Carson OKs Rules Aiding Residents of Mobile Homes

Residents of mobile homes in Carson scored a victory Wednesday when the City Council approved a revised ordinance designed to protect them when a mobile home park closes.

Under the revision, residents who cannot find a new park to live in will receive relocation costs based on the on-site value of their mobile homes. Park owners say the requirement, which boosts the value of the homes by thousands of dollars, is unfair.

But mobile home residents say the on-site valuation is necessary to limit their financial losses.

New Regulations

The ordinance does not specify what percentage of the on-site valuation park owners must pay. Each owner is required to file a relocation impact report that includes a proposed compensation figure, which is then reviewed by the Planning Commission.

Under another revision approved Wednesday, the city may also require owners to give each resident a questionnaire to determine the financial impact of the park closure.

Michelle Brooks of the Western Mobile Home Assn., an organization representing park owners, says the on-site value clause is unfair.

“It is not that park owners are unwilling to pay relocation costs to residents. But this city makes it very difficult for (park owners) to realize the value of their property.”

Two mobile home parks in Carson--Citation Mobile Home Park and Avalon Carson Mobile Home Park--are being closed this year and the land converted to some other use. Together the parks contain about 200 mobile homes. The El Rancho Trailer Park also is expected to announce that it is closing this year, said Tim O’Rourke, the city’s assistant director of community development.

Rent Control

Brooks said one reason owners are closing their parks is because the city has had a mobile home rent control ordinance since 1979, which has made it impossible to get the full profit value of the land. She said the on-site valuation clause excessively penalizes owners who sell their property and convert it to other uses.

But residents say they could not recover from their financial loss if their relocation payment was not based on the on-site value of their homes.

Norm Wegner said his 1983 mobile home, which has two bedrooms and a bathroom, has been appraised at $31,000 at its current Citation park location.

“If I tried to sell that thing on a street corner, I’d be real lucky to get half of that,” he said. “And that won’t even pay my mortgage.”