(a) The Mobilehome Residency Law Protection Program is hereby established within the department.

(b) Except as provided in subdivision (c), the department shall provide assistance in taking complaints, and helping to resolve and coordinate the resolution of those complaints, from homeowners relating to the Mobilehome Residency Law.

(c) The department shall not arbitrate, mediate, negotiate, or provide legal advice in connection with mobilehome park rent disputes, lease or rental agreements, or disputes arising from lease or rental agreements, but may provide information on these issues to the complaining party, management, or other responsible party.

(d) (1) The department shall refer any alleged violations of law or regulations within the department’s jurisdiction to the Division of Codes and Standards within the department.

(2) The department may refer any alleged violations of law or regulations that are not within the jurisdiction of the department, including, but not limited to, rent disputes, criminal activity, or alleged discrimination, to the appropriate enforcement agency.

(e) (1) Upon receipt of a complaint, the department shall send the complaining party a letter confirming receipt and referencing those provisions of the Mobilehome Residency Law, if applicable, that may pertain to the complaint. If the department refers the complaint to an appropriate enforcement agency, pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (d), the letter shall communicate that referral.

(2) A letter issued pursuant to this subdivision shall be in the same medium as the complaint to which the letter is in response.

(f) (1) The department shall use good faith efforts to select the most severe, deleterious, and materially and economically impactful alleged violations of the Mobilehome Residency Law. The department shall select a sample of these complaints that satisfy geographic representation of the state for evaluation.

(2) In evaluating a complaint, the department may request a copy of the lease, park rules, or any other relevant written documents applicable to a complaint from management. Management shall provide the information requested pursuant to this paragraph within 15 business days from the postmark date or the electronic transmission of the request. The department shall establish a mechanism for management to provide the documents electronically. Failure to comply with this requirement shall result in a noncompliance citation of two hundred fifty dollars ($250) for each failure to comply. The department shall not provide the documents it receives pursuant to this paragraph to any person or entity other than the nonprofit legal services provider, an appropriate enforcement agency, or the complainant.

(g) If the department selects a complaint for referral to and evaluation by a nonprofit legal services provider pursuant to Section 18803, it shall send a notice to the complaining party and the management or mobilehome park owner. The notice shall advise the parties that they are required to negotiate the matter in good faith to resolve the matter in 25 days. If after 25 days either party responds to a department inquiry that the matter is not resolved, the department may refer the complaint to an appropriate enforcement agency or a nonprofit legal services provider. The department may combine this notice with the letter described in paragraph (e).

(h) The department may aggregate multiple complaints submitted to the program into a single investigation. Multiple complaints may be aggregated within a single mobilehome park, or within multiple mobilehome parks where there is either:

(1) A common mobilehome park owner or mobilehome park owner entity, or common principals, partners, shareholders, members, or legal ownership amongst the multiple mobilehome parks.

(2) A common third-party or off-site management entity which manages the multiple mobilehome parks.

(i) Participation in the administrative procedures authorized by this part shall not be deemed to be grounds to authorize a delay in the prosecution of an unlawful detainer action. However, this section shall not be construed as preventing a court from exercising any power to delay based upon any other grounds.

(j) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2020.

(Added by Stats. 2018, Ch. 774, Sec. 3. (AB 3066) Effective January 1, 2019. Section operative July 1, 2020, by its own provisions. Repealed as of January 1, 2024, pursuant to Section 18806.)