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Politics & Government

Mobile Home Residents Exhibit Mixed Feelings for New Landlords

The last of Poway's city-owned mobile home parks has been sold, but not all of the residents of properties previously owned by the City are happy with their new situation.

With the recent sale of Poway Royal Estates and the disbandment of Poway's Housing Commission, residents of two of the City's previously owned properties report mixed feelings for their new landlords.

"It's too soon for me to have all that much of an opinion on the sale," said Billy, a resident of Poway Royal Estates who wished his last name not be released.  "They've started some remodeling, which is nice, but we all wish the City would have sold it to the residents instead of a big company.  Owning the property would have made it feel more like owning a real home."

Residents of the 399-unit mobile home park had twice attempted to bid to purchase the park before the City closed a $38.3 million sale to Chicago-based Hometown America.  The transaction, approved in May, closed two months later.

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Tom Scott, former Vice President of the Poway Housing Commission feels the sale was a good move for Poway.

"I think the property manager role is more the function of the private sector," Scott said.  "Cities are not really good at that, so I think it's a good thing it was sold."

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Although tenants have expressed concerns about rent being raised, Hometown America has said the arrangement they had while the park was under City ownership will be preserved.

"All the residents who were there as of closing will get whatever deal they had with the city," said Hometown America Vice President Bill Glascott.  "The city did a good job of preserving the affordable housing aspect of Poway Royal under the terms of the sale, and we're fine with it.   It preserved stability for residents."

Another stipulation under the terms of the sale was the implementation of a long list of improvements to the property, which are currently moving toward completion.

But just a few miles away, residents of the Poinsettia Mobile Home Park, which was sold to San Diego –based Wakeland Housing and Development Corporation in 2003, say that they were much happier when the park was owned by the city.

Since that time, the property has been managed by Irvine-based Newport Pacific Capital, who oversees day-to-day operations.

One tenant, who requested her name not be used, has said that for the past two months her rental invoice has read $1,200- a marked increase over the $500 from which she'd been accustomed.

"Both times when I brought it up they corrected the mistake," she said. "But I'm old and have a heart condition.  Something like that is enough to give you a heart attack."

The tenant, who has lived at the mobile home park for 10 years, also said she recently received a notice about no longer being permitted to keep a mop on her back porch.

"I mop my floor every day," she said.  "My other option is to keep it out back in the shed.  Do they really think I'm able to walk out there every day to get it?  I don't think so."

This, however, isn't the first time Newport Pacific has come under fire by residents of properties they've been contracted to manage.   In 2004,  The San Diego Union-Tribune reported residents of Poway Royal Estates, then being managed by Newport Pacific, felt as if they "lived in a prison camp".

Wakeland Housing and Development Corporation's Director of Operations Rebecca Louie feels that partnering with Newport Pacific has been a positive move for Wakeland.

"Newport Pacific has been managing the day-to-day operations of the Park since we acquired it, and they have been doing a great job," Louie said.  "One of Wakeland's most important goals is to minimize the amount of rent increases at the property, and with Newport's assistance we have been able to keep the park very well maintained while also keeping operating costs relatively low; allowing us to forgo rent increases for the last two years. And, they have been very responsive to resident needs and concerns, which is also very important to Wakeland."

Still, residents strongly disagree citing various problems.

"For months we've been asking them to install Children at Play signs on one of the roads within the park to remind people not to speed – do you think that's happened yet," said the tenant.  "I've seen rats outside.  When that happened before, the city would put out traps or do other things to take care of the problem, but now, it's ongoing.  

"I think all of us were a lot happier when Poway owned the park."

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