A LIST OF TATUM-KAPLAN MOBILE HOME PARKS

FYI...The following is a list of mobile home parks that are owned/operated by Tatum and Kaplan. There may be more and I will post them later.
Please notify me regarding any omissions or errors and I will add or correct them ASAP.
Pueblo Del Sol Mobile Home PRK was added to our list today.

BROOKSIDE MOBILE CC
12700 ELLIOTT AVE
EL MONTE, CA 91732
Manufactured Home Spaces: 421
Operated By:
BROOKSIDE INVESTMENTS LTD
924 WESTWOOD BLVD #910
LOS ANGELES, CA 90024

CASA DEL LAGO MHP
2151 OLD OAKLAND RD
SAN JOSE, CA 95131
Manufactured Home Spaces: 618
Operated By
SAN JOSE INVESTMENTS, LTD
924 WESTWOOD BLVD STE 910
LOS ANGELES, CA 90024

DEL PRADO ANAHEIM
1616 S EUCLID AVE
ANAHEIM, CA 92803
Manufactured Home Spaces: 130
Operated By:
DEL PRADO MOBILE HOME PARK
924 WESTWOOD BLVD #910
LOS ANGELES, CA 90024

DEL PRADO MOBILE HOME PARK
8200 BOLSA AVE
MIDWAY CITY, CA 92655
Manufactured Home Spaces: 189
Operated By:
MOBILE HOME PARK-BOLSA L P
924 WESTWOOD BLVD #910
LOS ANGELES, CA 90024

LAKE CADENA MHP
2851 S LA CADENA DR
COLTON, CA 92324
Manufactured Home Spaces: 281
Operated By:
LAKE CADENA INVESTMENTS LTD
924 WESTWOOD BLVD #910
LOS ANGELES, CA 90024

LAMPLIGHTER MH PARK
4201 N FIRST ST
SAN JOSE, CA 95134
Manufactured Home Spaces: 265
Operated By
TATUM-KAPLAN FINANCIAL GROUP
924 WESTWOOD BLVD STE 910
LOS ANGELES, CA 90024

ORANGE MOBILE HOME PARK
1931 E MEATS AVENUE
ORANGE, CA 92865
Manufactured Home Spaces: 179
Operated By
ORANGEWOOD INVEST. L P
924 WESTWOOD BLVD #910
LOS ANGELES, CA 90024

PARK TERRACE
4080 W FIRST ST
SANTA ANA, CA 92703
Manufactured Home Spaces: 191
Operated By
PARK CONTEMPO LTD
924 WESTWOOD BLVD #910
LOS ANGELES, CA 90024

PLAZA MOBILE ESTATES
3101 S FAIRVIEW ST
SANTA ANA, CA 92704
Manufactured Home Spaces: 237
Operated By
MHP-PLAZA MOBILE LLC
924 WESTWOOD BLVD #910
LOS ANGELES, CA 90024

PONDEROSA MOBILE HOME PARK
1575 W VALLEY PKWY
ESCONDIDO, CA 92029
Manufactured Home Spaces: 104
Operated By:
PONDEROSA GROUP, L.P.
924 WESTWOOD BLVD., SUITE 910
LOS ANGELES, CA 90024

RANCHO FIESTA M.E.
5505 W TULARE AVE
VISALIA, CA 93277
Manufactured Home Spaces: 284
Operated By
R F GROUP, LP
924 WESTWOOD BLVD., #910
LOS ANGELES, CA 90024

RANCHO HERMOSO MHP
16079 YARNELL ST
SYLMAR, CA 91342
Manufactured Home Spaces: 93
Operated By
HERMOSA INVESTMENTS L P
924 WESTWOOD BLVD #910
LOS ANGELES, CA 90024

RANCHO MONTE VISTA
15050 MONTE VISTA AVE
CHINO HILLS, CA 91709
Manufactured Home Spaces: 226
Operated by:
CARBON CANYON LTD
924 WESTWOOD BLVD #910
LOS ANGELES, CA 90024

TOKAY MANOR
7908 TOKAY AVE
FONTANA, CA 92335
Manufactured Home Spaces: 140
Operated By:
JEFFREY KAPLAN
1801 E EDINGER AVE, STE 230
SANTA ANA, CA 92705

UPLAND CASCADE MHP
1350 SAN BERNARDINO
UPLAND, CA 91786
MobileHome Spaces: 187
Operated By
UPLAND CASCADE L P
924 WESTWOOD BLVD #910
LOS ANGELES, CA 90024

TERRACE VIEW MOBILE HOME ESTATES
13162 HWY 8 BUS.
EL CAJON, CA 92020
Manufactured Home Spaces: 205
Operated By:
TERRACE VIEW PARTNERS L P
13162 HWY 80
EL CAJON, CA 92020

SWAN LAKE MOBILE ESTATES
5800 HAMNER AVE
MIRA LOMA, CA 91752
Manufactured Home Spaces: 716
Operated By:
MOBILE COMMUNITY MGMT
1801 E EDINGER SUITE 230
SANTA ANA, CA 92705

Pueblo Del Sol Mobile Home PRK
81351 Avenue 46, Indio, CA 92201
(760) 342-3099

Operated by:

Indio Investments, Inc

Jeffrey A. Kaplan 924 Westwood Bl Suite 910

Los Angeles, Ca. 90024

114 MONTH RENT INCREASE CLAUSE

Here is a copy of one of the 35 pages of our 10 year rental/lease contract. Click on it to enlarge and read the bracketed part. This is the clause that allowed our park to inform a resident that his rent would increase by approximately $355.00 per month. I have been informed that his rent was $895.00 per month and would be increasing to around $1250.00 per month. If this is correct, by reading the above clause means at least one resident is paying over $1250.00 per month lot space here.

Well here's the good news. (tic) The management has recognized his hardship and told him they would reduce his rent to $800.00 per month if he would sign another 10 year lease agreement. He did. What a sad predicament for any of us to be in.

Our beloved sign is gone...

Our sign that we have been viewing for years is now gone??? What happened to it??? Could it be the park management now realizes that it's not needed any longer since we aren't able to sell our homes due to the outrageously high lot rents here?

One man's story, is another man's shame...

My wife and I went to the market Saturday and when we returned she mentioned to me how much she loves our home. As we walked in the door she then said almost in a whisper, "I hope we don't lose our home." This made me think about how hard we have worked, how much we have sacrificed to get this place. It made me think about how every year we have to pay more and more just to stay here. Her sad whisper made me think that although we don't have a whole lot, what we do have in this home is just as important to us as any rich man's mansion is to him.

I picked up my daughter and gave her a hug thinking I was hiding my pain. I tried to think of some words that might comfort my wife. I could find none.

Rumors were going around the park this weekend about another eviction and letters threatening legal action being sent to some residents by Mobile Community Management.

62%-38%

Prop. 98 was voted down by voters on Tuesday.

62% no...38% yes.

Ouch! That had to have hurt.

Words of wisdom from Jeffrey A. Kaplan???

"For most people, their house is the most valuable asset they have and in this time of recession, the last thing people need is an additional economic loss in their house..." (Jeffrey A. Kaplan from a Bel-Air Association Blog post, January 27 , 2008)

I whole-heartedly agree with Jeffrey in this quote even though he was addressing an entirely different situation. Why should this statement be valid only to Jeffrey Kaplan's argument regarding opposition to the mansionization ordinance in Bel-Air and not valid to our argument regarding opposition to Prop. 98. Seems a bit hypocritical to me.

In our case, if Proposition 98 is passed by voters this June then additional economic losses will be had by all California mobile home owners. This is why it is so extremely important that we get the word out to everyone we know to VOTE NO ON PROP. 98! Call or write everyone you know and explain how devastating the passage of this proposition will be for 1000's of mobile home owners and apartment dwellers in California. Speak with your relatives...inform them of this 'Hidden Agenda' scheme and what it could do to you. You can make a difference...just tell them to VOTE NO ON PROP. 98!

Thanks for the quote Jeffrey, I couldn't have said it better myself. Let's do lunch.

For your reading pleasure....

Here's an article that you might find interesting. When reading it keep in mind that both research and practical experience have shown that the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior.

C.A. Upholds Penalties for Evading Mobile Home Rent Control

and....

Defendants Pay Landmark Judgment in Mobile Home Rent Control Case; Tenants Receiving Over $960,000

Pro Prop 98 Propaganda

I heard a pro Proposition 98 radio advertisement last Friday and it really made me want to puke. It began with children talking about how they were afraid that government was going to take away their schools, parks and homes or something to that effect. Throughout the whole advertisement, there was not one mention of doing away with rent control although this is one of its main objectives.

It seems that Prop. 98 proponents now need to hide their true agenda behind children. They need to cloud the voters vision of what their proposition is really about. They are counting on voters to not be fully informed by taking the time to read their ballots. They are counting on voters not to understand that the approval of Proposition 98 would do away with rent control.

Does this method sound at all familiar to you? Am I the only one who sees the similarities between the presentation of this ballot measure to the public and the manner in which our long term leases were presented to us? IMHO, they are very similar.

Swan Lake Blog

A new blog has started up for Swan Lake Mobile Estates, another Tatum-Kaplan owned park. It's called "Muckraker: The Swan Lake Mobile Estates Blog" and its admin sent me the following pictures:


Give Swan Lake a visit. I'm looking forward to good info from them.

This makes three Tatum-Kaplan owned parks with three separate blogs! Keep it up residents. Lets get more blogs from different parks.

By the way, can you find any spelling errors in these signs? Good job MCM. (LOL)

Welcome.....

Welcome to "The Mobile Home Park Lease Alert." We have compiled a wealth of information for you to look at here regarding Tatum-Kaplan Financial, Mobile Community Management, rent control, long term leases etc.

There is something here for everyone.

If you are under rent control check our links and archives for information about how Tatum-Kaplan have and continue to fight against rent control. They want rent control abolished and if they succeed, this will only fatten their wallets even more and continue to drive us to Tent City. No on Prop. 98

If you signed a long term lease check our links and archives to see how the wool may have been pulled over your eyes. Simply handing a prospective tenant volumes of material to read and sign in an hour or less doesn't mean they are "better informed." Did you feel better informed when you signed your lease or were you confused by the volumes of paper placed before you and believed you were protected by rent control? If anyone signing a long term lease was fully informed they would have realized that their rent could more than double with an annual 9-10% increase within the term of that lease. So if you were fully informed, why did you sign a long term lease and give up your protection under rent control with a 3% annual increase?

If you are in any Tatum-Kaplan owned park look for the similarities of what has gone on for years in their parks and your park in our archives and links.

If your park is managed by Mobile Community Management check our archives to see an example of their work.

If you wish to leave a comment you are able to do so anonymously. I will not know who you are and readers will not know who you are. If you wish to e-mail me I will not reveal your identity and the subject of the e-mail will remain confidential unless you express that it is ok for me to post.

Upland Cascade Mobile Home Park will be having a Home Owners Association meeting on May 1, 2008 at 7:00pm. It's time for you to show up and get involved. It's time for us to organize committees and focus on things that need to be done rather than just bitch and moan about them.

Guess who is crying "unfair?" UPDATE

Guess who made the following quotes in a letter posted on a blog on January 28, 2008?

"I live in Bel Air (am a member of the Bel-Air Assn and a lawyer and CPA)...."

"My major objection to the content and implementation of the Proposal is that it is not fair."

"It is not fair that the City has not advised homeowners that for many properties the reduction in building opportunity will be more than 50%..."

"It is not fair that the City has not advised homeowners (EVEN NOW) of any appraisal or broker analysis of the likely reduction in value many properties will suffer. For most people, their house is the most valuable asset they have and in this time of recession, the last thing people need is an additional economic loss in their house..."

"It is not fair that one part of the City (say Westwood) should "dictate" the zoning restrictions on another part of the City, like Brentwood."

Notice how often "it is not fair" is used in his blog entry.

And the final quote I like is, "My understanding from qualified brokers and appraisers is that it would be likely that values could drop 10-15% (or for many L.A. properties, $100,000+)." It seems to me we could use a value analysis in our park as well. How much did the value of our homes drop the day we signed or assumed long term leases?

Well have you guessed who is saying that things just aren't fair in his neighborhood? Go here and read what this is all about.

Guess who is crying "it is not fair?"

Go here to read an interesting letter that was written by someone very close to us.

Notice how many times he says "it is not fair" when it comes to him possibly losing 10-15% of his property value. How much did the value of our homes drop the day we signed or assumed long term leases?

There's a word for this type of behavior but I will bite my tongue.

Homeowners Association Meeting?

I received an e-mail today asking me if we were going to have an HOA meeting. I don't know, I am not on the board and not privy to any plans to have a meeting. Maybe a board member would like to post a comment here about when we might have a meeting.

FOR ALL TO SEE.....

I have posted the 'article' here that appeared on page 4 of this month's Upland Cascade Mobile Home Park Magazine.

"COURT ORDERS TENANT TO PAY MOBILEHOME PARK $100,000 IN ATTORNEYS' FEES"

If you click on the image you can read the entire page.

I contacted the magazine and they informed me that our park magazine editor is Mobile Community Management Co (Royleen Johnson). (MCM...feel free to correct me or update me if I am wrong.)

Now I'm not saying that the information in this 'article' is untrue. However, I am of the opinion that the reason it has been presented to readers in this manner is to intimidate and threaten anyone who considers legal action against Tatum-Kaplan Financial and their henchlings. Note again in the last paragraph, "This harmful advice could put the tenant's personal well-being and financial well-being at risk."

I understand what they mean by 'financial well-being' being at risk, but what is meant by 'personal well-being' in this sentence?

So is this a "non-threatening reminder to residents?"
Read the 'article' and you be the judge.

"COURT ORDERS TENANT TO PAY MOBILEHOME PARK $100,000 IN ATTORNEYS' FEES"

O.K. neighbors. Check out page 4 of this month's Upland Cascade Mobile Home Park Magazine.

"COURT ORDERS TENANT TO PAY MOBILEHOME PARK $100,000 IN ATTORNEYS' FEES"

In my opinion, this is nothing more than an editorial attempting to portray a factual article in order to make some of us cower like frightened mice. There are no names mentioned in the editorial other than it's apparent author, Diane Medina, Esq. and Mobile Community Management Company. No dates or locations (other than California) are cited. This editorial doesn't even mention what court ordered the tenant to pay $100,000 or which mobilehome park was involved.

So did Mobile Home Park Magazine research and write this editorial. In my opinion, probably not. As per the magazine's editorial policies "Each magazine must have an editor. The Editor takes responsibility for gathering information and sending it to us in a form they want." So who is our park's editor?

You may go here to read the Mobile Home Park Magazine's editorial policies.

Another paragraph from these policies states, "For Management, the magazines offers a way to communicate with all park residents at the same time, saving time and money. The magazine also acts as a non-threatening reminder to residents of existing or potential problems within the community."

The last paragraph of the "Court Orders Tenant to Pay..." editorial states, "Tenants should educate themselves first as to possible consequences and adverse effects when filing a lawsuit or joining in on a lawsuit against a mobilehome park owner. Advice given by a well-meaning friend or neighbor, or even an attorney, may not be the right advice. This harmful advice could put the tenant's personal well-being and financial well-being at risk."

So if any resident at Upland Cascade Mobilehome Park ever considers a lawsuit against it's management should they interpret this editorial as A NON-THREATENING REMINDER?

Landlords Funding Prop. 98 Have History of Mistreating Tenants

Now who do you suppose this article could be about? Follow the link for a not so big surprise.
Landlords Funding Prop. 98 Have History of Mistreating Tenants

MCM Flyer

On March 26th Mobile Community Management Co issued a flyer to all Upland Cascade residents regarding the anonymous flyer mailed to residents in February that alleged "lies, deceit, and trickery" involving long term leases. Of course, MCM states that "nothing could be further from the truth" in the anonymous flyer. The MCM flyer then goes on to describe the samples, forms. statements, supplements etc. that are provided to homeowners to help them make "an informed choice as to what type of lease to select."

We should all feel so much better now after reading MCM's flyer. In this flyer, they have shown us that they are the pillars of our community and the paragon of fair business practice in a "well-regulated industry."Upland Cascades owners and their agents are veritable saints and we should be able to sleep well tonight knowing we are now cradled safely in their protective arms.

Sleep well, neighbors.
*TIC*

The Loophole

The following excerpts are from the 1996 “Immobile Homes” article I’ve mentioned before. A 12 year-old article...need I say more???

“A loophole in San Jose's mobilehome rent-control ordinance, which exempts long-term leases from rent restrictions, has allowed Kaplan and Tatum to jack up rents and then seize the mobile homes when the owners can't meet the payments.”

“A list of debtors at Kaplan and Tatum-owned parks in California reveals that hundreds more families have fallen prey to high rents throughout the state.”

"If 120 families were run out their homes by a natural disaster like a flood or a hurricane, you guys in the media would be up here in a second to cover it," Cushman says. "Well, with this lease deal, 120 families have lost their homes in just four years, and no one knows about it. It's so complicated that it's hard to get people's attention."

“As a result of the space rents rising beyond their financial means, most families, like the Camachos, abandon the mobile home. If the home has been paid for in full, Kaplan and Tatum get to keep it outright in lieu of the back rent. If there is a mortgage, the bank pays the space rent and usually ends up dumping the home to Kaplan and Tatum at a fraction of the original cost.”

“Once Kaplan and Tatum buy a home from the bank, as they have in the past, they can resell it for well below market price, because they've paid almost nothing for it. This fact makes it almost impossible for anyone else in the park to escape the rising rents by selling their own home.”

THANK YOU!!!

I would like to thank those of you who have posted and/or e-mailed information, advice and encouragement. I particularly enjoy looking at information that I have missed in my research regarding the Tatum/Kaplan operations. Please keep it coming!!!

I would also like to remind you that I have configured this blog so that any comments you make are made anonymously and if you ever send me information via e-mail your personal information will remain confidential unless you request otherwise.

Contact Us

Know your park owners...

Jeffrey A. Kaplan
-----------------------------------------------
The following excerpts are from a 1996 L.A. Times article:

After studying accounting at USC and earning a law degree at UC Berkeley, Kaplan went to work in Los Angeles as a real estate lawyer in the early 1970s. But soon, after getting acquainted with the mobile home business, he and Tatum began acquiring parks in Southern California and Santa Clara County.

Some park owners have learned the art of defusing tensions by dealing diplomatically with tenants and charging moderate rent increases. But by all accounts, Kaplan--short, wiry and engaging yet hot-tempered--has never taken that tack.

No matter how well business was going, however, Kaplan never was willing to stand pat. Impatient with the political moderates within the dominant lobbying group for California park owners--the Western Mobilehome Parkowners Assn.--Kaplan founded a hard-line breakaway group, the California Mobilehome Parkowners' Alliance, in 1988.

Kaplan is disliked even by some park landlords who support Prop. 199; they privately blame Kaplan's tactics for inspiring many communities to adopt profit-shrinking rent-control ordinances in the first place.

"In this industry, there's room to gouge," said a Prop. 199 supporter who asked not to be identified. "People can't take their house and walk away. Jeff pushed the limit in his parks, more than most of us think is right."

----------------------------------------------
As of 2005....

Jeffrey Kaplan and Thomas T.Tatum, the sponsors, have a

combined 50-plus years of real estate experience.

They currently own 20 manufactured housing communities

throughout California totaling 4,846 pads.

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT. The property manager of the Casa
Del Lago Mobile Home Park is Mobile Community Management,
a subsidiary of Tatum-Kaplan Financial Group and
an affiliate of the borrower.



More to come.

Do we still have a Home Owners Association?

We haven't had a meeting since November(?). The HOA needs to meet a little more often than that in my humble opinion. And....at the next meeting they need to start putting in place committees that will get some things done around here. It's time for us to stop whining about our own individual problems and band together to begin some productive action.

Proposition 98

If you are not aware of Proposition 98, "The California Property Owners and Farmland Protection Act" you need to click on this link and read what it will do if it is enacted.

Another link with great information and references regarding the possible impact of Prop. 98.

And..... an in depth analysis of the potential effect of Prop. 98.

"The California Property Owners and Farmland Protection Act" seeks this objective:
"Government may not set the price at which property owners sell or lease their property."
Since rent control is a principle provision in the measure and it is not summarized in the title as required by law, a law suit was recently filed to correct this.

Double-Whoa!!! It's back!

Our park entrance sign is back again. Personally, I liked this old one with the bird poop on it. Seemed to be more appropriate IMHO.

Trees and Driveways

Here it is...straight from the 2008 Mobile Home Residency Law

798.37.5 TREES AND DRIVEWAYS

(a) With respect to trees on rental spaces in a mobilehome park, park management shall be solely responsible for the trimming, pruning, or removal of any tree, and the costs thereof, upon written notice by a homeowner or a determination by park management that the tree poses a specific hazard or health and safety violation. In the case of a dispute over that assertion, the park management or a homeowner may request an inspection by the Department of Housing and Community Development or a local agency responsible for the enforcement of the Mobilehome Parks Act (Part 2.1 (commencing with Section 18200) of Division 3 of the Health and Safety Code) in order to determine whether a violation of that act exists.

(b) With respect to trees in the common areas of a mobilehome park, park management shall be solely responsible for the trimming, pruning, or removal of any tree, and the costs thereof.

(c) Park management shall be solely responsible for the maintenance, repair, replacement, paving, sealing, and the expenses related to the maintenance of all driveways installed by park management including, but not limited to, repair of root damage to driveways and foundation systems and removal. Homeowners shall be responsible for the maintenance, repair, replacement, paving, sealing, and the expenses related to the maintenance of a homeowner installed driveway. A homeowner may be charged for the cost of any damage to the driveway caused by an act of the homeowner or a breach of the homeowner’s responsibilities under the rules and regulations so long as those rules and regulations are not inconsistent with the provisions of this section.

(d) No homeowner may plant a tree within the mobilehome park without first obtaining written permission from the management.

(e) This section shall not apply to alter the terms of any rental agreement in effect prior to January 1, 2001, between the park management and the homeowner regarding the responsibility for the maintenance of trees and driveways within the mobilehome park, except that upon any renewal or extension, the rental agreement shall be subject to this section. This section is not intended to abrogate the content of any existing rental agreement or other written agreements regarding trees or driveways that are in effect prior to January 1, 2001.

(f) This section shall only apply to rental agreements entered into, renewed, or extended on or after January 1, 2001.

(g) Any mobilehome park rule or regulation shall be in compliance with this section.

(Added by AB 862, (Correa), Ch. 423 (2000), eff. 1/1/2001)

Tatum and Kaplan

The following are excerpts from various news articles regarding Thomas Tatum and Jeffrey Kaplan. They are several years old but still IMHO have a familiar ring to them. More to follow.

Article from The Los Angeles Time, February 16, 1996 The Maverick at Center of Mobile Home Rent Battle

Resting in the dairy farm country of northwestern Riverside County, the Swan Lake mobile home park once was a quiet refuge for many low- and middle-income retirees.

That tranquility, however, was shattered after a partnership half-owned by Jeffrey A. Kaplan, a Los Angeles lawyer turned real estate maverick, took over Swan Lake in the late 1980s.

The new landlords soon demanded bigger annual rent increases. They pushed so hard, in fact, that Riverside County officials authorized construction of a new mobile home park at public expense largely to provide a sanctuary for financially squeezed Swan Lake residents. To the residents' dismay, the county project later was scuttled--when Kaplan's firm filed a lawsuit that threatened to hold up work for years.

Such tactics have made Kaplan, who owns interest in about 15 mobile home parks, a symbol of greed to many of his opponents and one of the most controversial park landlords in California. But now Kaplan, 49, is antagonizing even more of the state's 1 million mobile home park dwellers..................

Some park owners have learned the art of defusing tensions by dealing diplomatically with tenants and charging moderate rent increases. But by all accounts, Kaplan--short, wiry and engaging yet hot-tempered--has never taken that tack.

Kaplan is disliked even by some park landlords who support Prop. 199; they privately blame Kaplan's tactics for inspiring many communities to adopt profit-shrinking rent-control ordinances in the first place.

"In this industry, there's room to gouge," said a Prop. 199 supporter who asked not to be identified. "People can't take their house and walk away. Jeff pushed the limit in his parks, more than most of us think is right."

The resulting animosity has fostered still-pending private lawsuits accusing Kaplan and Tatum partnerships of misleading customers into signing exorbitant land leases, allowing their parks to deteriorate into near-slums and threatening to evict residents who protested.

Moreover, the Santa Clara County district attorney's office in December filed a complaint accusing two Tatum-Kaplan Financial Group partnerships in San Jose of duping customers--many of them unsophisticated in real estate matter--into signing high-rent, long-term leases that violated the city' rent control law. An untold number of residents, the complaint alleges, have been forced to abandon their homes or sell them at distressed prices......

Meanwhile, abandoned homes are spreading throughout Swan Lake--the result, Griffiths says, of foreclosures stemming from the escalating rents.

But why would Tatum-Kaplan want to drive out residents? One possibility is raised in the Santa Clara County district attorney's complaint against the Tatum-Kaplan partnerships and related defendants in San Jose.

The complaint charges without specifying details, that the Tatum-Kaplan partnerships "are purchasing mobile homes abandoned by resident who cannot afford the rent and reselling them for a profit. By raising rents to a point where tenants abandon their homes, (the Tatum-Kaplan partnerships) are not only increasing the residents' injuries. . . but are also reaping additional profit for themselves."

Article from the San Jose Mercury News, March 23, 1996

MOBILE HOME RENT CONTROL BATTLE STATE MEASURE IS TARGET OF GRASS-ROOTS EFFORT

Why didn't the mobile home owners understand what they were signing?

''These leases are about 30 pages thick. Home buyers were told they couldn't take one outside to review it,'' said Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Ken Rosenblatt, who is prosecuting Kaplan and Tatum and their firms for alleged rent-gouging and operating an elaborate scheme to circumvent San Jose's rent control.

The leases called for rent hikes of 8 percent or 9 percent a year for five years, with an additional 10 percent tacked on in th fifth year for a total of 18 percent or 19 percent that year. The fact that they were for 25 years was buried deep in the document, Rosenblatt said.

Article from the San Jose Mercury News, January 8, 2000
LAWSUIT CLAIMS RENT GOUGING CASE BEGINS: MOBILE-HOME PARK OWNEERS ACCUSED OF SKIRTING RENT CONTROL LAWS IN LONG RUNNING DISPUTE

After a five-year delay, prosecutors went to trial in civil court this week accusing the owners of two mobile-home parks of rent-gouging and running an intricate sham to skirt San Jose's rent control ordinance. .....prosecutors claim that the defendants, Beaumont Investments Ltd. and San Jose Investments Ltd., engaged in unfair business practices in a six-year scheme to circumvent the ordinance, which regulates how much mobile-home park owners can increase the rent on leases of one year or less. The companies are joint owners of Lamplighter and Casa del Lago mobile home parks, which are managed by Thomas Tatum and Jeffrey Kaplan.

Santa Clara County prosecutors claim that instead of offering shorter leases required by rent control, park operators m manipulated 90 prospective tenants into signing lucrative long-term lease and disguised costs that would ultimately raise their rents significantly.

Whoa!! What happened???

The park entrance warning sign is gone!
I didn't take it.

Things to do...

On my desk are folders, piles of papers, computer keyboard, monitor, printer and a small calendar with daily words of wisdom/inspiration. (FYI...the calendar has been long neglected.) Recently, my wife had a list of "honey-do's" for me so I tore the June 10, 2007 page from the calendar and listed them on the back. The list was then safely tucked away (and forgotten) in my wallet. This morning while looking for a Starbucks gift card I thought I had in my wallet, I stumbled across the forgotten "honey-do" list. Whoops!!! Fortunately I had somehow covered most of the bases of the list...at least enough to keep me out of trouble for a while. Anyway, while having my coffee this morning with no newspaper, I turned the "honey-do" list over and read the following:

"The strong take from the weak and the smart take from the strong."

That's it. "The strong take from the weak and the smart take from the strong." It's time for us to get smart and deal with this long term lease situation. We need to get smart and stop spinning our wheels by just complaining about our individual cases at our Homeowners Association meetings. We need to get smart and set goals and focus our collective energies, strengths and ideas towards achieving them. We need to get smart and educate ourselves on issues such as Proposition 98 that will be on the June, 2008 ballot.

"The strong take from the weak and the smart take from the strong." A powerful message on a scrap of paper I had used for a to do list. Remember it and be sure to attend the next Homeowners Association meeting.

Inaction produces nothing. Spread the word.

What this blog is about.....

A few years ago my wife and I purchased a mobile home at the Upland Cascade Mobile Home Park in Upland, California. This blog will raise our concerns regarding the park, owners and management, rent control, lease agreements and many other topics that may relate to mobile home park residency throughout the state of California. I hope you will participate with comments, suggestions and additional information that I may not have access to as of yet. I would also like to ask you to share your story with me either by posting a comment or by sending me an e-mail at badlease@gmail.com.

We are facing some trying times with rent increases and ballot issues that may eradicate rent control altogether so we all need to voice our concerns!!!

Please do some research (because I can't do it all) and contribute information where you can. If you just wish to vent, feel free to do so.

Good luck and happy hunting.

Are you selling your mobile home???

If you have your mobile home for sale in Upland Cascade Mobile Home Park or if you are selling one in any park owned by Tatum-Kaplan Financial I would like to hear about your experiences. How long has it been up for sale? Have you had any offers? If you had offers and they fell through then why? Has your agent made any suggestions to help facilitate the sale? Please share your experiences with the readers of this blog or e-mail me at badlease@gmail.com.

Thanks

What's wrong with this picture?

or this one???



This is one of the Upland Cascade Mobile Home Park's vacant homes that I pass by everyday. It has been vacant for months now and looks very trashy. Do you think this would effect the value of surrounding homes? We pay $800.00 or more a month to look at this? Park owners and management should clean their own house before they hang their picayune letters on our mailboxes. Another fine example of the park owners' and management's neglect.

Immobile Homes-Big Money vs.No Money

Now follow this link to read a very good newspaper article written by Jennifer Davies over ten years ago.

Does it sound familiar? And here's a big surprise for you....the Tatum and Kaplan mentioned in that article are the same Tom Tatum and Jeffrey Kaplan that own Upland Cascade Mobile Home Park. IMHO they're using the same tactics to trick buyers into signing long term leases thus giving up their rights to rent control. (I don't think they're offering televisions and microwaves now.)

How can this unethical practice still be taking place? Why haven't city, county or state officials done anything about this? Have our elected officials turned their backs on us? Are these long term lease agreements legal or not? I really don't know but the manner in which they secured them is very very questionable in my mind.

Park Entrance Warning

When prospective buyers enter Upland Cascade Mobile Home Park they are greeted by this sign:
Maybe this is how it should read: