The Petaluma City Council unanimously passed a new ordinance this week to protect mobile home residents from a legal loophole that had allowed park owners to trigger expensive arbitration hearings over rent increases.
The Press Democrat reports the vote was met with applause from dozens of residents who had waited late into the night for the decision. The new rules are designed to limit these arbitrations and prevent residents from being burdened with thousands of dollars in legal fees. The city’s decision, however, has been met with a threat of legal action.
The founder of Harmony Communities, which manages some of the local parks, says park owners across the state are pooling resources to challenge the new ordinance.