate the park and/or sell your mobile home.

Thu, Jan 18, 2024 – To paraphrase Dustin Hoffman speaking about Peter Pan in the movie Hook, park owner John Saunders HATES, HATES, HATES Rancho La Paz Senior Mobile Home Park.

YOU WOULD TOO, if you were John Saunders. But therein lies a challenge – to imagine you are John Saunders, you first have to arm yourself with boundless greed, entitlement, and malevolence. Only THEN can you grasp how much he hates the plucky mobile home-owning seniors of Rancho La Paz, the ONLY park of the dozens he’s gobbled up to actually get STATE LEGISLATION (thanks to Sharon Quirk-Silva) to protect them from his insatiable rent-gouging. THE GALL!

So for the last three years since AB 978 passed, Saunders has passive-aggressively run the place like an absentee slumlord. Letting the roads devolve into potholes. Not replacing burned out lights, as outside criminals discover this treasure trove. Replacing security with a half-assed firm that drives through ONCE A NIGHT, at the exact same time, a time that the local looters have memorized. More that we may mention later.

But this year Saunders has really found a way to punish and drive out the few troublesome protected seniors that are left (100 of the original 400) – make Rancho La Paz an All-Age Park! Actually, a tried-and-true tactic he’s pulled at many other places, not always legal, and also something he’s repeatedly said he’d never do at Rancho. He and his flacks say he can do this legally, even though it’s written in everyone’s lease (below) that it’s a senior park. (But just because he says he can doesn’t make it so – we shall see soon!)

Wed, Jan 17, 2024 – Residents of Pleasant Valley Mobile Estates in Chico continue to push back against back-to-back rent increases.

Neighbors gathered at Tuesday night’s Chico City Council meeting to voice support for a rent stabilization ordinance for senior living mobile home parks.

This follows repeated rent hikes by the company that owns the park, Florida-based Legacy Communities. Residents tell KRCR that the company’s most recent rent increase came this year at 10%. This follows their initial plan to raise the rent by 30%, but they eventually lowered the number to 10% following pushback.

Residents say rent stabilization is not a new concept for mobile home parks in California. According to the Mobile Home Park Home Owners Allegiance, there are more than 90 cities in California that have instated different forms of rent stabilization for mobile home park space rent.

Fri, Jan 12, 2024 – If you are planning on purchasing a home in one of California’s 5,231 mobile/manufactured home and RV parks, here are your basic options in order of Best to Worst Case Scenarios.

1. Option 1 – Buy the Home, Buy the Land/Lot (HOA Fee), Resident Owned Community (ROC)
2. Option 2 – Buy the Home, Lease the Land/Lot (Space Rent), Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO), Private
3. Option 3 – Buy the Home, Lease the Land/Lot (Space Rent), RSO, Corporate
4. Option 4 – Buy the Home, Lease the Land/Lot (Space Rent), No RSO, Private
5. Option 5 – Buy the Home, Lease the Land/Lot (Space Rent), No RSO, Corporate

Note: Labels: Private = Privately Owned, Corporate = Corporate Owned

Mon, Jan 1, 2024 – According to data obtained from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), there are 5,231 Active Mobile Home and RV Parks totaling 453,250 lots/spaces in the State of California. Of those 453,250 lots/spaces, 363,492 are mobile home spaces, 66,931 are RV lots with drains, and 22,827 are RV lots without drains.

There are 677 Closed Mobile Home and RV Parks totaling 21,574 lots/spaces. Of those 21,574 lots/spaces, 11,946 are mobile home spaces, 6,776 are RV lots with drains, and 2,852 are RV lots without drains.

As of Thu, Jun 1, 2023, the HCD has data for a total of 5,908 Mobile Home and RV Parks totaling 474,824 lots/spaces which includes Active and Closed listings. Of those 474,824 lots/spaces, 375,438 are mobile home spaces, 73,707 are RV lots with drains, and 25,679 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 Mon, Jan 1, 2024.

California – Top 10 Largest Mobile Home Parks

#	Mobile Home Park Name	Address	City	ST	Zip	SPC
	Casa de Amigos Operated By: Casa de Amigos Ltd	1085 Tasman Dr	Sunnyvale	CA	94089	923
	Plaza del Rey Operated By: Plaza del Rey Owner LLC	1225 Vienna Dr	Sunnyvale	CA	94089	800
	Hemet West Mobile Estates Operated By: Western States Mobilehome Parks	5001 W Florida Ave	Hemet	CA	92545	771
	Westwinds Operated By: MHC Operating LP	500 Nicholson Ln	San Jose	CA	95134	723
	Swan Lake Mobile Home Park Operated By: Hamner Park Associates	5800 Hamner Ave	Eastvale	CA	91752	716
	Los Alisos Mobile Home Estates Operated By: Miller, Willis Ranch Co	772 Garden Grove Blvd	Westminster	CA	92683	705
	Casa Del Lago Mobile Home Park Operated By: San Jose Investments Ltd	2151 Old Oakland Rd	San Jose	CA	95131	618
	Adobe Wells Operated By: Mobilehome Communities	1220 Tasman Dr	Sunnyvale	CA	94089	613
	Oakridge Mobile Home Park Operated By: Oakridge Ltd	15455 Glenoaks Blvd	Sylmar	CA	91342	600
	Plantation on the Lake Operated By: Plantation Company LLC	10961 Desert Lawn Dr	Calimesa	CA	92320	557
						7,026

California – Top 10 Largest RV Parks With Drains

#	RV Park Name	Address	City	ST	Zip	Lots
	Golden Village Palms RV Resort Operated By: GVP LLC	3600 W Florida Ave	Hemet	CA	92544	1,019
	Silent Valley Club Operated By: Silent Valley Club Inc	46305 Poppet Flats Rd	Banning	CA	92220	850
	Caliente Springs RV Park Operated By: Timothy Manthei	70200 Dillon Rd	Desert Hot Springs	CA	92240	677
	Soledad Canyon Operated By: MHC TT Inc	4700 Crown Valley Rd	Acton	CA	93510	641
	Fountain of Youth Spa Operated By: Fountain of Youth Spa Corp	1500 Spa Rd	Niland	CA	92257	615
	Wilderness Lakes Operated By: MHC NAC Inc	30605 Briggs Rd	Menifee	CA	92584	523
	Sands RV Resort Operated By: Sun Sands RV LLC	16400 Bubbling Wells Rd	Desert Hot Springs	CA	92240	507
	Mountain Lakes Operated By: Robert Burlingame	277 Lytle Creek Rd	Lytle Creek	CA	92358	494
	Rivers Edge RV Resort Operated By: Brenda Agular	2299 Winterhaven Rd	Winterhaven	CA	92283	480
	Catalina RV Spa Operated By: Catalina Spa & RV Inc	18800 Cork Hill Rd	Desert Hot Springs	CA	92240	477
						6,283

California – Top 10 Largest RV Parks Without Drains

#	RV Park Name	Address	City	ST	Zip	Lots
	Lawsons Landing Operated By: Carl Vogler	137 Marine View Dr	Dillon Beach	CA	94929	1,000
	Calaveras Timber Trails Association Operated By: Calaveras Timber Trails Association	1071 Avery Sheep Ranch Rd	Avery	CA	95224	500
	Lake of The Springs Operated By: MHC TT Inc	14152 Frenchtown Rd	Oregon House	CA	95962	465
	Holcomb Valley Ranch Operated By: Holcomb Camp	34300 Holcomb Valley Rd	Fawnskin	CA	92333	400
	Soledad Canyon Operated By: MHC TT Inc	4700 Crown Valley Rd	Acton	CA	93510	385
	De Anza Campland Operated By: Campland on the Bay	2211 Pacific Beach Dr	San Diego	CA	92109	339
	Thousand Trails Pio Pico Operated By: Thousand Trails Vehicle Park	14615 Otay Lakes Rd	Jamul	CA	91935	336
	Morgan Hill Preserve Operated By: MHC TT Inc	12895 Uvas Rd	Morgan Hill	CA	95037	298
	Annetts Mono Village Operated By: Annetts Mono Village Inc	13425 Twinlakes Rd	Bridgeport	CA	93517	281
	Lake Minden Operated By: MHC NAC LP	1256 Marcum Rd	Nicolaus	CA	95659	274
						4,278

HCD MH and RV Parks Search

California – Top 10 Largest ROC Mobile Home Parks

#	Mobile Home Park Name	Address	City	ST	Zip	SPC
	Palm Desert Greens Operated By: Palm Desert Greens Association	73750 Country Club Dr	Palm Desert	CA	92260	1,922
	Tri Palm Estates Operated By: Tri Palm Unified Owners Association	32851 Desert Moon Dr	Thousand Palms	CA	92276	1,629
	Sierra Dawn Estates Operated By: Sierra Dawn Estates Homeowners Association Inc	950 S Lyon Ave	Hemet	CA	92543	1,474
	Sabre City Estates Operated By: Researching…	Doolittle Dr	Roseville	CA	95747	726
	Desert Crest Operated By: Desert Crest Community Association	69400 N Country Club Dr	Desert Hot Springs	CA	92241	582
	Black Lake Mobile Estates Operated By: Researching…	234 Crosby Way	Nipomo	CA	93444	555
	The Groves Operated By: The Groves Homeowners Inc	5200 Irvine Blvd	Irvine	CA	92620	533
	Golf Knolls Mobile Home Park Operated By: Golf Knolls Association	29070 Camino Alba	Murrieta	CA	92563	520
	Rancho Carlsbad Operated By: Rancho Carlsbad Owners Association Inc	5200 El Camino Real	Carlsbad	CA	92008	504
	Portola Country Club Operated By: Portola Country Club Homeowners Association Inc	42500 Portola Ave	Palm Desert	CA	92660	499
						8,944

ROC in California

U.S. Mobile Home and RV Parks

According to data obtained from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (HIFLD) and as of Thu, May 26, 2022, there are 53,432 Mobile Home and RV Parks in the U.S. Top 10 States are highlighted in green.

#	State	Parks
	Alabama	2,454
	Alaska	89
	Arizona	1,472
	Arkansas	959
	California	5,054
	Colorado	684
	Connecticut	111
	Delaware	203
	Florida	5,881
	Georgia	1,422
	Hawaii	0
	Idaho	503
	Illinois	842
	Indiana	1,062
	Iowa	462
	Kansas	548
	Kentucky	880
	Louisiana	1,762
	Maine	359
	Maryland	227
	Massachusetts	212
	Michigan	1,092
	Minnesota	628
	Mississippi	859
	Missouri	1,015
	Montana	494
	Nebraska	287
	Nevada	427
	New Hampshire	322
	New Jersey	219
	New Mexico	681
	New York	1,580
	North Carolina	2,874
	North Dakota	304
	Ohio	1,304
	Oklahoma	761
	Oregon	970
	Pennsylvania	1,581
	Rhode Island	52
	South Carolina	2,427
	South Dakota	334
	Tennessee	1,426
	Texas	3,547
	Utah	276
	Vermont	223
	Virginia	1,366
	Washington	1,261
	West Virginia	736
	Wisconsin	951
	Wyoming	249
	Totals:	53,432

HIFLD Type Breakdown	Parks
Mobile Home Parks (MHP)	50,345
Recreational Vehicle (RV) Parks	3,087
Totals:	53,432

HIFLD Size Breakdown	Parks
Small – Less than 50 Units	37,463
Medium – 51 to 100 Units	8,946
Large – 101 Units or More	7,023
Totals:	53,432