Odds Favor Mobile Home Rent Control : Regulation: Majority of City Council expresses support for law drafted by mobil-home residents.

Complaining of uncontrollable rent increases, the city’s mobile-home owners have drafted a strong rent control ordinance that appears likely to be adopted.

The City Council, which earlier this month gave tentative approval to the plan, will vote Monday on whether to make it law. Four of the five council members have already expressed their support.

The proposed ordinance would roll back rents to their December, 1990, levels in the city’s six mobile-home parks. It would also create a seven-member Mobilehome Park Rental Review Board. All requests for rent increases (or decreases) would have to be approved by the board.

The measure was written by a nine-member group of disgruntled mobile-home owners calling themselves Citizens Helping Azusa’s Mobilehome Parks, or CHAMP. The group was started two years ago by 61-year-old Camile DeMascio, a longtime resident of Arrow Pines Mobile Estates.

Although they own their homes, people who live in mobile homes must pay rent ranging from $250 to $450 per month for a lot on which to park.

During the last several years, mobile-home owners--many of them senior citizens on fixed incomes--have complained of annual rent increases of 20% to 30% at the city’s six mobile-home parks, CHAMP organizers said.

“The time came to take a stand and we took one,” said Barbara Knaus, one of the key authors of the plan. “You could call it our own Declaration of Independence. We’re getting back to the roots of democracy here.”

The proposed ordinance would exempt long-term lease agreements. State regulations protect mobile-home park owners who offer such leases from all municipal rent stabilization measures.

Another provision in the proposed ordinance would prohibit park owners from raising the rent when a home is sold. However, that provision would remain inoperative pending the outcome of a challenge of so-called “vacancy control” laws now before the U.S. Supreme Court. If the court upholds vacancy control in a ruling expected next year, the council would have to vote on the provision again to bring it into effect.

Azusa’s proposed ordinance is similar to rent control measures in cities such as Carson and La Verne. Both of those cities have been involved in litigation dealing with their laws.

Park owners in Azusa are lobbying strongly against the plan. Industry representatives say the park owners are ready to file suit if the ordinance is enacted.

“We are vehemently opposed to the rent control ordinance they are proposing,” said Vernon St. Clair, an Azusa park manager and president of the Western Mobilehome Assn. “I’m sure there will be a lawsuit shortly after any vote bringing this kind of rent control to the city.”

St. Clair said attorney Brent Swanson, who specializes in mobile-home park law, has been hired and is drafting a letter to the council, arguing that the ordinance could expose the city to liability. Swanson could not be reached for comment.

St. Clair denied accusations that a majority of the park owners have arbitrarily raised rents. He said they have tried to compromise with the tenants. “But all they care about is an extremely strict brand of rent control,” he said.

Mayor Eugene F. Moses said he supports the ordinance “because of the hardships a lot of these seniors have been having. Most of them had financial hardships to begin with, and they just can’t afford annual increases of $40 or $50 a month.”

However, Moses said he may want to consider possible amendments before voting for it. He would not elaborate on the amendments he has in mind.

Councilman John R. Dangleis is the only council member who has expressed opposition to the plan. He said he will vote against it Monday. Councilmen Steven J. Alexander and Anthony Naranjo said they will vote yes.