Carson Sets Relocation Aid for Trailer Park Residents

The Carson City Council has unanimously adopted a resolution that specifies the amount of relocation assistance for residents of Citation Mobile Home Park, whose owner plans to close the park this year to build single-family houses.

The resolution ends a 10-month dispute between the trailer owners and park owner James W. Robel about what would be fair compensation for residents who own their trailers and are forced to leave the park. City ordinance requires park owners to compensate displaced owner-residents before a park can be closed but does not specify what the payment should be. The resolution also specifies the amount of compensation for residents of mobile homes if they cannot relocate to a park within 50 miles.

According to the resolution, recreational vehicle owners will receive $2,000 and owners of single-wide mobile homes will receive $4,000.

In addition to lump sum payments to cover moving expenses, an additional $1,000 will go to residents over age 62 who fall within federal low- and moderate-income guidelines and residents certified as handicapped or disabled.

Robel, asked if he was satisfied with the resolution, said: “It will close the park.”

Residents attending the council meeting said they were unhappy with the resolution, which they feel does not provide enough money for moving costs or adequate payment to those mobile home owners who cannot find parks to move to.

The resolution provides no payments to renters of mobile homes at the park, or to mobile home owners who do not live at the park. Mobile homes are the larger units in the park, while recreational vehicles are more easily moved.

The owner of the only double-wide home in the park, Carol Stefan, will be paid a maximum of $6,200 to move her home.

Stefan said that may not be enough to cover the cost of moving the two-bedroom, two-bathroom home and doubted if she would be able to find a park that would accept her mobile home.

“A lot of parks don’t want a large coach . . . and I want to be in a safe area, close to where I work,” she said.

The resolution requires residents to leave the park at East 220th Street within six months.

If a resident cannot find a park within 50 miles into which they can move a mobile home, Robel must pay the difference between its on-site value and off-site value. In that case, residents must pay for moving costs. The on-site and off-site values of the 14 homes in the park are listed in the resolution.

The on-site values of the mobile homes range from $5,000 to $43,800, according to the resolution. Their off-site values range from $1,500 to $27,600.

If the residents must sell their homes, the resolution requires Robel to reserve apartments for them in apartment buildings he owns in Carson and Gardena.

Lawrence Marino, 71, has lived at Citation for five years and was glad to hear that older people will receive additional money, but said he did not want to move.

“Just when you think you’re set . . . somebody comes along that doesn’t have any care for your position,” he said.

“This is my dining room and my bedroom,” he said pointing to a small table and the pillow on top of it. He sleeps at the table because his legs become numb if he lays down, he said.

There are 29 mobile home parks in Carson, two of them have closure applications before the Planning Commission.