Penny Russell & Nancy Anderson

When you signed your rental agreement you were given a document that contained the Rules and Regulations for your park.  Keep it handy, especially if you are planning a change to your yard, carport, putting up a fence, exterior painting, etc. Rules for those changes are in the R&Rs. If you can’t find your copy, management might provide you with a copy.  If you put up a fence that is too high without approval of management – you may have to remove it.

So save yourself time, money and aggravation by examining the R&Rs to know what is allowed. When it comes time to sell, any changes done without management approval, could cause a delay in escrow or other serious issues.

In 2023, HCD implemented a second inspection in Oceanside that inspects the exterior of the house and yard of every homeowner in that park.  It is in addition to the annual park inspection for the common area. HCD requires the city to give the homeowners a 30 day notice of the inspection dates and should provide copy of the inspection booklet.  If a violation is found, the homeowner is given time to repair it or be fined for that violation.

Every year some of the local organizations (HOAs, OMHA and MAC) and some citizens, request the Manufactured Home Registration report, the summary of that report, and other public information records from the city. 

The reports are difficult to request because of the similar names.  16B has a Permissive Annual increase for the CPI.  The actual name, per 16B, of the report I requested is Annual Adjustment.
The names in 16B cannot be changed, but the names on the forms can be.  That would clarify the requests for records. On 12/26/2023 I requested the Registration Summary Report #23-1249 for fiscal year 2022/23. I was to received it in 10 days. 

 The full Registration (Annual Adjustment) reports on each space in a manufactured home park, the homeowners name and unit #, the amount of the rent increase, and the type of unit: rented, leased, park owned, vacant. It’s many pages long. Last year, for the first time, the names of the homeowners were blacked out. I was told for privacy reasons.  Who decided this and why, when this has never been done before?  The park owner submits this report to the city each November. The owner pays a fee on the spaces under rent control and passes 1/2 of that fee onto the homeowners. These fees are deposited into the Rent Control Fund to defray the costs associated the administration of 16B.  The Summary is a chart listing all the parks in Oceanside, the total number of spaces in each type, but not the homeowner name, or the amount of the rent increase. It’s only one page. Both reports have always been public information. 

For years the space information submitted from some park owners did not added up.  The different types of rental spaces did not equal the total number of spaces in the park. Why didn’t the city check these reports (simple addition) and question the owner about the discrepancies?  Why are these reports no longer public information?  The homeowners pay 1/2 of the Registration fee and have every right to full disclosure.
I made several attempts to get the summary report and was told repeatedly that no dept. (Records, Housing, Code Enforcement) had it. On 1/7/2024 I sent a copy of last years report to Terry Winters (Housing) and Zulma Gemus (Records) to show them what it looked like.  In return I received the same report I sent them, and the request was closed.  On 1/8/2024 I emailed housing and code enforcement (Kirk Mundt) asking, “Why did I not get the 2022/23 report, is it not yet completed?”
On January 10 , Jackie Bickford, inspector in Code Enforcement, called me in response to my email to Kirk Mundt.  She said that the Registration Summary report for the fiscal year 2022/23 and future reports will no longer be made available to the public – per Housing. 

In summary: There have been years of errors in the spaces reported by some park owners, errors in addition – that staff did not question, and now canceling of public records with no disclosure or transparency.  Is there a procedure to remove a document from Public Records?  I understand that only the city attorneys office can add or remove a report.  

Also, in Jan/2025 no long term (over 12 months) rentals will be allowed per the MRL 798.17(k).  All units will be under rent control. How is the city preparing for this?
The park owner of RSLR just notified the homeowners that their half of the annual registration fee will be $87.77 per unit. To be paid $7.31 monthly beginning in April’s rent bill. If this is a fiscal bill, shouldn’t the billing begin in July like the CPI increase which is also a fiscal year report?  

I appreciate your assistance in this matter, as the homeowners in Oceanside need these issues solved.

At the MHPHOA Website: Legal Help for Residents – Homeowners

was 10.1.2020 to 5.20.2022 (the same month/year the permit for the valve repairs was approved!). Therefore, in 2021 Saunders Properties had no right to collect a CPI increase, or rents, or to do business in Oceanside or California!!

This Commission’s Resolution 22-R0217 states: #7) charges must be in compliance with State Law. #4) No increase shall be effective until the Fire Marshal determines by certification of an independent third-party outside contractor that the isolation valves are operational, and gives a report to this commission. The 2021 Notice of Completion was given before the valves were fixed, and Luis Rey, LLC had no business entity! The 2022 Notice gave Luis Rey, LLC approval before the Fire Marshall’s report was given to this Commission.

This month the HOs were billed the 3.9% 2022 increase. Seems the city favors the PO, which is contrary to 16B and the purpose of this Commission.

Please, reimburse the RSLR homeowners for these errors, by deducting the 2021 CPI increase of 1.13% from the 2022 increase of 3.9%. Add the new 2022 increase of 2.77% to base rents ($476) in 2021.

This would simplify STAR’s accounting procedures and save Saunders the financial hardship of a one-time refund to each homeowner.

Housing and Community Developement (HCD) is a state organization that inspects 5% of all the manufactured home parks in California every year. So a park may not be inspected again for a decade or more. Therefore, HCD may designate some cities to do the inspections. In 1997 Oceanside was designed to do that.

Oceanside’s Code Enforcement conducts the park inspections every year during the months of February and March per HCD guidelines. These inspections have been done on the common areas – the Park Owners responsibility. In 2022 – 7 of the 17 parks did not pass inspection. Showing that park owners are not maintaining their properties.

At the July 2022 Fair Housing Commission meeting, Oceanside city staff was directed to investigate those seven parks to see if the violations had been remedied. Those parks are:

El Camino 76, Las Salina, Mission View West, Pacific Trailer Park,

Rancho Calevero, Royal Palms, Terrace Gardens

Some parks may have already done the repairs, so find out if your park has passed. If not the CPI increase should not be billed to you until all items have been remedied. The 2022 CPI Rent Increases was 3.9%. The chart below shows the amounts of new rents for all the manufactured home parks in Oceanside.

Please be an advocate in protecting your rights.

Oceanside Parks Rent, 2022 (pdf)

Please take a moment to view the following Ted Talk video. This is why we are working to make sure our way of life is safe and secure. Affordable Housing

On April 7, 2022 RSLR was successful in getting the Fair Practices Commission to revoke the rent increase for 2022. It was because the conditions on the 2021 Inspection were still not fixed.

This is proof that you have to be proactive. Please pass info on to your Park’s members.

When I met with Olga Lugan in February she told me “Don’t wait for the inspection to complain. Do it now by calling the City’s Complaint Line -760.435.4500″ The operator will send your complaint to the City Clerk where it will be assigned a number and forward it to the proper Department. The City Clerk will email you with the number within 10 days.” You can track the case by the number.

If your issue is still not resolved, send an email/letter to the City Council, a copy to the City Attorney, and Code Enforcement. Speak at the City Council meetings. One is held every Wed. at City Hall.

16B governs the annual Health & Safety inspections of each Park in Oceanside. It states: “the rents should not be increased until all unsatisfactory conditions have been remedied.”

If your issue involves inspections add the Fair Practices commission. Chairman, George McNeil – george.mcneil@gmail.com.

16B, MRL and other vital information is listed on OHMA’s website.

You have the information… now it is up to you.

BE PROACTIVE!!!

I had been President of OMHA (Oceanside Manufactured Homeowners Alliance) for two months when I met a woman whose son lives in a Trailer Park in Oceanside. “His rent just went up – a lot in December. Is he on rent control?” she asked. I told her the Manufactured home rent increases were on July 1 of each year. Maybe her son was not on rent control? Was her son the owner of his home?

I needed clarification on this issue. So I asked Leilani Hines, Department head for Oceanside Housing and Neighborhood Services. Here’s a summary of her response. It doesn’t matter if the home is a trailer, an RV or a manufactured home. It is the relationship between the Park Owner and the Homeowner that determines who is covered by Rent Control. If the Homeowner is renting the ground beneath the home and owns his home… he qualifies for Rent Control. If the person is renting both the home and the ground they are NOT covered by Rent Control.

Therefore, it is the individual homeowner in any Park that is covered.

I’ve learned that there are some homeowners who live in Trailer Parks who are unaware of Rent Control. They were told they had to sign a lease. (NEVER to do that) Some have taken over the remainder of a 30 year lease from the Sellers!!

BEWARE! Inform your friends. Stay tuned…. I’m still investigating this issue.

Important – please read: 2022 – Voter Redistricting Oceanside

It’s a new year with a new Board of Directors and a new vision for OMHA.

The past two years have been a challenge both personally and professionally. So many small business have closed. Most Organizations have not met face to face for two years. It’s difficult to have meetings, recruit new members and volunteers. OMHA has lost friends and members in this crisis. We are determined to continue to serve you – the Manufactured Homeowner.

In August we went paperless. Between COVID and no newsletter it’s been difficult to communicate. We are looking into new ways to communicate: Website, Zoom, email blasts for Park Reps, Next Door, etc. We are trying to keep in touch with you. As soon we can meet face to face we will visit your Park. Please keep in touch with us by going to our website at least once a month. Reminder: When you pay your rent – go to the OMHA website — you can help, spread the word.

Our future plans are to unite, educate and inform all the parks in Oceanside. To keep Homeowners abreast of the latest issues and how to solve them. To work with other organizations www.GSMOL.org that have the same goals.

Here is your new OMHA Board:

President – Diane Hanson, former Vice President & Rancho San Luis Rey Park Rep.;

Vice President – Penny Russell, Laguna Vista Park Rep. & Membership Chair person;

Secretary – Vikki Schaffner, Laguna Vista – Past Park Rep.;

Treasurer – Barry Horton, Treasurer;

Director at Large – Donna Cooper, Mission View West Park Rep., & Web Master.