Mobile Home Tenants Sue Over Rent Hikes

Mobile home residents have filed a lawsuit against the city of Oxnard and the Oxnard Mobile Home Park Rent Review Board in the latest round of a two-year battle against rent increases.

Plaintiffs Jess and Sharon Reed filed their lawsuit Monday, asking that a judge overturn a city-appointed arbitrator’s decision to allow park owners to increase their rents to market value.

Ocean-Aire is one of 21 mobile home parks in Oxnard. Many of the residents are elderly and live on limited incomes.

For several years, the tenants have battled the park owner and the city to keep rents affordable, tenants say.

In May 1994, park owner Leonard Butler filed an application with the rent board to increase the rents to market value. That request was later denied by the rent board, according to the lawsuit.

The park owner appealed that decision and the city selected an arbitrator to look into the matter. The arbitrator, John LemMon, overruled the rent board’s decision, the suit states.

The suit alleges that LemMon is not qualified to be a hearing officer and that the mobile home tenants were not given a chance to rebut his finding.

City Atty. Gary Gillig was not available for comment Wednesday.

Tenants say they hope the suit goes to trial, and they expect the rent review board to discuss the suit at its Dec. 11 meeting.

“It’s important to show that the city, instead of protecting the people that live in the mobile home park, is protecting the park owners. We didn’t want an arbitrator. What is an arbitrator going to do for me?” said resident Oscar Karrin.