2019 California Code
Civil Code - CIV
DIVISION 2 - PROPERTY
PART 2 - REAL OR IMMOVABLE PROPERTY
TITLE 2 - ESTATES IN REAL PROPERTY
CHAPTER 2.5 - Mobilehome Residency Law
ARTICLE 6 - Termination of Tenancy
Section 798.61.

(a) (1) As used in this section, “abandoned mobilehome” means a mobilehome about which all of the following are true:

(A) It is located in a mobilehome park on a site for which no rent has been paid to the management for the preceding 60 days.

(B) It is unoccupied.

(C) A reasonable person would believe it to be abandoned.

(D) It is not permanently affixed to the land.

(2) As used in this section:

(A) “Mobilehome” shall include a trailer coach, as defined in Section 635 of the Vehicle Code, or a recreational vehicle, as defined in Section 18010 of the Health and Safety Code, if the trailer coach or recreational vehicle also satisfies the requirements of paragraph (1), including being located on any site within a mobilehome park, even if the site is in a separate designated section pursuant to Section 18215 of the Health and Safety Code.

(B) “Abandoned mobilehome” shall include a mobilehome that is uninhabitable because of its total or partial destruction that cannot be rehabilitated, if the mobilehome also satisfies the requirements of paragraph (1).

(C) “Dispose” or “disposal” shall mean the removal and destruction of an abandoned mobilehome from a mobilehome park, thus making it unusable for any purpose and not subject to, or eligible for, use in the future as a mobilehome.

(b) After determining a mobilehome in a mobilehome park to be an abandoned mobilehome, the management shall post a notice of belief of abandonment on the mobilehome for not less than 30 days, and shall deposit copies of the notice in the United States mail, postage prepaid, addressed to the homeowner at the last known address and to any known registered owner, if different from the homeowner, and to any known holder of a security interest in the abandoned mobilehome. This notice shall be mailed by registered or certified mail with a return receipt requested.

(c) (1) Thirty or more days following posting pursuant to subdivision (b), the management may file a petition in the superior court in the county in which the mobilehome park is located, for a judicial declaration of abandonment of the mobilehome. A proceeding under this subdivision is a limited civil case. Copies of the petition shall be served upon the homeowner, any known registered owner, and any known person having a lien or security interest of record in the mobilehome by posting a copy on the mobilehome and mailing copies to those persons at their last known addresses by registered or certified mail with a return receipt requested in the United States mail, postage prepaid.

(2) To dispose of an abandoned mobilehome pursuant to subdivision (f), the management shall also do all of the following:

(A) Declare in the petition that the management will dispose of the abandoned mobilehome, and therefore will not seek a tax clearance certificate as set forth in Section 5832 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.

(B) Declare in the petition whether the management intends to sell the contents of the abandoned mobilehome before its disposal.

(C) Notify the county tax collector in the county in which the mobilehome park is located of the declaration that management will dispose of the abandoned mobilehome by sending a copy of the petition by first class mail.

(D) Declare in the petition that management intends to file a notice of disposal with the Department of Housing and Community Development and complete the disposal process consistent with the requirements of subdivision (f).

(d) (1) Hearing on the petition shall be given precedence over other matters on the court’s calendar.

(2) If, at the hearing, the petitioner shows by a preponderance of the evidence that the criteria for an abandoned mobilehome has been satisfied and no party establishes an interest therein at the hearing and tenders all past due rent and other charges, the court shall enter a judgment of abandonment, determine the amount of charges to which the petitioner is entitled, and award attorney’s fees and costs to the petitioner. For purposes of this subdivision, an interest in the mobilehome shall be established by evidence of a right to possession of the mobilehome or a security or ownership interest in the mobilehome.

(3) A default may be entered by the court clerk upon request of the petitioner, and a default judgment shall be thereupon entered, if no responsive pleading is filed within 15 days after service of the petition by mail.

(e) To sell an abandoned mobilehome, the management shall do all of the following:

(1) (A) Within 10 days following a judgment of abandonment, the management shall enter the abandoned mobilehome and complete an inventory of the contents and submit the inventory to the court.

(B) During this period the management shall post and mail a notice of intent to sell the abandoned mobilehome and its contents under this section, and announcing the date of sale, in the same manner as provided for the notice of determination of abandonment under subdivision (b). The management shall also provide notice to the county tax collector in the county in which the mobilehome park is located.

(C) At any time prior to the sale of an abandoned mobilehome or its contents under this section, any person having a right to possession of the abandoned mobilehome may recover and remove it from the premises upon payment to the management of all rent or other charges due, including reasonable costs of storage and other costs awarded by the court. Upon receipt of this payment and removal of the abandoned mobilehome from the premises pursuant to this paragraph, the management shall immediately file an acknowledgment of satisfaction of judgment pursuant to Section 724.030 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

(2) Following the judgment of abandonment, but not less than 10 days following the notice of sale specified in paragraph (1), the management may conduct a public sale of the abandoned mobilehome, its contents, or both. The management may bid at the sale and shall have the right to offset its bids to the extent of the total amount due it under this section. The proceeds of the sale shall be retained by the management, but any unclaimed amount thus retained over and above the amount to which the management is entitled under this section shall be deemed abandoned property and shall be paid into the treasury of the county in which the sale took place within 30 days of the date of the sale. The former homeowner or any other owner may claim any or all of that unclaimed amount within one year from the date of payment to the county by making application to the county treasurer or other official designated by the county. If the county pays any or all of that unclaimed amount to a claimant, neither the county nor any officer or employee of the county is liable to any other claimant as to the amount paid.

(3) Within 30 days of the date of the sale, the management shall submit to the court an accounting of the moneys received from the sale and the disposition of the money and the items contained in the inventory submitted to the court pursuant to paragraph (1).

(4) The management shall provide the purchaser at the sale of an abandoned mobilehome with a copy of the judgment of abandonment and evidence of the sale, as shall be specified by the Department of Housing and Community Development, which shall register title in the abandoned mobilehome to the purchaser upon presentation thereof within 20 days of purchase. The sale shall pass title to the purchaser free of any prior interest, including any security interest or lien, except the lien provided for in Section 18116.1 of the Health and Safety Code, in the abandoned mobilehome.

(f) To dispose of an abandoned mobilehome, the management shall do all of the following:

(1) (A) Within 10 days following a judgment of abandonment, the management shall enter the abandoned mobilehome and complete an inventory of the contents and submit the inventory to the court.

(B) Within 10 days following a judgment of abandonment, the management shall post and mail a notice of intent to dispose of the abandoned mobilehome and its contents under this section, and announcing the date of disposal, in the same manner as provided for the notice of determination of abandonment under subdivision (b). The management shall also provide notice to the county tax collector in the county in which the mobilehome park is located.

(C) (i) Within 30 days following a judgment of abandonment, the management shall file a notice of disposal with the Department of Housing and Community Development in the form and manner as prescribed by the department.

(ii) Notwithstanding any other law, when filing a notice of disposal pursuant to clause (i), the management shall not be required to pay past or current vehicle license fees required by Section 18115 of the Health and Safety Code or obtain a tax clearance certificated as set forth in Section 5832 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, provided that the management notifies the county tax collector in the county in which the mobilehome is located of the management’s intent to apply to have the mobilehome designated for disposal pursuant to this subdivision. The written notice shall be sent to the county tax collector no less than 10 days after the date of the abandonment judgment by first class mail, postage prepaid.

(D) At any time prior to the disposal of an abandoned mobilehome or its contents under this section, any person having a right to possession of the abandoned mobilehome may recover and remove it from the premises upon payment to the management of all rent or other charges due, including reasonable costs of storage and other costs awarded by the court. Upon receipt of this payment and removal of the abandoned mobilehome from the premises pursuant to this subparagraph, the management shall immediately file an acknowledgment of satisfaction of judgment pursuant to Section 724.030 of the Code of Civil Procedure and a cancellation of the notice of disposal with the Department of Housing and Community Development.

(2) Following the judgment of abandonment and approval of the notice of disposal by the Department of Housing and Community Development, but not less than 10 days following the notice of disposal specified in paragraph (1), the management may dispose of the abandoned mobilehome after obtaining the information required in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (3).

(3) (A) Within 30 days of the date of the disposal of an abandoned mobilehome and its contents, the management shall do both of the following:

(i) Submit to the court and the county tax collector in the county in which the mobilehome park is located a statement that the abandoned mobilehome and its contents were disposed with supporting documentation.

(ii) (I) Submit to the Department of Housing and Community Development all of the following information required for completing the disposal process:

(ia) Photographs identifying and demonstrating that the mobilehome was uninhabitable by the removal or destruction of all appliances and fixtures such as ovens, stoves, bathroom fixtures, and heating or cooling appliances prior to its being moved.

(ib) A statement of facts as to the condition of the mobilehome when moved, the date it was moved, and the anticipated site of further dismantling or disposal.

(ic) The name, address, and license number of the person or entity removing the mobilehome from the mobilehome park.

(II) The information required pursuant to subclause (I) shall be submitted under penalty of perjury.

(B) Within 30 days of the date of the disposal of an abandoned mobilehome or the date of the sale of its contents, whichever date is later, the management shall submit to the court and the county tax collector in the county in which the mobilehome park is located an accounting of the moneys received from the sale and the disposition of the money and the items contained in the inventory submitted to the court pursuant to paragraph (1) and a statement that the abandoned mobilehome was disposed with supporting documentation.

(g) Notwithstanding any other law, the management shall not be required to obtain a tax clearance certificate, as set forth in Section 5832 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, to dispose of an abandoned mobilehome and its contents pursuant to subdivision (f). However, any sale pursuant to this section shall be subject to the registration requirements of Section 18100.5 of the Health and Safety Code and the tax clearance certificate requirements of Section 18092.7 of the Health and Safety Code.

(h) Notwithstanding any other law, forms and procedures made available for the implementation of Chapter 376 of the Statutes of 2015 shall not be subject to Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 11400) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

(Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 714, Sec. 3. (SB 944) Effective January 1, 2017.)