CoMo-CAL — Advocates For You

·   The other day a member in a Sylmar park called saying management wouldn’t let a Spanish speaking resident sell their home in place, telling them they had to move it.  The resident didn’t want to fight and will probably just hand over his home to the park.  Cost:  Perhaps $50,000.

·   I recently sat with six homeowners in another local park, not under rent control.  Their park owner is now charging $1000/month rent and wants to increases to $1400 & $1500/month.  What options do residents there have?  Not many.  Some already have just walked away, giving the home to the park.  In this case, the park may renovate the home and sell or rent it. You may ask if residents can’t sell their home because of the high rents, how can the owner?  The answer is simple, the owner lowers the rents for the first several years to make a purchase attractive.  As soon as the initial lease expires, the owner then jacks up the rents to $1400 or $1500/month.  The outcome—the unsuspecting buyer has just lost all equity in his home.  And  the park owner has stolen the same mobilehome twice!         Cost:  in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

·   There are other schemes to steal your equity.  One is detailed in the article on page 14 "The principal thrust of the complaint against Trevillyan is he is a part of a conspiracy that in part uses eviction    proceedings and inflated or invalid attorney fees to further a scheme to close mobile home parks to only those dealers willing and able to pay for the exclusive right to sell their mobile homes.

·   Attacks against rent control continue.    The California Property Owners Protection Act and condo conversions represent just two.  Remember, Prop 90 would have made it illegal to write any new rent control ordinances.  If passed, the new initiative would cost mobilehome owners BILLIONS!

·   We continue to get calls about abusive managers and evictions.  Our hope is BASTA will help residents here in Los Angeles and the Antelope Valley.  We are always looking for attorneys who will help our members.  Let us know about any in your area.

·   Our plight is not improving!  All mobilehome owners need to take action now, before it is too late.  This is not a doomsday scenario, but facts.  Just talk with those walking away from their homes, or those in parks where condo conversions are taking place.  This is real and it can happen to you.  It is just a matter of time. 

                   PLEASE TELL YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS.  JOIN CoMO-CAL.