Watsonville Municipal Code Art. 1 Application

The City finds that:

(a) There is presently, within the City, and surrounding areas, a shortage of spaces for the location of Mobile homes in a Mobile home park, resulting in a low vacancy rate and rapidly rising space rents.

(b) Mobile home owners have invested substantial sums in their Mobile homes and appurtenances.

(c) Alternative sites for the relocation of Mobile homes are difficult to find, and the movement and installation of Mobile homes is expensive, with possibilities of damage to the units.

(d) When all rental spaces in a Mobile home park are occupied, the impracticality of moving Mobile homes eliminates open market space rental competition and provides the Park Owner with monopolistic control over space rents.

(e) It is necessary and reasonable to regulate rents so as to maintain a supply of moderately priced un-subsidized housing for the citizens of the City of Watsonville and to safeguard Homeowner from excessive rent increases, while at the same time provide Mobile home Park Owners with just and reasonable returns for their rental units spaces.

(f) It is in the best interest of the citizens of the city of Watsonville to have a ready supply of moderately priced homes to purchase; and, the opportunity to purchase or sell a Mobile home be made available to as many individuals, within the community, as possible.

(§ 1, Ord. 1018-96 C-M, eff. November 15, 1996)

This chapter shall not apply to Mobile home parks in which there are no space rents (i.e., spaces are owned by the Mobile home owners); or to parks with ten (10) or fewer spaces for rent. In all other Mobile home parks the Park Owner and agents are prohibited from collecting, or attempting to collect, rents in excess of amounts prescribed by this Chapter.

(§ 1, Ord. 1018-96 C-M, eff. November 15, 1996)

At least three business days before executing an agreement to rent or lease to a new Home owner, the Park Owner shall supply the new or prospective Home owner with a copy of the Ordinance codified in this chapter.

(§ 1, Ord. 1018-96 C-M, eff. November 15, 1996)

The purchaser of an existing Mobile home, located in an existing Mobile home park, shall have the rights as the seller of the Mobile home pursuant to a rental agreement. Management may not require directly or indirectly, that any Homeowner or prospective Homeowner to sign a lease or rental agreement that provides that it shall be exempt from local rent control or provides for space rent in excess of that permitted by local rent control as a condition of tenancy in their park. No Park Owner may deny a tenancy to a prospective purchaser of a Mobile home in the park on the grounds that the prospective purchaser will not sign a lease or a rental agreement.

A notice which conforms to the following language and is printed in bold letter of the same type size as the largest type size used in the rental agreement shall be presented to any Homeowner or prospective Homeowner at the time of presentation of a rental agreement creating a tenancy with a term greater than twelve (12) months.

Important notice to Homeowner regarding the proposed rental agreement for ________ Mobile home park. Please take notice that this rental agreement creates a tenancy with term in excess of twelve (12) months. By signing this rental agreement, you are exempting this Mobile home space from the provisions of the City of Watsonville rent control law. The City of Watsonville and the state Mobile home residency law (California Civil Code Section 798 et seq.) Give you certain rights. Before signing this agreement you may choose to see a lawyer.

Under the provisions of state law, you have the right to be offered a rental agreement for one (1) term of twelve (12) months, or (2) a lessor period as you may request, or (3) a longer period as you and the Mobile home park management agreement. You have the right to review this agreement for thirty (30) days before accepting it or rejecting it. If you sign the agreement you may cancel the agreement by notifying the park management in writing of the cancellation within seventy-two (72) hours of your execution of the agreement. It is unlawful for a Mobile home Park Owner or any agent or representative of the owner to discriminate against you because of the exercise of any rights you may UNDER THE CITY OF WATSONVILLE RENT CONTROL LAW, OR BECAUSE OF YOUR CHOICE TO ENTER INTO A RENTAL AGREEMENT WHICH IS SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THAT LAW.

The notice shall contain a place for the Homeowner to acknowledge receipt of the notice and shall also contain an acknowledgment signed by the park management that the notice has been given to the Homeowner according to this section. A copy of this notice executed by the park management shall be provided to the Homeowner.

Absent an agreement to the contrary, the maximum rental fee that may initially be charged to the purchaser of an existing Mobile home, in an existing Mobile home park, is a rental fee that does not exceed the rental fee in force and effect on the date that title of the Mobile home transfers from the seller to the purchaser.

(§ 1, Ord. 1018-96 C-M, eff. November 15, 1996)

The Homeowners shall have the rights to sell or rent their Mobile home alone or through a properly licensed sales agent. The Park Owner or Park Owner’s sales agent may not represent the sale or rental of a Homeowner’s Mobile home unless the following conditions are achieved to the satisfaction of the City Manager:

(a) The Homeowner requests the sale or rental management services from the Park Owner in writing after the Homeowner’s consultation with the Homeowner’s representative or any other consultant of the Homeowner’s choice.

(b) Park Owner supplies the Homeowner at least five (5) calendar days beforehand, a list of persons who have indicated a desire to provide sales or rental agreement services within the consistency. The list of persons who desire to provide sales or rental management services within the community shall be approved and made available upon request by the City Manager’s Office.

(§ 1, Ord. 1018-96 C-M, eff. November 15, 1996)