Sacramento Convention Center
Sacramento, California
June 3, 2009
1:30 pm - 3:00pm

Presiding:
Carl San Miguel, Chair
Diane Conaway, Vice Chair
Cathryn Snow, Vice Chair
Terry Wunderlich, Liaison

C.A.R. Staff:
Dave Milton

I. Opening Comments

II. State Legislation

A. 2009 Bills of Interest

AB 481 (Ma) 2nd Home Exemption from Mobile Home Park (MHP) Rent Control -
Currently, if a mobile home space within a mobile home park is not the principal residence of the homeowner and the homeowner has not rented the mobile home to another party, the mobile home space is exempt from rent control. This bill, sponsored by the Western Manufactured Housing Communities Association (WMA) would expand this exemption from rent control to apply without regard to whether the homeowner has rented the mobile home to another party.
Position: Support    Status: Assembly Housing & Community Development Committee

AB 566 (Nava) Required Vote of Homeowners on MHP Conversions - Changes the economic factors to be considered for a proposed conversion of a rental mobile home park to resident ownership. Specifically, AB 566 requires a sub-divider for the proposed conversion of a rental mobile home park to obtain a survey demonstrating support of a majority of the residents of the mobile home park for the proposed conversion. This bill would require the results of the survey to be considered by the local agency reviewing the conversion application.
Position: Watch    Status:  Assembly Committee on Appropriations

AB 761 (Calderon, C.) MHP Vacancy De-Control - This bill is also sponsored by WMA and proposes to change current law to provide vacancy de-control-re-control for mobile home parks located in a jurisdiction with a MHP rent control ordinance. When a home is sold or a space vacated, the management of the park would be permitted to offer a new rental agreement containing an initial rent in excess of the maximum rent established by any existing local rent control ordinance. The rent would be permitted to increase incrementally over the next 5 years up to 100% of the last-charged rent. The bill provides that after an increase in initial rent the rent shall be governed by the local rent control measure.
Position: Support    Status: Assembly Floor

AB 869 (Mendoza) Certification of MHP Managers - Sponsored by the Golden State Mobile Home Owners League, this bill proposes to create the position of "Certified Mobile Home Park Manager". It defines "park manager" for the purpose of the Mobile Home Residency Law (MRL) and defines "certified mobile home park manager" as well. It also requires that the person seeking to be a certified mobile home park manager receive a certificate of completion from a course offered by a manufactured housing trade organization or an accredited postsecondary educational institution. Additionally, a park manager would be required to enroll in such a course if the manager's mobile home park or manufactured housing community has been issued a notice on or after January 1, 2010 regarding a violation of the Mobile Home Parks Act and that violation was not corrected within 60 days of receipt of the notice. The bill further requires homeowners or prospective homeowners in mobile home parks to receive a written notice as to whether the park is managed by a certified manager.
Position: Favor    Status: Assembly Housing & Community Development Committee (Failed passage; reconsideration granted; it is now a 2-year bill.)

AB 1108 (Fuentes) Turnover of MHP Master-Metered Utilities to Utilities Corporations - The Author introduced this bill in an effort to ensure sub-metered mobile home park residents are provided safe, reliable electric service at rates which are no higher than those applied to non-mobile home park customers being served directly by the local utility corporation. It proposes to grant the PUC authority to order a master-meter customer to maintain or repair facilities found to be in disrepair; authorize the PUC to order that the rate differential be held in trust when a finding of disrepair is made; require a master-meter customer to separately bill each user for gas or electric service and rent; and prohibit a master-meter customer from charging a user of electricity or gas any late charge for gas or electric service as a result of nonpayment or delayed payment of rent. AB 1108 also establishes a process by which the owner of a master-metered mobile home park that provides gas or electric service to residents is required to transfer ownership and operational responsibility for the gas or electric system to the local gas or electric electrical corporation on a time-table mutually agreed upon by the park/community owner and the utility corporation..
Position: Watch    Status: Assembly Appropriations Committee Suspense File

AB 1474 (Cook) Taxes and the Sale of New Manufactured Homes - The author believes the manufacture and purchase of a manufactured home is a unique process, which often incorporates product-specific financing and customization at the factory. Occasionally, delays in manufacturing, financing, and installation are created by this process. Due to the recent state sales tax increase, for the handful of purchases in California, delays resulted in a price increase before installation of the home. Many purchasers of manufactured homes live on limited incomes and this price increase might mean that they can no longer afford manufactured home ownership. This bill will provide relief to these purchasers by exempting them from the sales tax increase if they were under contract to purchase a manufactured home prior to imposition of the sales tax increase.
Position: Favor    Status: Assembly Revenue & Taxation Committee Suspense File
 
SB 23 (Padilla) Required Emergency Preparedness Plans for MHPs - Sponsored by the California Fire Chiefs Association, this bill is a response to the destruction of several mobile home parks by fire last year in Southern California. It requires an owner or operator of a mobile home park, manufactured housing community, or a recreational vehicle park to adopt and post an emergency preparedness plan by September 1, 2010. The bill also allows a park owner or operator to adapt an existing plan to meet this requirement. In each park, management shall post the plan in the park clubhouse or a conspicuous area within the park and provide each resident with instructions on how to access and review the plan.
Position: Favor    Status: Senate Appropriations Committee

SB 111 (Correa) Recodification of Mobile Home Residency Law - Sponsored by the Senate Select Committee on Manufactured Homes and Communities, this bill reorganizes the Mobile Home Residency Law (MRL) by renumbering various provisions; adding a new code section consolidating three sections that relate to the enforcement of park rules and regulations; making general technical changes; and grouping by subject matter sections that cover related areas of the MRL.
Position: Support if Amended    Status: In Assembly

SB 224 (Correa) Retrofit of Mobile Homes with Ignition-Resistant Exterior Components -
Senator Correa chairs the Senate Select Committee on Manufactured Housing Communities. His committee has found that while the CalHome program administered by HCD provides rehabilitation assistance to preserve and expand affordable housing, including assistance for those living in manufactured home communities or mobile homes parks, some agencies that administer CalHome-funded grants and loans do not consider mobile homes eligible. This bill expressly clarifies that CalHome funds may be used for the rehabilitation of mobile homes to meet new state building code requirements for installing fire resistant exteriors.
Position: Favor    Status: In Assembly

SB 804 (Leno) Restrictions on MHP Management Regarding Sales of Homes in a Park -
The Author intends this bill to prevent management from requiring a homeowner who is replacing a mobile home or manufactured home on a space in the park to use a specific broker, dealer, or other person as an agent in the purchase of or installation of the replacement home. The Author does not believe current law protects park residents' right to choose any broker, dealer or agent to assist them in their purchase of a home. This bill would clearly codify that right in statute.
Position: Favor    Status: Senate Floor

B. Other Legislative Issues

III. Other business - Current MH Financing Challenges - a committee discussion (Carl)

IV. Adjournment