GARDEN GROVE : City Asked to Limit Mobile Home Rents

The City Council chamber was packed Tuesday night with residents of Del Prado Mobile Home park who asked the city to declare a moratorium on rent increases in mobile home parks.

City officials said they could not impose a moratorium without holding a public hearing, which must be placed on an agenda, giving residents adequate notice before it occurs.

Del Prado residents say time is short, though. They face a rent increase of $75 a month in January, the second hike in 13 months. The two increases total $160 or 60%, said Dorothy Gourley, vice president of the Del Prado Mobile Home Park Homeowners Assn.

Gourley said residents are hostages in the park because they cannot afford to relocate and many own coaches that are too old to be accepted in other parks.

But Vickie Talley, executive director of Manufactured Housing Educational Trust, an association of park owners, said the rent in Del Prado has been below market level.

“In an effort to bring it up to market level, there have been some sizable increases,” Talley said. “But the rents in this park are reasonable and fair.”

Tenants who moved into the park within the last year are paying $475 a month, while others pay an average of $376 a month, Gourley said. She said the rent increase has lowered the value of mobile homes in the park and made them more difficult to sell, but Talley said 19 have sold in the past year.

City Atty. Stuart B. Scudder said the city can impose a maximum rent, based on the fair market value. But first the city must determine the market value and hold a public hearing, he said.

Mayor Walter E. Donovan and the other council members said they would like city staff members to work with the park owners and residents.

Chelu Travieso, a representative of the Del Prado management, said attempts at communication between management and residents have been unsuccessful.

Gourley said she was disappointed that the council was unable to take any immediate action.

“I know there’s a lot of legal aspects to this, though, and I’m just hoping something can be worked out by the end of the year,” she said.