City Panel to Study Mobile Park Dispute

STANTON — The City Council appointed an ad hoc advisory committee to research a lengthy dispute between tenants and owners of the Katella Mobile Home Estates.

“I think it is time we got involved,” said Councilman Sal Sapien, explaining that the tenants and owners of the park have been unable to reach a resolution in the more than two years since they first came before the council.

Most recently, residents of the city’s largest mobile-home park protested a proposed rent increase. The owner, Marsha Carter, wants to raise rents by 4%, although she originally had proposed a 6% increase. Residents contend the hike is still too high.

Sapien suggested the council establish a seven-member committee to try to find a solution.

The committee will consist of the mayor, the director of community services, two tenant representatives, two representatives of the park owners and a member of the local business community.

Vickie M. Talley, executive director of the Manufactured Housing Educational Trust in Orange, a group representing mobile-home park owners, said the landlords supported Sapien’s proposal to bring together the various interests to try to make peace in the park.

“We think the ad hoc nature of the committee is a good idea,” she said. “We don’t support a permanent committee reporting to the council.”

Talley added that the owners favored the latest proposal because its mission is to study problems that have arisen between tenants and the landlord only at the Katella Mobile Home Estates.

“There have been no complaints from the residents at other parks in Stanton,” Talley said.