I would like suggestions on directories or similar mobile home parks
that may have successfully kept rent control, this may advise what
they had to do to keep rent control. Any help is appreciated. I have
contacted City Council member individually and as a whole. I have
written to Sam Farr, Bruce McPherson, is there another souce that I
can go to. Is this matter that we could consider for injunction.
Tuesday 9-16-03, our mobilehome park can go to the council meeting and
on 9-23-03 City Council will do a vote. Help.
MHC has a lawsuit with City of Santa Cruz. City of Santa Cruz has
decided that the citizens in a Senior Mobile Home will cost them 1 1/2
Million Dollars to continue their battle for Rent Control.
City of Santa Cruz is in the process of accepting a cease on the
lawsuit by accepting a trade off.
They have offered a 34-year lease at increase rents of $1,750 to
$5,000. By accepting this lease it nullifies the current rent
control. They have advised if we do not sign they will increase the
rent and it will a month to month lease and it will be at their
discretion to charge the current going rent.
By increasing the rent, houses to this higher rent eliminates
potential to sell properties. We have lost the one the key
ingredient, the ability to apply for rent control. Without the rent
control the properties will be values have dropped, the average value
of homes is $150,000 to $500,000. If a person opted to be on rent
control, the values the homes are for sale is limited to the actual
price of the home plus improvements.
When I purchased and signed up for rent control I did it with the
intention to live here till I died. My husband is 73 years and I am
61 years, Bruce is retired and I still work. I really had in my mind
that I wanted to opt for early retire at age 62. I will not be able
to pay the rent that MHC wants.
Apartments in the area do rent for $1,500 and up. They have bare land
here as my husband and I own our home, not MHC and they want to charge
my husband and I more rent than if we rent a 1 bedroom apartment. We
presently have a 2 Bedroom 8-year-old mobile home. Why do they feel
that should charge us for our house that we own, when we only rent the
space?
I am 61 years old and I hope to be around to 95 years, but I will be
not having affordable rent with MHC. It has essentially put me in a
homeless position and it will be at the worse time in my life to be
old with no affordable place to live. MHC will at the end of 34 years
be able to charge what ever they feel is the current go rate for rent.
So at 95 I will be homeless and a social problem due to age and
health. I pray that I have good health, but being homeless at 95 is
unbearable.
Every person has senior citizens that are either their parents or
grand parents. Society has changed so that people are working longer,
I did plan on working past 62, but it was my option and now I will
have no choice.
I beg you to think of your parents and what it would do to them if
they were in this situation.
The dropping of the Rent Control not impacts me personally, but it
affects the out come of other Rent Controlled Parks around the USA.
We are 200 apartment of which 180 are on Rent Control, but we
represent all the other parks as it says Park Owner, look what I can
do to you the little homeowner.
This would be a wonderful world if I could wake up and think I have
the option for retire at 62 again and maybe plan a 30-day trip
anywhere my heart desires. My dream has been taken away.
When you read this email, I expect that the decision have been made by
City of Santa Cruz to accept their deal and walk away from costing
them 1 ½ million dollars. They will not be troubled; they will pat
themselves on the back and think they did a good thing. I just hope
and pray that you read and act immediate to help a lot of grand
parents not only here in Santa Cruz, but all the other parks that may
be going through what we are experiencing.
San Jose Mercury News article dated 9-8-03, front page: Santa Cruz to
phase out protections in rent control. |
