Helping Mobilehome Park Residents Become Park Owners
I’m sitting in my office on a chilly Saturday morning, reflecting on LIFE, as we head into an uncertain and somewhat scary New Year.
Music playing (serendipitously) in the background is “Hotel California” by the Eagles. The song finishes with the lyrics “You can check out any time you like but you can never leave.”
Over the years I have talked with many mobile home park residents seeking to purchase their park. But I have often felt that the saddest situation is when a group wants to buy their park, but their owner doesn’t know they want to buy it.
Under state law, a park owner has a duty to maintain the park at some acceptable level. [Note that the acceptable level of poor maintenance is in the eye of the beholder – the residents are one group, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) is another, the owner is a third. Finally, having a poor enough level to attract an attorney to take your case on contingency is another.]
As cities and towns expand, sometimes park owners decide that ‘their’ dirt is more valuable for some other use – an apartment complex, residential development, commercial building, whatever. So the owners decide to close the park.