BREAKING NEWS
May 22, 2009
AB 761, a very dangerous bill that would allow huge rent increases when manufactured homes in rental communities are sold, passed out of the Assembly Housing Committee and could be taken to a vote of the entire Assembly at any time. Please contact your Assemblymember immediately and urge them to vote “NO” on AB 761. You can find the contact information of your Assemblymember by going to this website and entering your zip code: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html Call or fax them today! Here are some talking points to use when mentioning AB 761:
AB 761 is a dangerous bill that would remove the protections of rent control at the time of sale, and allow the park owner to increase the rent to the next purchaser. Increased rents result in decreases in the MH sales price. This will also lead to a domino effect that will impact homeowners in non-rent controlled areas, as well.
If callers are willing to say more than vote "no", here are some arguments you can make:
- AB 761 destroys the value of our homes. If the state changes the mobilehome rent control rules, it will destroy the life savings of more than 100,000 homeowners who were counting on the sale of their homes for future needs.
- AB 761 takes away local government control. More than 100
localities have adopted mobilehome rent control ordinances in
response to their local needs. There are many types of ordinances.
The state must be stopped from dictating one rule to all the local governments.
- AB 761 presumes that mobile homes are mobile. Wrong! Only 3% are
ever moved. Homeowners must sell their homes in place. If the parkowner can raise the rent significantly, it greatly reduces the selling price. Some owners have had to abandon their homes as a result of huge rent increases that drove away purchasers.
March 8, 2009
The 2009 legislative session has begun in earnest. Thousands of new bills were introduced last week, and more than a dozen are related to mobilehomes. The following are some of the most significant.
GSMOL is sponsoring AB 869 (Mendoza). AB 869 responds to a long-term and widespread problem that some mobilehome park managers are ignorant of the Mobilehome Residency Law (MRL) and create a hostile environment in parks. AB 869 would take the first step by establishing an incentive-based manager-training requirement for mobilehome park managers, modeled on a similar approach for condominium managers.
GSMOL is also working once again to address the growing conversion of parks to condominiums. AB 566 (Nava), sponsored by local governments, would give local governments, and mobilehome park residents, more tools to protect mobilehome parks and existing rent control protections. GSMOL will be working to ensure the bill addresses the needs of residents.
As expected, the park owners have re-introduced two bills successfully defeated by park residents last year. AB 761 (Calderon), would undermine local rent control protections by establishing vacancy decontrol in parks, allowing dramatic increases in space rent every time a mobilehome changes hands. AB 481 (Ma) would exclude second homes from local rent controls. GSMOL and its allies will oppose both bills; we'll need help from GSMOL members in urging their representatives to vote no on both measures.
In the coming weeks we'll have more information about how members can weigh in on this legislation. Check the GSMOL hotline at 1 800 888-1727 for updated information.
February 1, 2009
Upcoming Hearing of the State Senate Committee on Manufactured Homes and Communities:
"Mobilehome Park Wildfire Safety & Emergency Preparedness: Part 2" will be held on Friday, Feb. 6, 2009 at Los Angeles Mission College Auditorium, 13356 Eldridge Ave., Sylmar, CA, 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
More information on the hearing is available at the Committee website: http://www.senate.ca.gov/ftp/SEN/COMMITTEE/SELECT/MOBILEHOMES/_home/
Our next GSMOL state Board meeting will be held at Golf Greens Estates on Friday, March 13 starting at 10 AM and all "regular" members of GSMOL are invited to attend.
GSMOL
Board of Directors Meeting
Golf Green Estates
8665 Florin Road
Sacramento, CA 95828
March 13, 2009
10:00 AM
Golf Green Estates is located south of downtown Sacramento. Take the Florin Road exit off Hwy 99 and go East 3.4 miles. Golf Green Estates will be on your left. Our thanks to the residents of Golf Green Estates for hosting our meeting!
Our hearts go out to the residents of Oakridge Mobilehome Park in Sylmar, CA, where nearly 500 homes were lost in a recent firestorm in the Los Angeles area. Other communities also affected by wildfires this fall include Hollydale, Blue Star and Sky Terrace. GSMOL’s Disaster Relief Fund will be used to assist GSMOL members in these communities and we ask that if you know of a member who qualifies for assistance or of someone willing to contribute to the fund, please contact the GSMOL home office at:
GSMOL Disaster Relief Fund
c/o GSMOL
PO Box 876
Garden Grove, CA 92842
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