Problems Intensify At S.M. Trailer Park

Hannah Heineman

Special to the Mirror

   Attempts to improve parking and create better access for fire trucks at the Village Trailer Park, 2930 Colorado Avenue, have created additional hardships to its mainly low-income elderly and frail residents. 

   On March 24, park management cut down trees that were over 30 years old to comply with a Santa Monica parking ordinance. This action was taken despite the fact that the City's building officer, Tim McCormick, stated in a letter to James Muramatsu, the park's owner, "that the City of Santa Monica has not directed you to remove the trees to comply with any notice or order we have issued." He further stated, "the decision to remove these trees is yours alone and may not be necessary to provide onsite parking."
   Park residents say that removal of the trees has "ruined the park's ambience" and is the most recent example of the management's attempts to force them out by making their living conditions even more unbearable. The park homeowners' president, Darlene McNama, focused Council attention on the trees' removal at last Tuesday's Council meeting. 
Councilman Kevin McKeown said "these beautiful, mature healthy trees should have been saved, and I'm working with staff to expand our recently-passed Community Forest Management Plan to create incentives for preserving trees on private property." Also supportive is Councilman Michael Finstein, who observed, "There are many challenging issues in extending our tree ordinance to private property, because it is private property and we have to be respectful of private property rights. That being said, this tragedy shows why we do have to take that step together, as a community, and soon."
   An August, 1999, inspection of the park by the City of Santa Monicaís Office of Building and Safety in response to resident complaints resulted in the park's owner Muramatsu to be cited for 18 health and safety code violations of the Mobile Home Parks Act. Among the volations cited were major problems with park plumbing, sewage removal, electricity and gas delivery and electrical wiring. In addition, placement of mobile homes and trailers in the park violates required spacing regulatons. 
   Park residents feel that the City has been lax in inspecting and enforcing health and safety codes. City officials point out that the park has evolved over the years from a trailer to a mobile home park and therefore the inspection codes have to be applied differently. Current codes require it to be inspected every seven years.
   Building officer McCormick says that the City was slow to act on complaints it has received because the "trailer park has so many problems and they couldn't just put a band-aid on it." His department hopes all utility and parking improvements will be made by July 1 and that all mobile homes and trailers will be properly spaced apart by September 1. 
   Park residents had problems identifying the owner of the property since Muramatsu only communicates with them through the J&H Management Inc. McCormick says that now both J & H and Muramatsu are participating in talks with the city to correct park problems.
   $500,000 in low-income grants have been awarded to park residents by the City to help with costly repairs. A consultant has been hired to handle the grants. Just moving a trailer or mobile home into the proper position will cost about $2,000.
   James Joffe and his J& H Management Inc. assumed management of the park in May, 1990. At that time, the park's 109 spaces had been under rent control since 1979. Today, only 42-45 spaces are still under rent control. Homeowners' president McNama alleges that "James Joffe's sole job is to get rid of rent control in this park." 
   A few weeks ago, she said, park residents received a letter from Joffe which stated the company would not make needed repairs to comply with city codes or other improvements if 90% of the residents did not sign a contract that renounced their rights to rent control and all past claims, even though the area is specifically zoned for rent-controlled trailers.
   In addition, she clsaimed, the management is not telling new residents the park is under rent control. 12 newer residents, including McNama, filed an excess rent complaint against J&H and won. J&H is currently appealing the decision. 
   J&H has notified the park's residents that the park is for sale for an asking price of $10 million and says a buyer has made an offer. If the park is sold, the current owner must correct the health and safety violations or must disclose them by law to the new owner who must then correct them. 
   McNama also alleges that she and her husband have been harassed and threatened with eviction for speaking out against Muramatsu and the J&H management company. It has only been through their 
   Joffe did not respond to the Mirror's request for an interview concerning the Village Trailer Park.