Currrent as of February 4, 2022

Senate Bill No. 951

CHAPTER 314

An act to amend Sections 18400.1, 18400.3, 18424, and 18502 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to mobilehomes.

[ Approved by Governor September 25, 2010. Filed with Secretary of State September 27, 2010. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 951, Correa. Mobilehome Parks Act.

(1) The Mobilehome Parks Act requires the Department of Housing and Community Development or a city, county, or city and county that assumes responsibility for the enforcement of the act to enter and inspect mobilehome parks with a goal of inspecting at least 5% of the parks each year to ensure enforcement of the act and implementing regulations. Existing law also requires an enforcement agency to issue notice to correct a violation, as specified. Existing law repeals these provisions on January 1, 2012.

This bill would extend the repeal of these provisions to January 1, 2019.

(2) Existing law requires the department to convene a task force of prescribed membership every 6 months to provide input to the department on the conduct and operation of the mobilehome park maintenance inspection program. Existing law also requires the department to submit a report to the task force semiannually that includes specified elements of the inspection program.

This bill would require that the department submit the report in writing and that the report include additional elements of information, as prescribed.

(3) The Mobilehome Parks Act imposes prescribed fees, including, among others, a fee of $4 per lot to be used exclusively for the inspection of mobilehome parks and mobilehomes to determine compliance with the Mobilehome Parks Act. Existing law repeals the $4 fee per lot on January 1, 2012.

This bill would extend the January 1, 2012, repeal date to January 1, 2019, thereby extending the imposition of the $4 fee per lot until that date.

Vote: majority Appropriation: no Fiscal Committee: yes Local Program: no

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1.

Section 18400.1 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:

18400.1.

(a) In accordance with subdivision (b), the enforcement agency shall enter and inspect mobilehome parks, as required under this part, with a goal of inspecting at least 5 percent of the parks per year, to ensure enforcement of this part and the regulations adopted pursuant to this part. The enforcement agency’s inspection shall include an inspection of the exterior portions of individual manufactured homes and mobilehomes in each park inspected. Any notices of violation of this part shall be issued pursuant to Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 18420).

(b) In developing its mobilehome park maintenance inspection program, the enforcement agency shall inspect the mobilehome parks that the enforcement agency determines have complaints that have been made to the enforcement agency regarding serious health and safety violations in the park. A single complaint of a serious health and safety violation shall not automatically trigger an inspection of the entire park unless upon investigation of that single complaint the enforcement agency determines that there is a violation and that an inspection of the entire park is necessary.

(c) This part does not allow the enforcement agency to issue a notice for a violation of existing laws or regulations that were not violations of the laws or regulations at the time the mobilehome park received its original permit to operate, or the standards governing any subsequent permit to construct, or at the time the manufactured home or mobilehome received its original installation permit, unless the enforcement agency determines that a condition of the park, manufactured home, or mobilehome endangers the life, limb, health, or safety of the public or occupants thereof.

(d) Not less than 30 days prior to the inspection of a mobilehome park under this section, the enforcement agency shall provide individual written notice of the inspection to the registered owners of the manufactured homes or mobilehomes, with a copy of the notice to the occupants thereof, if different than the registered owners, and to the owner or operator of the mobilehome park and the responsible person, as defined in Section 18603.

(e) At the sole discretion of the enforcement agency’s inspector, a representative of either the park operator or the mobilehome owners may accompany the inspector during the inspection if that request is made to the enforcement agency or the inspector requests a representative to accompany him or her. If either party requests permission to accompany the inspector or is requested by the inspector to accompany him or her, the other party shall also be given the opportunity, with reasonable notice, to accompany the inspector. Only one representative of the park owner and one representative of the mobilehome owners in the park may accompany the inspector at any one time during the inspection. If more than one representative of the mobilehome owners in the park requests permission to accompany the inspector, the enforcement agency may adopt procedures for choosing that representative.

(f) The enforcement agency shall coordinate a preinspection orientation for mobilehome owners and mobilehome park operators with the use of an audiovisual presentation furnished by the department to affected local enforcement agencies. Enforcement agencies shall furnish the audiovisual presentation to park operators and mobilehome owner representatives in each park subject to inspection not less than 30 days prior to the inspection. Additionally, it is the Legislature’s intent that the department shall, where practicable, conduct live presentations, forums, and outreach programs throughout the state to orient mobilehome owners and park operators on the mobilehome park maintenance inspection program and their rights and obligations under the program.

(g) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2019, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2019, deletes or extends that date.

SEC. 2.

Section 18400.3 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:

18400.3.

(a) The department shall convene a task force of representatives of mobilehome owners, mobilehome park operators, local enforcement agencies that conduct mobilehome park inspections, and the Legislature, every six months, to provide input to the department on the conduct and operation of the mobilehome park maintenance inspection program, including, but not limited to, frequency of inspection, program information, and recommendations for program changes. The department shall submit a written report to the task force semiannually that shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:

(1) The amount of fees collected and expended for the inspection program.

(2) The number of parks and spaces that were inspected.

(3) The number of violations issued to mobilehome owners.

(4) The number of violations issued to mobilehome park owners.

(5) The number of violations reported pursuant to paragraphs (3) and (4) that have been corrected, the number of violations that remain uncorrected at the end of the reporting period, and the progress in correcting the uncorrected violations.

(6) The most common park violations and the most common homeowner violations.

(7) Recommendations for statutory or administrative changes to the program.

(b) The Senate Committee on Rules and the Assembly Committee on Rules shall each designate a member of its respective house to be a member of the task force. Each legislative member of the task force may designate an alternate to represent him or her at task force meetings.

(c) With the input of the task force, the department may reorganize violations under this part and the regulations adopted pursuant to this part into the following two categories:

(1) Those constituting imminent hazards representing an immediate risk to life, health, and safety and requiring immediate correction.

(2) Those constituting unreasonable risk to life, health, or safety and requiring correction within 60 days.

(d) Any matter that would have constituted a violation prior to January 1, 2000, that is not categorized in accordance with subdivision (c) on or after January 1, 2000, shall be of a minor or technical nature and shall not be subject to citation or notation on the record of an inspection conducted on or after January 1, 2000.

SEC. 3.

Section 18424 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:

18424.

This chapter shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2019, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2019, deletes or extends that date.

SEC. 4.

Section 18502 of the Health and Safety Code, as added by Section 8 of Chapter 341 of the Statutes of 2009, is amended to read:

18502.

Fees as applicable shall be submitted for permits, as follows:

(a) Fees for a permit to conduct any construction subject to this part as determined by the schedule of fees adopted by the department.

(b) Plan checking fees equal to one-half of the construction, plumbing, mechanical, and electrical permit fees, except that the minimum fee shall be ten dollars ($10).

(2) An additional annual fee of four dollars ($4) per lot shall be paid to the department or the local enforcement agency, as appropriate, at the time of payment of the annual operating fee. All revenues derived from this fee shall be used exclusively for the inspection of mobilehome parks and mobilehomes to determine compliance with the Mobilehome Parks Act (Part 2.1 (commencing with Section 18200)) and any regulations adopted pursuant to the act.

(3) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that the health and safety of mobilehome park occupants are matters of public interest and concern and that the fee paid pursuant to paragraph (2) shall be used exclusively for the inspection of mobilehome parks and mobilehomes to ensure that the living conditions of mobilehome park occupants meet the health and safety standards of this part and the regulations adopted pursuant thereto. Therefore, notwithstanding any other law or local ordinance, rule, regulation, or initiative measure to the contrary, the holder of the permit to operate the mobilehome park shall be entitled to directly charge one-half of the per lot additional annual fee specified herein to each homeowner, as defined in Section 798.9 of the Civil Code. In that event, the holder of the permit to operate the mobilehome park shall be entitled to directly charge each homeowner for one-half of the per lot additional annual fee at the next billing for the rent and other charges immediately following the payment of the additional fee to the department or local enforcement agency.

(d) Change in name fee or transfer of ownership or possession fee of ten dollars ($10).

(e) Duplicate permit fee or amended permit fee of ten dollars ($10).

(f) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2019, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2019, deletes or extends that date.

SEC. 5.

Section 18502 of the Health and Safety Code, as added by Section 10 of Chapter 341 of the Statutes of 2009, is amended to read: