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WWW.MOBILEHOMEMAGAZINE.ORG In this issue: Oceanside Mobilehome Owners Prevail Termination of Park Tenancy MHOAA - The National Group Refinancing - What to Do Park Condition Survey A Chicken in Every Pot Published by Mobilehome Magazine Exclusively for Owners of Mobile/Manufactured Homes in California We Advocate to protect your rights, your lifestyle and your investment JULY / AUGUST, 2012 V OL . 2 • I SSUE 4 $5.00 N ewsstand PRSRT STD US Postage PAID Permit # 488 Canoga Park CA

Mobilehome Magazine July/August 2012

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Bi-monthly edition published exclusively for owners of mobile/manufactured homes in California

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Page 1: Mobilehome Magazine July/August 2012

WWW.MOBILEHOMEMAGAZINE.ORG

In this issue:

Oceanside Mobilehome Owners PrevailTermination of Park TenancyMHOAA - The National GroupRefi nancing - What to DoPark Condition SurveyA Chicken in Every Pot

Published by Mobilehome Magazine

Exclusively for Owners ofMobile/Manufactured Homes in California

We Advocate to protect your rights,your lifestyle and your investment

J U LY / AU G U S T, 2 0 1 2V O L . 2 • I S S U E 4

$ 5 . 0 0 N e w s s t a n d

PRSRT STDUS Postage

PAIDPermit # 488

Canoga Park CA

Page 2: Mobilehome Magazine July/August 2012

July/August 2012 Vol. 2 • Issue 4

Page 2 Mobilehome Magazine (P.O. Box 3774, Chatsworth, CA. 91313, 1-800-929-6061, FAX 1-818-369-6876)

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Page 3: Mobilehome Magazine July/August 2012

July/August 2012 Vol. 2 • Issue 4

Mobilehome Magazine (www.mobilehomemagazine.org / (818) 886-6479 / [email protected]) Page 3

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Page 4: Mobilehome Magazine July/August 2012

July/August 2012 Vol. 2 • Issue 4

Page 4 Mobilehome Magazine (P.O. Box 3774, Chatsworth, CA. 91313, 1-800-929-6061, FAX 1-818-369-6876)

What is Mobilehome Magazine? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Wake Up Los Angeles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Mobilehome Magazine Contact Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Mobilehome Law 101 - For Newbies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Park Condition Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7The Philosophy of a Park Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7What to Do When You Need to Refi nance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9Investing in Mobilehome Parks - An Owner’s View . . . . . . . . . . . . 10How to Find a Nice Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Should Rental Parks Be Outlawed? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-13After Defeat of Props. E and F in Oceanside, What’s Next?. . . . . . . . . 14Selling Your Mobilehome? - Advertise in Mobilehome Magazine . . . . . 15Why TEAM With Mobilehome Magazine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16The Manufactured Home Owners’ Association of America (MHOAA). . . 17Termination of Park Tenancy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Business Directory - Find a business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Mobilehome Magazine This and That . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21A Chicken in Every Pot & Mobilehome Magazine in Every Mobilehome . 22Keep it Alive - Subscribe to Mobilehome Magazine . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

tABLe oF CoNteNtS

What is Mobilehome Magazine?MHMag is published exclusively for owners

of mobile/manufactured homes in California. First published September 2011, 6,000- 7,000 copies are distributed every other month primarily in the Los Angeles area; however we are hoping soon to expand into all of Southern California.

MHMag is the dream project of the Founder and President of COMO-CAL. There are other “magazines” in California; however they are often the voice of park owners and managers. Residents in rental parks are often vulnerable to unscrupulous park owners. They need more. They need honest, accurate information and they need to know they are not alone, and someone cares about them. MHMag is a source of important information to assist residents in protecting their lifestyle and investment.

MHMag continues the tradition of COMO-CAL’s THE VOICE, rated as the best, most informa-tive newsletter in California. In our latest web site poll (www.mobilehomemagazine.org), 80% of our

readers rated MHMag as “terrifi c.” You will too!

A yearly subscription of six issues (see p.23) is just $6/year, a price everyone can afford. Subscrip-tions after October 1, 2012 will increase to $9.00/year. So get on board now and save a couple bucks.

Anyone can order multiple magazines at wholesale prices for their park. Magazines are just 25 cents plus postage with no minimum. Go to www.mobilehomemagazine.org or call us at 800-929-6061. See page 22 for details.

The only way you can guarantee getting MHMag is to subscribe or order magazines for your park. Don’t go it alone. Be informed. Team up with us and together we will make a difference.

Remember, supporting not only helps yourself but your friends and neighbors. And supporting helps us expand into other areas of California. Soon we may cover the whole state. That would be WONDERFUL!

Page 5: Mobilehome Magazine July/August 2012

July/August 2012 Vol. 2 • Issue 4

Mobilehome Magazine (www.mobilehomemagazine.org / (818) 886-6479 / [email protected]) Page 5

From the editor

Wake Up Los Angeles Welcome back to Mobilehome Magazine (MHMag). MHMag is the only

magazine of it’s kind giving you important information about current events, articles by experts in mobilehome issues, and other information critical to protect the equity in your home and your lifestyle. MHMag is rated TERRIFIC by more than 80% of our readers. When you receive MHMag, you are connected to thousands of other owners, i.e. you are NOT ALONE.

iS thiS the LASt iSSUe For LoS ANGeLeS?Begun in October 2011, this is now the 6th and perhaps last free issue

printed for the Los Angeles area. You may ask why. The reasons are simple. Number one, the magazine is expensive to print and distribute, costing as much as $5,000 per issue. Number two, our expertise is advocacy, not marketing and as a consequence advertising DOES NOT fully support the magazine. Number three, we get no grants or outside money. Our only source of revenue is adver-

tising and subscriptions/donations from folks like yourself. That means YOU must support the magazine to continue receiving it. And now we have made supporting the magazine very easy!

WiLL We StoP PUBLiShiNG moBiLehome mAGAZiNe?The answer is NO. But we can’t provide the magazine free to all mobilehome owners. We need a

small commitment from you. Today, for as little as QUARTER PER COPY, yes $.25 (plus postage), an issue you can get the magazine. Our goal is to get MHMag to those who value receiving it and will read it. See pages 16,22 and 23 for details.

YoUr SUPPort BeNeFitS ALLToday there are very few working for you. That’s a fact.

MHMag’s potential is unlimited and there isn’t a publication like it anywhere. This is your opportunity to be part of a solution,.CARPE DEIM. Sieze the day. Get on board and help unite us.

iN thiS iSSUeI hope you enjoy reading the several articles by our guest

writers: Donna Matthews, a long time advocate and my hero, continues with an article on “Unlawful Detainers,” Ed Hicks, a well know writer for the Journal - The Magazine for Manufac-tured & Modular Housing Professionals and Elena Smith, a local Mobilehome Sales Specialist.

And let’s congratulate the hard working folks in Oceanside for their terrific victory. Well done. You are an inspiration for all mobilehome owners. Not only have you saved rent control in Oceanside, but in the one hundred or so cities and counties around California.

Frank A. Wodley,Editor & Publisher

Mobilehome MagazineServing the Mobile/Manufactured Home

Community in California

MobilehoMe Magazine, P.o. box 3774 Chatsworth, California 91313

818-886-6479 [email protected] http://www.mobilehomemagazine.org/

Mobilehome Magazine is published every other month by Mobilehome Magazine exclusively for owners of

mobile/manufactured homes in California.

MHMag is not responsible for content contained in advertising

PUBLISHER AND EDITORFrank A. Wodley

ADVERTISING SALESRose Rosales

Frank Wodley

DESIGN Greg Frazier

Page 6: Mobilehome Magazine July/August 2012

July/August 2012 Vol. 2 • Issue 4

Page 6 Mobilehome Magazine (P.O. Box 3774, Chatsworth, CA. 91313, 1-800-929-6061, FAX 1-818-369-6876)

First of all, we are all “newbies” when we move into a mobilehome park. None of us expected the issues we face today - ever increasing rents, out of control managers, notices, etc. So don’t take “newbies” as being critical of you. Now you have an opportu-nity to learn how to protect your interests.

Why is the information we provide so important? Because about 95% of us live on someone else’s land. As Bill Murray would say “That’s a fact, Jack!” Only about 300 parks across California are resident owned, the other 5,000 are rental parks. If you are reading mobilehome magazine, you probably live in a rental park and pay rent to a landlord. You are a tenant; therefore you are vulnerable! TENANT = VULNER-ABLE. The threat of an eviction wouldn’t be so life changing if you lived in an apartment You could just pack your bags, order a moving van and leave. But because you own your home, often costing hundreds of thousands of dollars, you may lose everything. Read Donna Matthew’s article on page 18.

So what’s the answer? How can you protect yourself? First of all you don’t have to have a PhD in Mobilehome Law, but you do need a basic under-standing. And you need to be prepared BEFORE you find yourself getting a 7 day notice, getting a 3 day notice to pay or quit, getting an unlawful detainer notice, etc.

UNderStANd the BASiCSWe suggest you purchase COMO-CAL’s

Handbook of Frequently Asked Questions (order for just $6.00 see p. 22 & 23) to better understand the Mobilehome Residency Law (MRL), and subscribe to MHMag (p. 23) and unite with other mobilehome owners. Above all, understand what’s happening around the state and in your area. In other words, take an interest in protecting your rights and your investment. Certainly no one else will. It only takes a few minutes of your time. Remember, you have to know the basics to detrmine whether or not your manager is following the law. Often they are NOT.

FiNd A Good AttorNeY

Of course you have many options. If you face possible eviction, you can try to find an attorney versed in mobilehome law who you can trust and who is not very expensive. Hopefully the attorney you pick knows the law and will take care of you. Personally I’ve been there and done that and the outcome was not a

good one. It just cost me a lot of money and time!

We often get calls for attorney referrals. Today we are suggesting people to call Chandra Spencer - her card is on page 9. Perhaps she can help or at least recommend an attorney who can. And please, let us know how your call went.

orGANiZAtioNSThere are several organizations providing infor-

mation to owners of mobilehomes. And all have terrific websites.

Tenants Together in San Francisco and the Coalition of Economic Survival in Los Angeles deal mainly with renters of apartments, but they also assist mobilehome owners. Both worked very hard when OUR rent control was being attacked - Propositions 90 and 98 - part of a large coalition.

Of course the “go to” organization in Califor-nia is GSMOL (Golden State Manufactured Home Owners Association). Their membership is $25/year and they work hard on legislation in Sacramento and through local park chapters around California.

MHOAA (Manufactured Homeowners’ Associa-tion of America) is the national group. Ishbel Dickens, their Executive Director has written about them on page 17. Every homeowner should belong.

MHOF is a message board where mobilehome owners communicate with a group of owners inter-ested in advocacy and issues we all face. Contact Michelle Smith at [email protected] for further information. You must be a mh owner.

MOBILEHOME LAW 101- For Newbies

Page 7: Mobilehome Magazine July/August 2012

July/August 2012 Vol. 2 • Issue 4

Mobilehome Magazine (www.mobilehomemagazine.org / (818) 886-6479 / [email protected]) Page 7

All MH park residents in California deserve to live in a well maintained park. The park owned infrastructure (electric, gas, water, sewer, roads, common areas, etc) must be maintained to satisfac-tory standards. These systems should be repaired promptly and correctly if there is a problem. Many of these standards are part of the law (the California Health & Safety Code - Title 25).

Unfortunately, park owners, especially those in rent controlled areas, often don’t maintain their parks properly. That’s because doing so cuts into their profits.

Conditions can be improved by approaching your park owner as an organized group, and asking him to properly maintain the park where you live. The best tool for this job is a resident “park condition” survey.

Are you a leader in your park? Are you concerned enough to take action? If you are, distribute a survey to each home in the park. In this process, you will meet your neighbors and start to get organized.

Once the survey results are compiled, you’ll need to do two things:

(1) Share the results of the survey with the owner by sending him a letter. List the problems and ask him to fix them immediately.

(2) If things aren’t fixed within a reasonable time, your resident group has various options to force the park owner to comply.

Don’t be intimidated by your park owner or his representatives. Stand up for your rights as a group. Get the respect you deserve. There is strength in numbers. This will take some leadership, time and effort. However, a park condition survey is an excellent way to start improving things where you live.

If you don’t speak up as a group, it’s likely things will never change.

MHMag can provide you with the survey form and a sample letter to the owner. Simply contact Frank at 818-886-6479 or [email protected]

Park Condition Survey

As the Manager of a Mobile Home Park, clearly my guide to a good manager is based upon following the rules and regulations. I enforce the rules equally to everyone in the park. To be a good manager I find talking with the resident first before I give a notice of violation, 7 or 14 day notice or a 3/60 can often solve the problem. If after I have spoken to them and they do not comply, then they are written up. Having compassion and listening to the resident when they need a shoulder to lean on is the key. As manager having a loving peaceful attitude towards the resident when speaking to them, I find it goes a long way.

Positive speaking and being kind towards a resident is how I approach situations even if it is an aggressive resident. That is not the situation with everyone, but I would say to someone being aggres-sive lets step back and come together when we both can speak with calmness and not yelling or screaming. That does not work Take yourself out of that situation and compose yourself and try to speak with the resident when both parties are calm and had a chance to think about it.

As a manager you must learn how to work

around people, know how to handle different situa-tions and know how to keep everyone happy. You must be friendly, kind and understanding and manage with a positive attitude. Most of all show respect to others. You get respect from the residents when you show respect to them.

Being a positive Manger you still have to equally enforce the rules. There is no room for favoritism in my book.

Above all a Manager must keep the park safe, looking beautiful and a great community to live in.

Article by Melody, Manager, Chatsworth Mobile Home Park.

Editor’s Note: I asked Melody to write this article because for the first time in 13 years the lives of residents in the park where I live are finally tranquil. No more banging on doors, no more booting of cars, no more guards taking photos of our children, no more physical confrontation, no more intimidation, no more senior abuse. If you have an “out of control” manager, show them this article! They have other options to manage!

The Philosophy of a Park Manager by Melody

Page 8: Mobilehome Magazine July/August 2012

July/August 2012 Vol. 2 • Issue 4

Page 8 Mobilehome Magazine (P.O. Box 3774, Chatsworth, CA. 91313, 1-800-929-6061, FAX 1-818-369-6876)

What To Do When You Need to Refinance by Edward Hicks

Residents of a cooper-ative m/h land lease community may wish to know the alternatives when their conduit loans come due. The most obvious is to let the loan go to the end of it’s term, and let the lender decide whether or not to make you a new loan or extend the current loan for a short period of time. A

long extension period is not likely with today’s low interest rates. In the case it is decided to do this, the lender will appoint a special master to oversee operations, since technically the loan is in default. Of course, it is very important to check with an experienced RE attorney if it is decided to do this, to feel comfortable about risks of foreclosure.

Historically, commercial lenders who finance communities for experienced investor groups have been somewhat dubious of resident owned commu-nities since there have been some notable misman-agement issues in the past. If you are lucky enough to find a lender who will refinance the property, they are liable to take a very conservative stance, meaning your interest rate will not be too favorable probably 5.5% plus a premium and it may be under-written at a higher rate, the amortization period will be relatively short 15 to 20 years or less, and the loan to value ratio will be 70% 75% or less.

Family communities often have equity issues to resolve, since many residents are short of the cash required. In these cases, you may wish to consider the services of ROC USA (Resident Owned Commu-nities) which is headed by Mr. Paul Bradley. They have been able to assemble a combination of equity and debt investors to assist in the acquisition and refinance of many communities, Nationwide. Their web site is: www.rocusa.org You may also want to contact the non-profit Corporation For Enterprise Development (CFED) who have been working on some legislation which may give residents of LLCommunities some new titling rights which may make individual homesite financing easier. You may contact Andrea Levere at: www.cfed.org

A third alternative is to make an application for an FHA207 guaranteed loan. These are loans by private lenders with a HUD pre-approved community to residents, community owners, and/or investors for refinance and rehabilitation of existing communities or acquisition and development of new communities. Qualification will take up to 6 months or longer for approval, but the terms and rates are very attractive. Qualifying properties may obtain loans at 90% LTV, for 40 years, which are fixed rate and non recourse. Interest rates are now in the 4.5 to 5.5% range, and lower.

Recently the HUD Staff in Seattle provided the residents of a community on an Island, across the Sound from downtown with approvals to process a loan for $4.2M which will allow them to payoff their existing conduit loan which has a much higher interest rate. It also provides for some physical rehabilitation of community structures which have declined in condition over the years. Processing the necessary documents will take a few more months, but the residents are very happy they now have a 40 year, fixed rate, loan under 4.25% Without this type of financing, they have not been available to obtain the necessary funding to replace their existing debt.

Last year, HUD also approved a $4.0M loan for a resident owned community on the Central Califor-nia Coast. A change in the ownership became available and the residents took advantage of this to purchase their community.

The program is not just for resident owned communities. Investors and owners of privately owned commercially operated communities in Oklahoma City, OK, Palmetto, FL, and Indianapo-lis, IN are also processing their applications through their respective Regional HUD staff for these unique 40 year fixed rate loans.

HUD staff review follows the TAP process in which the lender collects all relevant data and presents it to the staff for underwriting. At the Concept meeting for new community develop-ment with the HUD staff which is the fist step in the process, care is taken to assure there is an adequate supply of qualified home buyers to purchase new or used HUD code homes using available, viable

Page 9: Mobilehome Magazine July/August 2012

July/August 2012 Vol. 2 • Issue 4

Mobilehome Magazine (www.mobilehomemagazine.org / (818) 886-6479 / [email protected]) Page 9

home fi nancing.

Older, built out communities must demonstrate a need for rehabilitation which is aimed at the capital needs of the community. The fi nancing doesn’t include any provision for the acquisition or rehab of rental units. Another similar HUD program, the FHA221(d)4 may be used to purchase new homes and rent them out to residents as SFD apartments.

Developers with new community development plans in Beaufort, SC and San Antonio, TX have been initiating the similar process.

A newly developed web site www.fha207m.com provides most of the technical aspects of the application process.

This new interest in an old, rarely used loan guarantee program, will help to assure that existing communities can bring their facilities up to date, and for new community development which is beginning to start in this “down” market, assurance there is adequate fi nancing available.

Mr. Hicks is a licensed Mortgage and Real Estate Broker, with his offi ces in the Tampa Bay area. He has been associated with the m/h industry as a retailer in California, and as a manufacturer in Oregon and California, and as a developer in Florida. He may be reached at 813 661-5901 [email protected] www.factorybuilthome.com www.mobilehomepark.com

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Page 10: Mobilehome Magazine July/August 2012

July/August 2012 Vol. 2 • Issue 4

Page 10 Mobilehome Magazine (P.O. Box 3774, Chatsworth, CA. 91313, 1-800-929-6061, FAX 1-818-369-6876)

Investing in Mobilehome Parks - an Owners View (Part 2)Editor’s Note: The following is taken from a park

owner’s memo sent to his residents who were inter-ested in purchasing the park. Part 1 was presented in the May/June 2012 issue of Mobilehome Magazine.

We received one email about Part 1 saying we shouldn’t attack park owners but be friends with them. In hindsight, the article title could have been more clear, the article is about investing in mobilehome parks not what park owners think of their residents. I’m not sure where the title used in the last issue came from.

Remember also, we clearly stated that the article was written by a park owner, not MHMag. In any case, we have changed the title. We hope this better reflects it’s content. Here is Part 2:

- Continued lending in an illiquid market - Impor-tantly, as other real estates types struggle in this market to find financing, even if they can cover debt service generously and the assets are good “performing” assets, MH communities still enjoy the ability to attract both public (Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac) funding as well as bank and insurance company loans.

- Low common area maintenance costs- The operating costs for a MH park are fairly easily defined and underwritten. As you are primarily renting land and the only improvements are below ground utility infrastructure, roads and a clubhouse, being hit by unexpected and costly repairs to improvements is rare.

- Fragmentation of ownership market: Unsophis-ticated sellers/”Good buy” opportunities - Unlike the commercial office, retail, industrial, and garden apartment space which is substantially controlled by sophisticated “institutional” aggregators that are market knowledgeable, the MH parks in this country are primarily owned in “one-off” investments held by the original builder or their children. They are generally not very market savvy and not familiar with the way in which sophisticated buyers underwrite. Some of the strategies necessary to maximize their bottom line are left untested. As well, they often befriend the residents in their park and, as a result, do not push rents and leave a good deal of upside on the table.

- Elasticity of Rents - The ability to increase rents in a down market, even when other asset classes are seeing their effective rents erode due to tenant renego-tiation of leases and other “concessions”, is unique to MH communities.

Individual residents and/or the homeowner’s associations of MH communities do not have the

leverage to renegotiate their rent level as their only threat is to

(a) sell their home, which will be bought by a new resident willing to pay the rent or

(b) move their home out of the park to a park with lower rent, which rarely occurs as it requires the resident to spend many thousands of dollars, an expen-diture that is usually many times more than the incre-mental rent obligation they are looking to avoid.

- Security of equity principal - According to the American Banker’s Association (ABA), loans secured by MH Community property are consistently the category of debt that has the LOWEST NON-PERFORMING percentage to total loans outstanding of any other real estate investment asset class. Bank foreclosure of quality Mobilehome parks is very rare...therefore, equity invested in quality MH parks is exposed to less risk while still providing very attractive returns one would expect form higher risk profile investments. A few of the many factors that contribute to the low MH community default rate are the rent elasticity and lack of new supply.

When markets get overbuilt and/or the economy stumbles and puts pressure on a commercial office and retail tenants’ ability to pay rent, they use the market’s woes to their advantage and leverage their landlords into modifying (reducing) rents. When this occurs on a broad scale, property cash flow suffers and/or vacancy rises, valuations fall, and the end result is usually a bank foreclosure or a deed given to the bank by the property owner in lieu thereof. This does not occur in MH communities.

In fact, during the two year period 2008 though 2009, during one of the worst residential and commer-cial real estate markets we have seen in decades, the rents in the Our Company’s portfolio of parks have been increased between 8% and 0% with no material deterioration in occupancy rates. Of course, this has benefited the bottom line significantly during a period of time when large institutional owner/operators of “core” real estate have seen their effective rents decrease and bankruptcies mount.

Finally, the ability to increase rents at least once a year and in a number of jurisdictions several times a year enables MH community owners to constantly adjust revenue and, therefore, the bottom line in the face of changing lending parameters. This ensures that the resultant cash flow from the property is suffi-cient to cleanly refinance (see page 11, bottom....)

Page 11: Mobilehome Magazine July/August 2012

July/August 2012 Vol. 2 • Issue 4

Mobilehome Magazine (www.mobilehomemagazine.org / (818) 886-6479 / [email protected]) Page 11

How To Find A Nice Park by Elena E. Smith

(continued from page 10) debt as it matures. The ability to frequently adjust rents to drive net operating income up to assure a clean refinancing is not available to office, retail, industrial, warehouse, or other commer-cial property owners. In hard economic times and in the face of oversupply, rents and occupancies in commercial properties generally decrease, and the rents are pre-determined in the lease and usually fixed for many years.

For multi-family property, rents can be adjusted

but the resident is not “tied” to the property in the way that the resident is tied to a MH community tenancy.

Residents in garden apartments move out if they feel the rent is too high and they can get a better deal down the street. MH community residents do not behave in this manner. They may try to negotiate a smaller increase in times of economic hardship but they rarely walk from their homes or move them at great personal expense in order to save $20 or $30/month in rent.

Many people have a misconception about mobile homes and mobile home parks. I cringe when I hear my home referred to as a “trailer,” which is something one hitches to a truck and tows, rather than something that has been stationary for over 40 years. And, we have all heard the term “trailer trash,” referring to people who don’t amount to anything. These concepts are outdated. In a good sales market (2008), 40-year old mobile homes were selling from $45,000-$100,000, and Buyers often earned $60-90,000/year. Living in a mobile home has become an alternative lifestyle for people like me, who have decided that we will never be able to afford real property in L.A. County. The lifestyle is especially enjoyable when one lives in a “nice park.”

The three main things Buyers look for in a mobile home park are location, safety and community.

Location: Even though the Parks I sold in are located in the East San Gabriel Valley, none of them are far from the Covina Metrolink train station, which means that in 40 minutes someone can be in downtown L.A. For those who work for a company that pays for public transportation, Buyers can have a home that is well-located and cost-effective for their commuting needs.

Safety: Mobile Home Parks offer a high degree of safety. At one time, the crime statistic in nice mobile home parks was 3%. Why? Well, you are living in a community where your neighbor is just close enough to notice when something is wrong, but not so close they can hear your conversations through a wall.

Community: Mobile home living also provides a sense of community. Because homes must be owner-occupied, Buyers have a sense of what their neighbors will be like, unlike in single family housing (or the condo I used to own) where affordable property is filled with renters who may not share the same standards of living in terms of property upkeep, noise

ordinances, etc.

In addition to the general sense of what Buyers are looking for, there are other considerations: rent amount, taste, and social needs.

Rent Amount: A Buyer’s level of monthly gross income will determine which Park the Buyer can afford. Most Parks require a Buyer’s gross monthly income be equal to 3 times space rent.

Taste: There is also the matter of what a Buyer likes --- a Park’s appeal. Some Parks are rustic, with bushy trees and narrow winding lanes; other Parks have rock lawns and E-Z-keep exteriors. Others look like modern, planned communities. There is something for everyone.

Social needs: This varies, depending on the Buyer. Most Parks provide scheduled social activities, so in the case of someone who may want to “plug in” to the Community where they’ll be living, games like BINGO & bunco are offered, as well as other social events and dinners (in some Parks, the dinners are FREE). All Parks offer the opportunity to be as involved or as uninvolved as the new resident wishes --- for a person who is new to the area and wants to make friends, often just sitting on the front porch or walking around the block will allow that.

Final Tip: If you are not sure whether a Park is a “nice park,” do what home buyers do --- drive through it periodically at different times of day, making obser-vations. In a well-run Park, homes and lawns are neatly kept with no piles of stuff in driveways or on porches. The Community property --- i.e. the clubhouse, the Park entry, the pool and other facili-ties --- are well-maintained. When you observe these signs, you will know that Management is keeping an eye on the property for the benefit of the residents.

Elena E. Smith has been a Mobile Home Sales Specialist for 5 years. © Elena E. Smith, 2011. Smith

Page 12: Mobilehome Magazine July/August 2012

July/August 2012 Vol. 2 • Issue 4

Page 12 Mobilehome Magazine (P.O. Box 3774, Chatsworth, CA. 91313, 1-800-929-6061, FAX 1-818-369-6876)

The following is a letter to the editor from Michael Spector, resident of Pacific Palisades. We appreciate anyone who has another point of view and are happy to present it here. Please participate and send us your comments:

I wish to take exception with something you wrote in the recent MHMag May/June 2012 Page 6), that rental mobile home parks should be outlawed, and that the only positive future for mhp residents is to own the land.

This is my perspective:

A rental mobile home park is a rather weird kind of home ownership—where you own your home, but have to rent the land underneath it from a park owner. No doubt that it is not nearly as good a type of home ownership as owning a regular house on a lot. No question.

However, the cost of owning a regular home on a lot in California, especially anywhere near the coast (and even after the correction of the last couple years) has unfortunately skyrocketed to the point where only wealthy people, not even middle class, can afford to buy one. (And here right by the coast, still much more so—only super-wealthy could afford to buy a house here.)

The rental mobile home park scenario though, unusual as it is, has been a way for middle and lower class people to own their own home. Yes, not as good a form of home ownership as a regular home on a lot, but much better than renting an apartment with no ownership and no equity at all. It has therefore provided an important means of affordable housing.

The goal of mobile home owners owning the land underneath their homes rather than renting it, is certainly a good one. However, it only makes sense if it is really affordable to all the residents. If only a small percentage of better-off residents can buy their lots, and the others end up losing rent control and their equity as a result, that is IMO not a good result at all, and could create a war situation of the haves vs the have-nots in a park. (Much better to have an outside park owner as your enemy, rather than your next-door neighbor.)

In the 80s it was mhp residents who started the idea of condo conversion, so each could own the land underneath their trailer. A good idea, which

may have worked well at some parks, at that time.

Today though, with land values having gone up so much, and with greedy lawyers like Close and Loftin having sold condo conversion to park owners as a way to make windfall profits, purchasing the lot is usually not an option for most residents. Loans? A thirty year home loan for a 70 year old living from social security? Not going to happen. And the loan climate has become much tighter in the last couple years, after the financial meltdown caused by bad lending.

It is not only park owners these days who want condo conversion. Also some well-off homeowners, who think it would help them maximize their invest-ment to own the land as well. (That happened here in Palisades Bowl, a big push to convert by such homeowners (largely absentee), although very few residents could really ever afford it, and the park is built on a landslide.) Reading your statement that the only answer is resident ownership of the land, and that rental parks should be abolished, would only give fuel to such conversion proponents (although I am sure that you did not mean it that way).

Certainly that would be ideal—for all the residents to own their land, no more renting from a park owner. But how likely is that to happen in reality? How many in your park could buy? If a few buy, and the others lose their equity and rent control as a result, with the small group of lot owners now in charge (the new HOA), and neighbor pitted against neighbor, not good at all.

Therefore, the rental mobile home park, while a very unusual and far from ideal ownership situation, has provided the American dream of home ownership to many people who otherwise could not afford to do so at all. I think it is wrong to say it should be abolished. What is important is that there be strong governmental protections for the homeowners, MRL, Rent Control, and it would be very good if all jurisdictions could pass very strong park closure laws as recently passed in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. Etc. We need to clean up government so that it doesn’t attract crooks like Calderon for sale to the highest bidder

My two cents. Have a nice day, Mike

Letters To The Editor - Should Rental Parks Be Outlawed?

Page 13: Mobilehome Magazine July/August 2012

July/August 2012 Vol. 2 • Issue 4

Mobilehome Magazine (www.mobilehomemagazine.org / (818) 886-6479 / [email protected]) Page 13

In an attempt to address Mike’s letter on the previous page, I asked an expert on resident ownership of MHparks, attorney David Loop, to write a short note, which is presented here:

What Mike is missing is the distinction between a resident owned park that is “subdivided” and a resident owned park that is a “co-op.”

In a subdivided park, each household is given the opportunity to buy the “lot” under their home. Before they can do that, the spaces in the park must be converted into individual lots or parcels. This process involves much local government oversight and control. Today, subdivisions are (correctly) seen by park residents as schemes by park owners to break rent control and make outlandish profits when the individual lots are sold. Mike obviously has knowledge of lawyers Sue Loftin and Richard Close, both of whom push subdivisions because that’s how they make the most money.

The subdivision approach worked OK back in the 1980’s and early 1990s for some conversions. Mike is right - it benefited the “have” residents at the expense of the “have-not” residents. Back then, subdivision was generally done in parks with relatively affluent homeowners. It was not a park owner-driven scheme to drive up land prices and break rent control.

The ROP (resident owned park) conversions that work best are not subdivisions, they are co-ops. About 70% to 80% of the ROP’s in California are co-ops. The residents do not buy their individual lots. Instead,

they buy shares in their nonprofit corporation which owns the park real estate as one parcel. These deals typically work very well. Aptos Knoll, where I live has been a co-op for 8 years. Blue Pacific is a good example of how co-op’s work. Blue Pacific is not a rich park, yet 85 out of the 97 households in the park could afford to buy a share of the HOA and pay the increased “member rent.” This deal would have NEVER worked as a subdivision.

Mike could take a look at Deane Sargent’s website (pmcfinserv.com). Deane has been involved in about 40 conversions of parks from investor-owned to resident-owned. All of these conversions were done as co-ops.

Should investor-owned parks be outlawed? Well, I wouldn’t spend too much time speculating or writing about this idea. It just isn’t going to happen. Any federal, state or local government attempting to take away the property rights of park owners would be in for an expensive and nasty fight. This is not something that government would want to spend its limited money on. Will government ever put all investor park owners out of business? I seriously doubt it. Eminent domain is available to governments, but they hesitate to use it because doing so means an expensive court fight. David Loop, Attorney at Law

46 Knollwood DriveAptos, CA 95003

831-688-1293 (Voice & Fax)[email protected]

Editor’s Note:Mobilehome Magazine welcomes letters to the

editor. In fact we encourage you to speak up. We love hearing from you - how else do we know you even read MHMag or care about your rights and investment. Your comments help us understand you, your needs, your views and your opinions. Bottom line - you help us improve the quality of information we send out.

What is our philosopy about resident ownership of mh parks? We endorse it 100%. We feel it is the only real solution to the many issues we face in rental parks. And although the statement “outlawing all rental parks is extreme,” we are happy that it is promoting a discussion of this issue.

In fact COMO-CAL through THE VOICE published many articles on resident ownership. Dave Loop and Dean Sargent are the “go to” guys in you are interested in researching resident ownership.

Dean Sargent runs PMC Financial:

http://www.pmcfinancialservices.com/

Phone: 541-708-5131

Fax: 541-708-5132

Those with computers should visit Dean’s website - it has lots of current “in the news” articles.

Other sources of current information -

Mobile Home Owners Forum (MHOF) - a yahoo group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mhof/

You must be a mobile/manufactured home owner to join. Contact Michelle Smith at [email protected] for further information.

Also Tenants Together: http://www.tenantstogeth-er.org/

The Senate Select Committee on Manufactured Housing: http://mobilehomes.senate.ca.gov/

Page 14: Mobilehome Magazine July/August 2012

July/August 2012 Vol. 2 • Issue 4

Page 14 Mobilehome Magazine (P.O. Box 3774, Chatsworth, CA. 91313, 1-800-929-6061, FAX 1-818-369-6876)

OCEANSIDE — Proposals to phase out mobile home park rent control and overhaul Oceans-ide’s election system were soundly defeated in the election Tuesday, but the future of the rent protection and the city’s political climate are still in flux.

Rent control opponents have vowed to fight for property rights of the mobile home park landown-ers in other ways, and the City Council’s political makeup has the potential to shift in 10 months.

When the two measures first appeared headed toward defeat Tuesday in the initial vote tallies, some political opponents said the results showed that the people of Oceanside were beginning to take their government back.

“I think what it really means is that the people really wanted the City Council to listen to what they had to say on the issues,” said Wood, who along with Sanchez voted against placing the measures on the ballot. “I’m happy with the results, but I’m sorry that the council members didn’t listen.”

The measure was defeated by a substantial margin, receiving support from 35 percent of voters; 65 percent opposed.. About 22,400 Oceanside residents cast votes on Proposition E.

The City Council majority voted unilaterally last May to phase out rent control with vacancy decontrol, but was blocked by a referendum petition signed by more than 15,000 voters.

Mobile home park tenants typically own their homes but rent the land. The homes are often difficult or impossible to move, so park residents are basically permanent. Vacancy decontrol would have kept low rents for current tenants but would have allowed landowners to raise rents as they see fit once the homes are sold or passed on.

Supporters of Vacancy Decontrol and Proposi-tion E said it was a fair compromise, while opponents said it reduced the value of their homes and might not actually preserve their lower rents.

“The burden on any ‘yes’ campaign is to convince people why you need to change, and we obviously failed,” Felien said. “I’m ... not happy. It seems the other side had their victory and they get to enjoy their day.”

Proposition E supporters said they lost the emotional argument.

“The misconception that these seniors and veterans were going to be kicked out of their homes was certainly hard to overcome, so we knew we were the underdogs,” said Amy Epsten Magness, whose family owns the Mission View mobile home parks. “You can definitely count on the fact that we’ll fight for our property rights. ... We’ll definitely regroup and see where to go from here.”

Felien and Kern said they think the loss of Propo-sition E will be worse for mobile home park tenants in the long run, as mobile home park owners try to move out of the business of renting spaces at the required lower rates.

“Emotion can trump in politics, but it can’t trump in economics,” Felien said. “Unfortunately I think there’s going to be an ugly end to it. ... At some point the spread between the rent control income compared to the market rate income becomes so great that it’s time to move to something else.”

Much of the debate over Proposition E had to do with whose property rights deserved greater weight, those who own the homes or those who own the land.

The Yes on Proposition E campaign outspent its opposition substantially, and reported raising nearly $400,000 as of May 19. Campaign contribu-tions came in chunks of thousands or even tens of thousands mostly from mobile home parks as corpo-rations.

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/jun/08/after-defeat-props-e-and-f-oceanside-whats-next/

June 8, 2012 The San Diego Union-Tribune

by Nathan Scharn [email protected]

Editors Note: Congratulations to all the folks in Oceanside and elsewhere who stood up to the park owner’s big bucks and defeated Proposition E. Special thanks to Jim Sullivan (our primary contact in Oceanside who has been distributing MHMag to residents there), and the leadership of OMHA and ACTION. All groups UNITED to help in the fight. This should be a lesson for homeowners in other areas around California. You are only as strong as your ability to work together, regardless of politics or group affiliation.

After defeat of Props. E and F in Oceanside, what’s next?

Page 15: Mobilehome Magazine July/August 2012

July/August 2012 Vol. 2 • Issue 4

Mobilehome Magazine (www.mobilehomemagazine.org / (818) 886-6479 / [email protected]) Page 15

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owners primarily in the greater Los Angeles area - the San Fernando, Santa Clarita, and Antelope Valley. In addition we have subscribers all over California, even some out of state. But we soon expect to expand into all of Southern California.

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tured homes. For instance, an eighth page ad is $125, a quarter page ad is $210, and a half page ad is $300.

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problem. We have an excellent graphic designer and this service is free of charge. All you need to do is supply us with appropriate text and photos. We do the rest and send you a proof before it is used in the magazine.

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Page 16: Mobilehome Magazine July/August 2012

July/August 2012 Vol. 2 • Issue 4

Page 16 Mobilehome Magazine (P.O. Box 3774, Chatsworth, CA. 91313, 1-800-929-6061, FAX 1-818-369-6876)

Are A LoCAL AreA GroUP?With MHMag you can reach many more mobile/

manufactured homeowners and provide them local and state information in a quality publication.

• Gain members / increase your sphere of influence and help more folks

• No cost to you / Use MHMag as a fund raiser.

• No fuss, no effort on your part other than to help distribute the magazine.

• Shine like you never have before! Using less blood, sweat and tears

WhY moBiLehome mAGAZiNe?• We are established. The magazine has been

published for one year.

• We are advocates for mobilehome owners. Our publisher/editor has years 10 years of experi-ence in advocacy: 7 years as Founder and President of COMO-CAL -a state-wide advocate and prior to that 3 years as a GSMOL manager. Plus we publish articles by experts in various fields.

• MHMag is a quality, full color magazine – now 24 pages, with the potential of 32 or 36 pages in the future.

• MHMag is a low cost way to reach thousands of mobile/manufactured home owners in your area, not just a few. If you believe in the saying “Strength In Numbers”, then you must believe this will have positive results.

• MHMag costs your group nothing. No “start up costs” and no printing worries. We do everything – you just distribute it in your area. In fact MHMag can be used to raise funds to help support your local group. Talk with us!

• We have a web site at www.mobilehomemag-azine.org where every magazine is displayed so you and others can browse through it at your leisure.

• MHMag is non-political. We are a true advocate. Our resources include all groups that are helping MH owners. We don’t answer to anyone, i.e. the information we provide is honest and accurate. We are not afraid of park owners or managers or political groups who might have other agendas. We don’t filter what we write to benefit ourselves.

• If your group already publishes a newsletter, you can supplement it – use MHMag one month, and

your newsletter the next. Or combine them.

• MHMag is here for the long term. We can survive on only 20-25% subscriptions.

• MHMag is currently in Los Angeles, but can be in your area with your commitment to help.

hoW CAN YoU mAke it hAPPeN iN YoUr AreA?• Decide you want to team with MHMag.

• Call or email us saying you are interested to hear more

• Form a committee of 3-4 residents and work directly with us.

• Provide MHMag with a few articles of interest to residents in your area.

• MHMag will put the magazine together, using both your content and our content.

• MHMag will ship you the magazines for distri-bution. MHMag will mail some.

Are YoU With US?This should be a no brainer. When has someone

come to you and offered their help? MHMag offers a solution to bringing mobilehome owners together. To network, to share information, to start working together.

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YeS! We absolutely feel MHMag is making a difference here in California. Thousands have been receiving the magazine for free and reading it’s articles. Never before has anyone undertaken such a large scale operation to inform folks and help them.

We believe in MHMag. And we know it’s potential. Some day it could reach all of California. And other states could also benefit...soon Oregon, Washington, Arizona mobilehome owners could receive a similar publication. It could become a monthly publication, with much more information and many more pages.

The potential is unlimited. But it takes your support. 25 cents an issue, $1.50 a year. Working together to make it happen for your park. Such a small price for something that has such benefits.

Get on board, subscribe or pre-order a box for your park. It is simple! Everyone wins.

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Page 17: Mobilehome Magazine July/August 2012

July/August 2012 Vol. 2 • Issue 4

Mobilehome Magazine (www.mobilehomemagazine.org / (818) 886-6479 / [email protected]) Page 17

The Manufactured Home Owners’ Associa-tion of America (MHOAA) is the national associa-tion for manufactured home owners. MHOAA works with statewide manufactured home owners’ associations, individual manufactured home owners’ associations, and individu-al manufactured home owners on a variety of issues related to manufac-tured housing.

At the federal level, MHOAA is working with some its national partners to garner support from the Uniform Law Commission (ULC) for a uniform manufactured housing act that would provide fairer and better financing options for people who want to purchase manufactured homes, as well as stronger consumer protections for these buyers. Currently, most manufactured homes are titled as chattel and thus the traditional mortgages and low interest rates, which come with real property titling, are not available. The ULC will vote on the proposed uniform act in mid-July and should the Commission vote favorably it will then be up to manufactured home owners in individual states to convince their legislators to adopt the act.

MHOAA continues to outreach to statewide manufactured home owners’ associations (HOAs) in a variety of ways. For instance, MHOAA’s Executive Director, Ishbel Dickens, has worked with several state HOAs to help them acquire founda-tion support to provide outreach and educational opportunities within their states. Ishbel continues to help statewide HOAs with grant research and proposal writing.

In addition, Ishbel travels around the country on MHOAA business. She was invited to partici-pate on a panel in Colorado in January; she testified before a congressional committee in February; she met with home owners in Connecticut in March; she attended GSMOL’s 50th Anniversary event in Sacramento this past April; and she worked with manufactured home owners from as far afield as California and Florida when they all met in Chicago in May to put pressure on Equity Lifestyle Proper-

ties, Inc. (ELS) and presented the ELS board with a petition signed by 1,000 individuals requesting that ELS improve its business practices and stop gouging seniors by continuously increasing rents beyond what people can afford to pay.

MHOAA staff and board members also spend time helping individual community HOAs to get started, either in-person or by conference call. Groups in Colorado and Kansas are currently being helped in this way

so if you would like help getting your community HOA off the ground, or re-vitalized give MHOAA a call at: 206.851.6385 or send an email to Ishbel at: [email protected]

MHOAA is always looking for ways to help manufactured home owners wherever they live and emails monthly Eblasts and quarterly newslet-ters to all its members whether they are individual manufactured home owners or HOAs at the local or state level. If you would like to join MHOAA please visit the MHOAA website: www.mhoaa.us There is an application that you can complete on-line or download and the $15 individual yearly membership can be paid on-line or by sending a check with your application.

Editor’s Notes: COMO-CAL was a member of MHOAA and attended several conventions. They provided workshops on a variety of topics and we learned and enjoyed attending. Of course MHOAA is the “go to” group and many state organizations belong, including Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Ohio, Minnestoa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Delaware, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and more.

Any mobilehome owner can become a member - just $15/year. Questions - you can call us at Mobilehome Magazine for details.

The Manufactured Home Owners’ Association of America (MHOAA) by Ishbel Dickens, Executive Director, MHOAA

Page 18: Mobilehome Magazine July/August 2012

July/August 2012 Vol. 2 • Issue 4

Page 18 Mobilehome Magazine (P.O. Box 3774, Chatsworth, CA. 91313, 1-800-929-6061, FAX 1-818-369-6876)

In this article I am going to address, the Mobilehome Residency Law, Article 6, Termination of Tenancy, and facts I believe mobilehome owners should know, if they or someone they know receives park notices. My first suggestion is if you receive a notice from management, ANSWER IT IN WRITING, even if you feel it is unreasonable or an unfair notice. Always have the management put requests in writing. Keep a paper trail. Remember it may lead to an Unlawful Detainer Suit.

What I have found over the years, when I had occasion to help homeowner’s in Unlawful Detainer suits, was that the commission hearings were over within fifteen or twenty minutes, in favor of the park owner, I did not feel that the commission-ers realized there is a difference in laws between an apartment renter eviction and a mobilehome owner’s eviction. That in Unlawful Detainer cases for renters of apartments it is the renter’s responsibility to give proof showing why his or her residency should not be terminated. If proof is not given and the judge or commissioner rules in the apartment owner’s favor, the renter just moves out of the rental unit, as he or she has no investment to lose.

In cases of mobilehome owners’ Unlawful Detainer hearings, there are unique laws passed by the Legislature protecting the homeowner from actual or constructive eviction, MRL798.55. It is not the homeowners’ but management’s obligation to demonstrate that the homeowner has in fact violated a just rule or regulation, and must prove to the court that the homeowner did not correct the park notice of violation in the time given. When the court rules in the park owners favor the homeowner cannot just move his or her home investment, but is instead is locked out of his or her home and still has the respon-sibility of continue paying the park lot rent.

I know, as I personally went through An Unlawful Detainer Trial, that I will not go into all the details in this article, but just try to show why I am so adamant about having changes made in mobilehome Unlawful Detainer Forms and Unlawful Detainer cases. So commissioners and judges know and enforce these protective mobilehome termina-tion laws.

When I went to the hearing before a commis-sioner the park attorney made a request to have the Unlawful Detainer Case heard before a judge. The request was granted, and the park attorney filed,

and I was served with, a Thirteen (13) page Eviction Summons with eleven (11) exhibits attached. Then I was served with a Form Interrogatories---Unlaw-ful Detainer, which contained seven (7) pages of questions, with reference to forty-four (44) questions concerning RENTAL UNITS, and not one reference to any mobilehome termination of tenancy law. There was no reference to the fact that it was no I but the manager’s obligation to prove that a park notice of a justified violation had been given and that I had not complied in the given time.

Understand this was all for a simple alleged violation for a now payment, in time, of a $73.80 weekly trash bill, I had received after twenty-five (25) years of residency, from a trash company that had never picked-up any of my trash. The judge ruled I did pay the alleged trash bill on time, but I lost my residency.

This is why I am so adamant about having separate Unlawful Detainer Forms for mobilehome owners that address the Mobilehome Residency Law, Termination of Tenancy provisions, so commissioners and judges realize the difference between apartment renter’ termination of tenancy and laws governing mobilehome owners’ termination of tenancy.

MRL 798.56 states, “A tenancy shall not be terminated by management only for one or more of the following reasons”. .

(a). Failure of the homeowner to comply with a local ordinance or state law or regulation within a reasonable time after the homeowner receives a notice of noncompliance from the agency.

(b) Conduct by the homeowner, upon the park premises, that constitutes a substantial annoyance.

(c) Conviction of the homeowner for prostitution or a felony controlled substance offence.

(d) Failure of the homeowner to comply with a reasonable park rule or regulation.

No act of omission shall constitute a failure to comply until management has given the homeowner written notice of the alleged violation and has failed to adhere within seven (7) days.

Nothing is this subdivision shall relieve the management from its obligation to demonstrate that a rule or regulation has in fact been violated.

(e) Non-payment of rent, utility charges, or reasonable incidental services (for services actually

Termination of Park Tenancy by Donna Matthews

Page 19: Mobilehome Magazine July/August 2012

July/August 2012 Vol. 2 • Issue 4

Mobilehome Magazine (www.mobilehomemagazine.org / (818) 886-6479 / [email protected]) Page 19

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Business Directory Costs & Guidelines

Contract Rate: 4 line minimum $5/line with year contract 6 issues ($120/year)

No contract rate: Per issue rate: $7/line ($28/ issue)

Bold-Face: plus $2.00 / per insertion per issue - top line only

Italics: plus $2.00 / per insertion per issue - slogan line only

Additional 4 line Listing under another Heading / per Heading - $15.00 per issue

Additional 4 line Listing under another Zone / per Zone - $15.00 per issue

diSPLAY AdvertiSiNG

Go to the website for the current rate chart and see page 15 for more information. We are now taking ads from mobilehome owners looking to sell their homes.

Business Directory

rendered, MRL 798.31).

If I am not successful in getting a different Unlawful Detainer Forms for mobilehome owner’s I recommend that in mobilehome Unlawful Detainer Cases the homeowner serve the park owner with their own Interrogatory Questioner that address the above laws.

To clarify, Interrogatories are a formal set of

written questions, a discovery tool to obtain relevant information, propounded by one litigant, and required to be answered, in order to clarify matters of fact and help determine in advance what facts will be.

Article by Donna Matthews.

Please address comments to Mobilehome Magazine

Page 20: Mobilehome Magazine July/August 2012

July/August 2012 Vol. 2 • Issue 4

Page 20 Mobilehome Magazine (P.O. Box 3774, Chatsworth, CA. 91313, 1-800-929-6061, FAX 1-818-369-6876)

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Page 21: Mobilehome Magazine July/August 2012

July/August 2012 Vol. 2 • Issue 4

Mobilehome Magazine (www.mobilehomemagazine.org / (818) 886-6479 / [email protected]) Page 21

mhmAG WeBSitePlease visit our website at www.mobilehome-

magazine.org. The home page displays previous issues, you can flip through the pages, read the articles, and even print anything of interest. We are working to get an archive of THE VOICE, so you can refer back to articles in that publication also.

PAYPALNow you can purchase a subscription, a

Handbook, a box of magazines wholesale, or a copy of back issues. All on our website - go to PRODUCTS. Or you can also send us a check or money order.

Get CoNNeCtedIf you are getting this magazine and have email,

but have not subscribed, at least get connected with us. Send us your email (to [email protected]) with “GETTING CONNECTED” on the subject line.

StAY CoNNeCtedIf you have subscribed and given us your email,

you should get occasional emails from us. If you are don’t, then you need to UPDATE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS. Just send us an email, with UPDATE on the subject line.

LetterS to the editorWe are accepting “letters to the editor” as you

can see from pages 16 and 17. You have a voice! Send us your thoughts. Of course we have limited space, so not all letters will be published.

WhAt’S hAPPeNiNG iN YoUr PArk

Let me know and I’ll put it into the Magazine.Call Frank @ 818-886-6479.

CLASSiFied AdvertiSiNG

Have something to sell? Next issue we will have a “Classified Advertising Section.” The rate for one issue is $6.00/line, 4 line minimum.

SeLLiNG A home?What better way to sell your home and save

thousands. MHMag reaches over 20,000 Califor-nia readers. Many are looking to relocate. You get a terrific rate. - call Frank at 818-886-6470 for details.

thANk YoU For YoUr doNAtioNSMany who have subscribed have included a

small donation. We can’t thank everyone individu-ally, but we want you all to know we appreciate each and every donation. You know who you are.

Como-CAL UPdAte

This issue of MHMag is being delivered to all current COMO-CAL members. The vote to shut down COMO-CAL is complete.

FAQ hANdBook

Mobilehome Magazine continues selling the FAQ Handbook, a must have for all mobilehome owners. It gives simple explanations of the laws. Now only $6.00 - the best investment you’ll ever make.

UPWArdLY moBiLe mAGAZiNeUnfortunately we will not be including articles

from Upwardly Mobile Magazine in this or future editions of MHMag. Please go to their website at http://umhmag.com/main/. They have some terrific articles on mobilehome living and design.

We Need YoUDo you have some extra time? Do you ike to

chat with folks? Do you have unlimited long distance and a computer? Perfect! We need you to make calls from home at your convenience. No minimum!

No it is not telemarketing, it is not about getting advertising for MHMag. It is about sharing MHMag with mobilehome owners like yourself around the state. Help us offer the magazine to others - they will be grateful you called and you would have made a friend. A win-win.

Mobilehome Magazine This & That

GOLDEN STATE MOBILEHOMESDoing Business in Your Area

25 YEARS

A reputation of professional service, integrity, honesty and reliability.

www.GoldenStateMobileHomes.comGary Ashe & Marian (818) 884-5000

Page 22: Mobilehome Magazine July/August 2012

July/August 2012 Vol. 2 • Issue 4

Page 22 Mobilehome Magazine (P.O. Box 3774, Chatsworth, CA. 91313, 1-800-929-6061, FAX 1-818-369-6876)

MOBILEHOME RESIDENCY LAW (MRL)

58 FREQUENTLY

ASKED QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Compiled by the California Senate Select Committee on Manufactured Homes

and Communities

Distributed by MHMag

HANDBOOKNow that parks will not automatically distribute the MRL, this HANDBOOK is a must for all home-owners. The 36 page Frequently Asked Ques-tions and Answers HANDBOOK is designed to answer 58 of the most pressing questions home-owners have about the Mobilehome Residency Law (MRL). This informative HANDBOOK is published by COMO-CAL, a name known for it’s grass roots advocacy in California (now closed).

HANDBOOK COST ($6.00)$4.30 + $1.70 shipping

TO ORDERSEND A CHECK OR MONEY ORDER TO

MOBILEHOME MAGAZINE, P.O. BOX 3774, CHATSWORTH, CA 91313-3774

OR CALL / E-MAIL US DIRECTLYAT 1-800-929-6061

e-mail: [email protected]

A Chicken in Every Pot & MOBILEHOME MAGAZINE in Every Mobilehome

“Chicken in Every Pot” is a quotation that is perhaps one of the most misassigned in American political history. Variously attributed to each of four presidents serving between 1920 and 1936, it is most often associated with Herbert Hoover. In fact, the phrase has its origins in seventeenth century France; Henry IV reputedly wished that each of his peasants would enjoy “a chicken in his pot every Sunday.” Although Hoover never uttered the phrase, the Repub-lican Party did use it in a 1928 campaign advertise-ment touting a period of “Republican prosperity” that had provided a “chicken in every pot. And a car in every backyard, to boot.”

Mobilehome Magazine has become the “go to” means to get important information to mobile/manufactured home owners here in California. We “tell it like it is.” Starting with COMO-CAL’s VOICE, we have been touted as the best, most informative publication out there.

Now we have a way that every mobile/manufac-tured home owner in California can receive Mobile-home Magazine. Purchase multiple copies for as little as 25 cents a copy (plus postage) direct to your door! Sounds good you say.

How can you make it happen? The answer is simple. Pre-order a box of magazines.

NUMBER OF TOTAL COST COST/MAGAZINE

MAGAZINES W/POSTAGE W POSTAGE

15 $10.00 $0.67

30 $15.00 $0.50

45 $20.00 $0.47

60 $25.00 $0.42

75 $30.00 $0.41

100 $40.00 $0.39

135 $50.00 $0.37

200 $70.00 $0.35

250 $85.00 $0.34

If you have a recreational committee or HOA in your park, so much the better. Your group can even use MHMag as a fundraiser - purchase “wholesale” and sell “retail.” Even if you subscribe, the magazine is only $1.00 (starting October 1, 2012 it will increase to $1.50 as subscriptions will go to $9.00).

Add a FAQ Handbook (below) to your box. It is a “must have” for all mobilehome owners. Just $4.30 (no postage w/box of magazines) for each Handbook.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Page 23: Mobilehome Magazine July/August 2012

July/August 2012 Vol. 2 • Issue 4

Mobilehome Magazine (www.mobilehomemagazine.org / (818) 886-6479 / [email protected]) Page 23

This is the 6th issue of MHMag. To date over 35,000 copies have been printed and distributed to mobile/manufactured home owners, primarily in and around Los Angeles.

AdvoCACY iS oUr GoAL

As it was with COMO-CAL, the goal of MHMag is to provide information to assist you in protecting your rights and investment. Our goal is to network and demonstrate we can do this together. We are a team - this is really your magazine to use.

ShAre the BUrdeN / everYoNe BeNeFitS

Our goal is not to make money. Our goal is not to burden you either, that’s why the subscription cost is only $1.00 per issue. If we can keep MHMag alive by sharing the burden, there will be long range benefits. Not only will you, your neighbor, your friends, and your community benefit, but other communities across California will benefit. You are the “test area.”

everYoNe LikeS moBiLehome mAGAZiNe

Both residents (83% give it a “terrific” rating) and advertisers like MHMag. It is unique - there is no other publication like it any where in the U.S.

WhAt CAN YoU do 1. Subscribe. For the cost of a burger, you

receive MHMag for a full year (6 issues).

2. Our advertisers help make MHMag available to you at a low cost. Please use them. Please call them and say you saw their ad. If they get no response, they will not continue to advertise. It is that simple.

3. Buy a FAQ Handbook - only $6. A Necessity.

4. If you believe in MHMag, please donate.

ShAre the BUrdeN/ everYoNe BeNeFitS

DO IT NOW & PAT YOURSELF ON THE BACK

ALL MOBILEHOME OWNERS THANK YOU!

MOBILEHOME MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION APPLICATION (Print Please)

NAME: __________________________________________ DATE: _______________________________

PARK NAME:_____________________________DOES PARK HAVE SPACE #’S: YES NO

MAILING ADDRESS: _______________________________________________ SPACE #: ____________

CITY: _____________________________________________STATE: CA. ZIP:_____________________

ADDRESS: _____________________________________________________________________________

APPLICANTS PHONE NUMBER:(__________) - ________ - ________________________________

SIGNATURE OF APPLICANT:_______________________ E-MAIL:_______________________________

One Year Subscription (6 ISSUES): $6.00 ($9.00 after October 1, 2012) Wholesale ($.25/per copy + Postage - see chart p 22) Amount $________ FAQ Handbook: $6.00 Donation Amount: $_________

INCLUDE CHECK OR MONEY ORDER PAYABLE TO “Mobilehome Magazine” MAIL TO: Mobilehome Magazine, P.O. BOX 3774, CHATSWORTH, CA. 91313-3774

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING MOBILEHOME MAGAZINE

Keep It Alive! Subscribe to Mobilehome Magazine

Page 24: Mobilehome Magazine July/August 2012

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