Court to Rule on Adults-Only Mobile Homes

The California Supreme Court agreed Thursday to decide whether an Oceanside mobile home park could enforce an adults-only policy that prevents tenants from selling their mobile homes to families with children.

The decision came nearly two years after Chris and Theresa Dubreuil filed suit against the West Winds Mobile Lodge claiming that the state law allowing adults-only mobile home parks is unconstitutional.

The Dubreuils claimed that they lost an opportunity to sell their mobile home in 1982 when the park rejected the would-be buyers’ request to move in with their children.

The park welcomed families when the Dubreuils bought their mobile home in 1976. According to the suit, the park changed its policy just before the Dubreuils attempted to sell their mobile home.

The Dubreuils’ claim against the mobile home park is based on a 1982 state Supreme Court ruling that determined that California’s civil-rights law forbids “arbitrary” discrimination by businesses, including banning children from rental housing.

The Legislature last year modified the law to exempt housing designed for the elderly.

In April the state’s 4th District Court of Appeal upheld the West Winds adults-only policy.