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Wilsonville, OR…Appellate court reverses decision about city’s mobile home park ordinance

In 2005 the city of Wilsonville enacted a more stringent mobile home park closure ordinance then the rest of the state of Oregon. A park owner sued the city over the ordinance  and won, with the circuit court ruling that the ordinance is unconstitutional. Two days ago, the Oregon appellate court reversed that decision. Read article here. You may also  read the actual appeal opinion here.

Guggenheim v. City of Goleta case will be reviewed en banc by the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

The major anti rent control ruling of Guggenheim v. City of Goleta may be reversed. The three-judge panel opinion shall not be cited as precedent by or to any court of the Ninth Circuit.” En banc review means that a panel of 11 judges will now review and decide the case.

American Canyon (Napa CA) moves to block trailer park conversion

Another city tries to block the conversion of a trailer park with some BS self concocted protectionist ordinance. This time trying to prevent the conversion of a trailer park from a “senior 55+” facility to an all age park. It looks like the city was a day late and the park residents aren’t too pleased. Read article here

Pleasanton CA, mobile home park owner settle $29.1 million suit

After a six month legal battle, the park owner and City agree to settle. The City has approved the sale of a 208 space MHP to the park residents with certain concessions from the park owner. Read article here.

Looks like the residents of “Marina Park” will get to stay a little longer

The city of Newport Beach cannot afford to move forward with plans to tear down a  bay front Mobile Home Community it currently owns and build a city park. Read article here.

House Bill will exempt inexpensive manufactured homes from property taxes

Residents in Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas and Lane counties who own inexpensive manufactured homes may soon get a pass on property taxes. Read article here.

City of Palm Springs fails to stop Mobile Home Park subdivision

City of Palm Springs tried to deny the conversion of the Palm Springs View Estates Mobile Home Park to a subdivision with individual lots which could be sold to individual park residents. Palm Springs Investment Co. vs City of Palm Springs

Fight over mobile home park housing likely headed back to court

A park owner in Soquel, CA (Santa Cruz County) is trying to subdivide his mobile home park. Read article here

Grover Beach moves to regulate mobile-home park conversions

Like many areas in OR, WA and CA, Grover City Beach is making a mobile home park conversion more difficult.

“To obtain a conversion permit, a park owner would have to distribute a questionnaire to residents and hire a relocation specialist to help prepare a conversion impact report and help residents find alternate housing.

The park owner would have to hold an informational meeting for park residents, and the Planning Commission would subsequently hold a public hearing on the completed impact report.

If the report is approved by the commission, the owner could have to mitigate the impacts by paying for relocating residents’ mobile homes, paying residents for their coaches or paying the cost of tenancy in a comparable park or other housing or the purchase of a home.

Residents also would be given right of first refusal to move into any housing that replaces the mobile-home park.”

see this article

Ventura Mobile Home Park Being Sold to Residents

If you are a California rent control mobile home park owner….take notice!!!!!

I just read this morning that a well maintained, 40 year old, 125 space rent control park is being sold to the park residents. This sale reportedly could bring in up to $200k per space! The park residents will have the option to either buy their space or continue renting, BUT,  at increased rents (remember…this was a rent controlled park). The Ventura Planning Commission voted unanimously to allow this conversion earlier this month.

Lets run some numbers…The current space rent is reportedly $390 – $550 for a 125 space park. Lets, for the sake of analysis, say that all spaces are paying $550 and that expenses for the park are approx. 25%. This would give you an NOI for the park of approx. $618,750. Estimating a 6% CAP rate (generous for a rent control park), the value for the park in an ordinary sale might be approx. $10,312,500 or $82,500 per space (note: this is a guess,  I have not visited the property, nor have I seen the income or expense figures for the park) . If the park is sold at $200k per space, the sale price would be $25MM. You do the math!

The state of California will give up to $2MM per park selling to the residents (to help residents purchase their site) and this assistance is given on a first come first serve basis and guess what, there is only $8MM total available for all of California. Hurry, man, hurry!

Congratulations to the park owner and the attorneys that put this deal together.

Read the article here.

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