(a) The management may require the right of prior approval of a purchaser of a mobilehome that will remain in the park and that the selling homeowner or his or her agent give notice of the sale to the management before the close of the sale. Approval cannot be withheld if the purchaser has the financial ability to pay the rent and charges of the park unless the management reasonably determines that, based on the purchaser’s prior tenancies, he or she will not comply with the rules and regulations of the park. In determining whether the purchaser has the financial ability to pay the rent and charges of the park, the management shall not require the purchaser to submit copies of any personal income tax returns in order to obtain approval for residency in the park. However, management may require the purchaser to document the amount and source of his or her gross monthly income or means of financial support.
Upon written request of any selling homeowner or prospective homeowner who proposes to purchase a mobilehome that will remain in the park, management shall inform that person, in writing, of the information management will require and the standards that will be utilized in determining if the person will be acceptable as a homeowner in the park.
Within 15 business days of receiving all of the information requested from the prospective homeowner, the management shall notify the seller and the prospective homeowner, in writing, of either acceptance or rejection of the application, and the reason if rejected. During this 15-day period the prospective homeowner shall comply with the management’s request, if any, for a personal interview. If the approval of a prospective homeowner is withheld for any reason other than either of the following, the management or owner may be held liable for all damages proximately resulting therefrom:
(1) Reasons stated in this article.
(2) Reasons based upon fraud, deceit, or concealment of material facts by the prospective purchaser.
(b) If the management collects a fee or charge from a prospective purchaser of a mobilehome in order to obtain a financial report or credit rating, the full amount of the fee or charge shall be credited toward payment of the first month’s rent for that mobilehome purchaser. If, for whatever reason, the prospective purchaser is rejected by the management, the management shall refund to the prospective purchaser the full amount of that fee or charge within 30 days from the date of rejection. If the prospective purchaser is approved by the management, but, for whatever reason, the prospective purchaser elects not to purchase the mobilehome, the management may retain the fee, or a portion thereof, to defray its administrative costs under this section.
(c) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2016.
(Repealed (in Sec. 5) and added by Stats. 2015, Ch. 288, Sec. 6. (SB 419) Effective January 1, 2016. Section operative July 1, 2016, by its own provisions.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018