Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma

Eviction possible for seniors in mobile homes

Seniors purchase mobile homes for affordability and convenience. Purchases are like buying a used car. The transaction is often made by cash and the registration is transferred into the new owner’s name. With rising costs and space rent, life is a very real challenge.

Now the seniors in my mobile home park are being harassed by a “State Inspection” of our mobile homes. While I previously managed a mobile home park, we had three state inspections in a 10 year period conducted by a state inspector affiliated with the State Dept. of HUD in Riverside. Most pre-existing changes, made by licensed reputable businesses, were grandfathered into current law.

This inspection was made by an Environmental Health Specialist for the County of San Diego’s Dept. of Environmental Health Land and Water Quality Division, who is requiring us to pay that office penalties and permit fees for citations on items that, in many cases, were added 10 to 30 years before current owners bought their mobile home.

These citations amount to about $20,000, from one group of senior citizens already struggling to survive. We have until the first week in January to comply or, we are told, we will be subject to eviction and lose our homes. New laws render them too old to be moved elsewhere.

This “inspection” reeks, and I think I might wait for my day in court because I believe it needs some public attention and that might do it. I hope other seniors will join me.

Bonnie Wright

 

Reader Comments(0)