Watsonville Municipal Code Art. 8 Excessive Rents and Payments

It shall be unlawful for a park owner to demand, accept, receive, or retain any rent in excess of the amounts authorized by this chapter.

(§ 1, Ord. 1291-12 (CM), eff. December 21, 2012)

(a) If any person is found to have demanded, accepted, received or retained any payment of rent in excess of the maximum rent allowed by this chapter, such person shall be liable to the mobile home owner or mobile home tenant from whom such payment was demanded, accepted, received, or retained for damages as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction.

(b) In the event a mobile home owner or mobile home tenant is the prevailing party in a civil action against a person found to have demanded, accepted, received or retained any payment of rent described in subsection (a) of this section, such mobile home owner or mobile home tenant, in addition to damages as determined by the court pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, may, in the discretion of the court, be awarded an amount not to exceed Five Hundred and no/100ths ($500.00) Dollars or three (3) times the damages determined by the court pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, whichever is greater, and they shall also be awarded their reasonable attorney’s fees and costs. For the purposes of this subsection, a mobile home owner or mobile home tenant shall be deemed to be a prevailing party if the judgment is rendered in such mobile home owner’s or mobile home tenant’s favor or if the litigation is dismissed in such mobile home owner’s or mobile home tenant’s favor prior to final judgment, unless the parties otherwise agree in the settlement or compromise.

(§ 1, Ord. 1291-12 (CM), eff. December 21, 2012)