Provided by Deane Sargent | Source
PMC Financial Services | October 10, 2018
Attorney Bruce Stanton represented the resident group at Royal Palm Mobilehome Park, Woodland, CA, before the Woodland Manufactured Home Fair Practices Commission in July. Mr. Stanton asked Deane Sargent, PMC Financial Services, to provide expert testimony about several issues in the Rent Adjustment Hearing requested by the park owner, Royal Palm I and Mr. Philip Hoon.
The owner request an increase in monthly site rents of 16.07%. The owner felt that their expenses were was so high that they were not receiving a ‘fair return’ on the investment in the park.
The Commission reduced the claimed expenses, including management expenses, park owner labor, taxes, fees and permits, administrative expenses and professional services. This reduced the allowed rent increase to 2.21%, lower by 13.72% from the original owner request. The commission allowed certain temporary pass through amounts for a limited period of time. The pass throughs are not part of the resident base rent.
Sargent’s comments were primarily directed toward the unreasonable park operating expense amounts and other owned claimed expenses.
Stanton stated that the Commission’s Decision represents a victory for the residents, as they were able to defeat 86% of the requested rent increase.
