When you live in a mobile park, you may own your home outright – but the land around it is rented from a mobile park owner. Of course, that means that the park landlord technically has the right to stop operating their park, which could lead to a park closure.
Even if your park owner has decided to close the park down, however, you still have rights as a mobile home tenant here in California. Thanks to recent changes in the legislation, mobile home park owners have to conduct several steps and ensure that you are fully compensated before they are allowed to shut down the park. In some cases, you may be able to take legal action if you have not received proper notice, or if the park owner has been negligent in some other manner.
What Are My Rights as a Mobile Home Tenant?
California has more expansive legislation on mobile home tenant rights than any other state in the entire country, which means that your rights are clearly defined in this state. Under the Mobilehome Residency Law (MRL), mobile park owners and their tenants must resolve those disputes in a civil court of law, similar to traditional landlord-tenant laws.
Whether the park is being modified, sold, or closed down permanently, you have the right to notice of these actions well in advance. Specifically, a park closure requires that your landlord perform a “tenant impact report” to fully assess the consequences of closure. That means assessing the population demographics, taking the time to survey and interview residents, and then seek review from the appropriate city council or housing board.
Here are some other rights you have as a tenant:
- The right to relocation assistance
- The right to fair treatment
- The right to fair compensation if your home cannot be relocated
- The right to safe and habitable living conditions until the park is legally closed
- The right to challenge your relocation package or benefits
Representing Your Interests
At Allen, Semelsberger & Kaelin LLP, our mobile home park attorneys can help homeowners and tenants find the best path forward in the event of unexpected park closure. By standing up for your needs at homeowners association meetings and even to the landlords themselves, we can often help ensure that your landlord is compliant with state rules and regulations. If the relocation package does not accurately account for your needs, our seasoned litigators also handle those disputes and negotiate for a better deal.
Call 888.998.2031 today for a consultation with our San Diego legal team!