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GSMOL LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

 

By Maurice A. Priest, Legislative Advocate

 

April 16, 2008

 

2008 GSMOL  SPONSORED/SUPPORTED  BILLS

 

 

SENATE BILLS

 

  1. SB 127 (Kuehl) – Support.  Upon sale of a mobile/manufactured home, the transfer or resale disclosure requirements be made available within 10 days of a signed contract to purchase, rather than by close of escrow.  Sponsor: Sen. Kuehl.  GSMOL:  Support; Pending on Assembly Floor. Urge your Assemblymember to Support.
    • Allows buyer advance notice of disclosure issues
    • Provides more consumer protection
    • Benefits buyer and seller

 

  1. SB 900 (Corbett) - Support. Would impose restrictions on the condo-conversion of mobile home parks and improve rent protections for moderate income households.  With the veto of AB 1542 (Evans), SB 900 is now the legislation to address this important statewide problem.   Sponsor: GSMOL.  Will be heard in late April or early May 2008 in Assembly Housing Committee.  Urge your Assemblymember to Support.

 

  1. SB 1107 (CORREA)—Support.  Would give disabled and handicapped    

homeowners the right to make modifications to their mobilehomes to

accommodate their disabilities without interference from park management.

Homeowners would still have to obtain legally required permits, but park owners

could not prohibit construction of ramps, for example. Bill has been further amended to state that the right to have a medical caregiver extends to homeowners of any age.

Passed Senate Floor on April 1st by vote of 36 to 0.  Advances to Assembly.  Urge your own Assemblymember to support SB 1107 by Senator Correa.

 

  1. SB 1122 (Correa)---Support---This bill would require HCD to notify a homeowner of the home, by telephone or in person, that there home is in violation of code and that a citation is being issued.  Purpose of the bill is to give notice to homeowners so that they can ask questions of the enforcement agency and understand why there home is being cited. Passed Senate Transportation & Housing Committee on April 1st. Placed on Suspense in Senate Appropriations Committee, to be acted on later with all other fiscal bills. Urge your Senator to support.

 

  1. SB 1226 (Alquist)---Support---This bill would amend the CalHome Loan program to allow park owners who co-apply  with a local government, homeowners, and nonprofits, to obtain loans for infrastructure repair and replacement in parks, only upon proof that low income residents will benefit from loan, and requiring that a percentage of the park be limited to low income homeowners in the future.  The bill passed Senate Transportation & Housing on April 15th, and now advances to Senate Appropriations.  Urge your Senator to support.

 

  1. SB 1234** (Correa) ---Support--- Provides management shall give homeowners a 7-day notice before entering a homeowner’s space for purposes other than an emergency, reading utility meters or when the space is otherwise abandoned. Sponsor:  Author.   Introduced in the Senate, February 14, 2008, pending committee assignment.  Passed Senate Judiciary on March 25th by vote of 3 to 2. Pending on Senate Floor.  Urge your Senator and Assemblymember to support.

 

  1. SB 1452 (Correa)—Support—Bill will increase the authority of HCD to impose mid-range penalties against mobilehome dealers and salesperson who violate the law.  Right now HCD has authority to impose fines of only $100 to $250 or to terminate their license.  This will would allow HCD to impose mid-range fines of $250 to $2,000.  Passed Senate Judiciary Committee on April 15th, and now advances to Senate Appropriations.  Urge your Senator to support.

 

 

 

 

Assembly Bills

 

  1. AB 1111 (DeSaulnier)  Support – As amended, would give local governments the right to protect existing 55 and over age parks.  Bill gives state authorization to cities and counties to adopt ordinances prohibiting park owners from changing 55 and over parks to all age parks.  PASSED ASSEMBLY HOUSING AND ASSEMBLY FLOOR AND NOW ADVANCES TO SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE.  URGE YOUR SENATOR TO SUPPORT.

 

  1. AB 2050 by Bonnie Garcia—Support—in Assembly.  As amended on April 7, 2008, the bill passed Assembly Housing on April 16th, and now advances to Assembly Appropriations.  The bill provides that all water heaters installed in mobilehomes but be strapped and secured so they will not fall in the event of an earthquake, and it also requires verification that smoke alarms have been installed when a mobilehome is resold.  Assemblymember Garcia has promised to introduce a separate bill that will be amended to enable mobilehome owners to purchase less expensive replacement water heaters instead of specially manufactured water heaters that cost far more.  Urge your Assemblymember and Senator to support.

 

  1.  AB 2857 by Sally Lieber—Support—in Assembly.  As amended March 25, 2008, this bill is sponsored and supported by GSMOL, with new language to address a loophole in the law regarding the CARE Utility Discount Program.  GSMOL has learned that if in a 100 space mobilehome park, that 90 of the spaces are on master-meter/submeter utility systems, and the 10 remaining spaces are on direct bill meters with the utility, that none of the residents will be considered for the CARE utility discounts, because the “entire” park is not on master-meter/submeters.  This current position by the Public Utilities Commission is unfair to low income homeowners in a park that would otherwise quality for a discount on their utilities, but cannot participate because some number of other spaces in the park are not submetered.  AB 2857 will correct and close this loophole.  Bill passed Assembly Utilities Committee on April 14th, and now advances to Assembly Appropriations.   Urge your Assemblymember to support AB 2857.

 

 

For the latest information on the status of pending mobilehome legislation, after normal business hours and on weekends, call the GSMOL Legislative Hotline, at toll free 1-800-888-1727.

















 

©2007 GSMOL