"Back in 2004, a Marin County Superior Court judge ruled that despite its name, the "RV park" was in fact a mobile home park, subject to local rent control. The court noted the park had been built in the 1940s, long before modern regulations on lot size and setbacks, and said those older "legacy conditions," like narrow spaces, small lots, and additions, were legally grandfathered in."
""We've heard what they've done in other places. We know what they do in other parks," said Herman Privette, who's lived at the park since 1976, adding that he has little sympathy for the company. California Rural Legal Assistance Attorney Mariah Thompson, who is helping represent the park residents, said what's happening in San Rafael mirrors patterns she's seen at other parks Harmony owns or manages across California."
""In the beginning, I think we were the only children in the neighborhood because there were a lot of seniors living here," she said. "Then, just little by little, there were a lot of Hispanic kids running around here, so it was really nice." That was nearly two decades ago. Back then, rent was just $300 a month, she said. It was affordable enough that her parents could eventually buy a second home in the park."
About 45 RV parking spots line a narrow one-lane road in a San Rafael park where families and long-term residents live. Many residents have lived there for decades at historically low rents, with some able to buy second homes within the park. Harmony Housing Development recently took ownership and issued pending eviction notices, prompting legal representation by California Rural Legal Assistance. A 2004 Marin County Superior Court ruling and state housing department treatment classify the property as a mobile home park under local rent control, noting older "legacy conditions" were legally grandfathered in. City zoning disallows RV parks in San Rafael.
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