Alerts

September 27th 2013

The Sham Conversion Threat is Over (Mostly)

Governor Signs SB510. Gives Residents Say Over Forced Conversions!

(5)?The results of the survey shall be submitted to the local agency upon the filing of the tentative or parcel map, to be considered in the agency’s decision as to whether to approve, conditionally approve, or disapprove the map, and the agency may disapprove the map if it finds that the results of the survey have not demonstrated the support of at least a majority of the park’s homeowners.

Since informed residents never support conversins this will effectively kill the forced conversion movement by greedy and heartless park owners.

Read Bill Here: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/13-14/bill/sen/sb_0501-0550/sb_510_bill_20130926_chaptered.htm

July 17th 2012 – WE WON!!!!!!!!!

The 6th District Appellate Court Upholds The Right of City and Counties to Use The Resident Survey of Support to Deny a Conversion Application!

This means if your are opposed to your park converting, that you must vote NO on your resident survey of support so your local governing body can consider those results in their decision. This is the only legal tool available to residents to stop a conversion.

View Ruling:  PDF or Word Document

There are many bills introduced in Sacramento concerning Mobilehome Parks. This is a list of the most crucial bills needing your attention.

AB 566 (Nava) – Conversion of Parks to Condominiums
 Documents: View PDF
Recommendation: SUPPORT, MISSION CRITICAL, MUST PASS

AB 566 UPDATE (September13th 2009): AB 566 PASSES the Senate and then Passes the Assembly (a concurrence vote because the bill was amended in the Senate as so had to be re approved by the Assemble again) Next step, THE GOVERNOR’s DESK! He has until October 11th to make a decision. Now it’s time to let the Governor know how important Ab566 is for all mobilehome owners in California.

Write to him at:

Honorable Arnold Schwarzenegger
Governor, State of California
Sacramento, CA
95814

Be polite and ask for his “favorable consideration” on AB 566. This bill merely honors the intent of Keeley bill AB 930 and allows for modest local control over the conversion process.

If you live in a park currently under threat of converion it’s especially important that he knows how this is personally effecting you. Call, email, write or fax NOW! See what the WMA funded opposition is saying. Make sure to counter their reasoning in your letters, emails, faxes and calls. AB 566 doesn’t give us undeserved property rights. WE ARE PROPERTY OWNERS! Collectively we own more equity than the park owners themselves. We deserve a say in any issues that adversely effect OUR BOTTOM LINE. This was the intent of AB 930 (Keeley Bill). To insure that sham conversions aren’t forced upon unwilling residents. AB 566 simply clarifies that intent. Act NOW. Time is short.

BILL HISTORY: AB 566 PASSED the California State Assembly Committee on Appropriations on May 13th with 9 voting YES and 6 voting NO. Then on May 28th it passed the Assembly with 41 in favor and 31 against. It then moved to the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee on June 23rd where it fell one vote short needed to pass.

Two key Democrats refused to vote for the measure.  Senator Simitian and Senator Wolk abstained from the vote, saying they wanted the two sides to try to work out a compromise.

Senator Nava softened the language but kept the most important elements in place. The new updated AB 566  was set to be voted on again on July 7th but it was was pulled from the agenda by Nava at the last minute because a key YES vote was absent that day. It was re scheduled for July 14th were it passed with 7 YES votes ( 6 were needed to pass). Both Senator Simitian and Senator Wolk voted yes this time putting us over the top by one vote! Go thank them.

On September 9th, AB566  was voted on in the Senate where it failed the first time with 19 Ayes and 19 Noes. You need 21 to pass in the Senate.  A motion to reconsider was made by Senator Wolk.  The Reconsideration was granted with 40 Ayes 0 Noes. On September 10th the vote was taken again and this time it passed with 21 Ayes and 14 Noes.

It then went back to the Assembly for a concurrence vote because it was amended in the Senate. It passed the Assembly again with 41 Ayes and 31 Noes. It now goes to the Governor where he has until October 11th to make a decision.

AB 761 (Charles Calderon) – Rent Control
Documents: View PDF
Recommendation: MUST OPPOSE, MUST BE DEFEATED

AB 761UPDATE (July, 14TH, 2009): AB 761 will be made into a two year bill. It will NOT be brought up again this year. Whew! Most likely it will be brought up in again in January 2010.

Go here see latest updates on AB 761. Use the “subscribe button” on the bottom so you can receive legislative updates about this bill directly from Sacramento.

BILL HISTORY: AB 761ORIGINALLY PASSED the  HCD Commiteee on May 13th. The vote was 4 to 0. You only need 4 votes to make it out of the HCD Committee.  Norma Torres(Chair) and Diane Harkey (Vice Chair) both abstained (essentially a NO vote). Republican Nathan Fletcher voted YES, but Democrats Mike Eng, Fiona Ma and Lori Saldaña also voted YES.

The bill then went to the Assembly where it was amended. Per Assembly rules this put it back into HCD for another vote that happened on Monday June 8th. The vote this time was a bit different. We picked up definite NO votes from Lori Saldana and Norma Torres.  However, Eng, Ma, Harkey, and Anderson a Republican fill in for Nathan Fletcher who voted YES. Call, write or email Mike Eng, Fiona Ma, Diane Harkey and Nathan Fletcher ask them why they would support AB 761 when it will wipe out the equity of our most vulnerable citizens. The bill then moved to the Assembly Floor for a vote. On the first try, June 22nd, it fell three votes short of the 41 needed to pass. The bill was reconsidered for a second vote. This time, June 25th, 2 Democrats who did not vote the first time switched to supporting this devastating bill. Those legislators were Speaker Karen Bass and Anthony Portantino (D-Pasadena). After the initial vote Mike Villines (R-Fresno) added to the Aye votes giving it 42 votes.

Special thanks should be given to the following Assembly Members who held firm to their principled stand in support of tenants’/mobile home owners rights and affordable housing by voting no on AB 761: Mike Feuer, Julia Brownley, Bob Blumenfield, Felipe Fuentes, Bonnie Lowenthal, Dave Jones, Warren Furutani, Tom Ammiano, Pedro Nava and others.

The bill was then delayed in the Senate Rules Committee which was it’s next step before going on to the Senate Judiciary Committee. This forced the bill in it’s current 2 year status where it will most likely be brought up again in January.

THIS BILL WAS WRITTEN BY MOBILEHOME PARK OWNERS TO ELIMINATE CONTROL. Approximately 100 local jurisdictions have some form of mobilehome park rent control in California.  This bill would provide for a “vacancy decontrol” feature for mobilehome park tenancies by specifying that upon the sale, transfer, or termination of an interest in a mobilehome or tenancy in a park, the park may offer a new rental agreement with rent terms in excess of that established by a local rent control ordinance or measure.  After execution of the rental agreement with the new higher rent, however, the rent control measure could thereafter apply to rent increases during the term of the agreement.

AB 869 (Mendoza) – Park Manager Certification
Documents: View PDF
Recommendation: SUPPORT

UPDATE: AB 869 PASSES the  HCD Commiteee on April 29th. The vote was 7 to 0 in FAVOR.

Go here see latest updates on AB 869. Use the “subscribe button” on the bottom so you can receive legislative updates about this bill directly from Sacramento.

Although the Mobilehome Residency Law and the Mobilehome Parks Act impose some duties and responsibilities on mobilehome park owners and managers, currently there is no state requirement for licensure or training of park managers.  This bill would establish a system of voluntary certification, requiring managers to complete 10 hours of training in specified subjects, including the Mobilehome Residency Law and dispute resolution, among others, from a trade association or accredited postsecondary educational institution, in order to be certified.  The bill would also require parks that fail to correct health and safety violations within 120 days of a citation to thereafter have the park manager certified within 60 days.
Status:  Introduced February 26, 2009, to print

SB 804 (Leno) – Mobilehome Sales and Replacement Homes
Documents: View PDF
Recommendation: SUPPORT

UPDATE: SB 869 PASSES the  Senate Judiciary Commiteee on May 5th. The vote was 3 to 0 in FAVOR.

Go here see latest updates on AB 804. Use the “subscribe button” on the bottom so you can receive legislative updates about this bill directly from Sacramento.

The Mobilehome Residency Law provides that the park management may not require a homeowner selling his/her home in the park to use the management or a specified dealer or broker approved by management as an agent in the sale as a condition of management approval of the buyer for residency in the park.  This bill prohibits park management from requiring a homeowner, who is replacing a mobilehome, on the space in the park in which the homeowner resides, from using a specific broker or dealer in the purchase or installation of the replacement home.
Status:  Introduced February 27, 2009, to Senate Rules for assignment

Quick Links
California Mobile Home Residency Law
Buying Your Park – Resident Purchase and Conversion to ROP

PMC Financial Services – Mobile Home Park Financing
Formed in 1992, PMC Financial Services work with mobilehome park resident groups (and affordable housing nonprofits) to try to make mobile home parks better places to live.  They provide organizational help and financing to resident groups seeking to buy, refinance and fix up their mobile home park.

Failure to Maintain Lawsuits

Failure to Maintain Lawsuits – Edemen, Lincoln, Turek and Heater – Since 1987, Endeman, Lincoln, Turek & Heater, LLP has been helping residents fight back against mobilehome park owner neglect and abuse.

Advocacy Groups

COMOCAL – Coalition Of Mobilehome Owners – California
Hands down the absolute best newsletter out there. Worth the membership just for that alone. Started by Frank Wodley, COMOCAL is the new kid on the block making waves. They have an active Yahoo groups forum and are easy to get a hold of by phone or email. Run by people who actually live in a mobile home park like yourselves. I urge you to become a member.

CMRAA – California Mobilehome Resource and Action Association

John Sisker’s Site: Manuractured Home Owners Network

Neighborhood Friends
Full of piss and vinegar this young non-profit orgnanization embodies the best elements of citizen activism. Dedicated to preserving affordable mobile home park living.

GSMOL -Golden State Manufactured-Home Owners League, Inc
The oldest and largest advocacy group dedicated to the interests of mobilehome owners. Very active lobbying group headed by Maurice Priest in Sacramento where they often spearhead or sponsor some of the most important pro-mobilehome owner legislation. I urge you to become a member of GSMOL today.

State of California

Glossary of Terms Used by the California State Legislature
Ever wonder about what terms like “Across the Desk”, “Inactive File” or “Parliamentary Inquiry” mean. This is the place to start.
California Senate & Assembly Bill Access
California Senate Select Committee on Mobile Homes
Housing and Community Development (HCD)

Search Senators and Assembly Members Home Pages and Addresses
Department of Real Estate (DRE)

Citizens’ Guide to Planning
Guide to Mobilehome Park Purchases by Residents
Find California Code
Official California Legislative Information
Search California Bills
Search California Statutes
California Business Portal – Limited Liability Companies
California Secretary of State – Bus Search
California Secretary of State – Business Portal
Cal Dept of Corp – Securities Regulation Division

Financing Mobile Homes

California Mobilehome Park Resident Ownership Program (MPROP)

CalVet Financing

VA Financing