Vol. 2 No. 8 August 2014
www.mobilehomemagazine.org
From the Staff of Mobilehome Magazine
Serving the Mobile/Manufactured Home Community in California
Bye Mobilehome Magazine. No, we are not leaving! In fact, we will be back in September as Manufactured-Home Life, with new content and a new energy to help all MH owners in California (see page .
P.O. Box 3774 Chatsworth, CA 91313
(818) 886-6479 Email Address
These are exciting times. Our partnership with California ManufacturedHome Owners Alliance (CAMOA) provides you a unique opportunity. Together we reach more MH owners than any other organization and also provide help (legal help soon) so you don’t have to go it alone. But we need your support. We need you and other readers to make a big push to join CAMOA. Our initial goal is 15-20% membership in each park. It is so important for you and your friends and neighbors to sign up now. If you do it now, our future is bright, and we all win! No longer do you have to complain about problems in your park, now you can join us and get solutions. CAMOA talks the talk and also walks the walk. Don’t wait for tomorrow, make the right decision and join today. Your satisfaction is guaranteed! Management problems have always plagued MH owners. In this issue we present another article( MH Park Managers, see page 7) by Donna Matthews, long time advocate for MH rights. Also we are printing a letter written by a San Diego resident which resulted in the firing of an abusive manager. You too can make a difference. Let’s take back our power! See page 6. The residents at Royal Western are finalizing their settlement at the same time another lawsuit against the same group, Sierra Management, is starting in Redwood City (page 8). And remember the $111 million win for the residents at California Hawaiian against Equity Lifestyle and Sam Zell. This seems like a turning point! Let’s keep up the good work. Letters to the editor brings a different twist on our HOA Syndrome article and a request for new legislation (page 9) It’s so important to know the basics, while living in a rental park. Page 11. Park owners and some advocates are hindering the distribution of Mobilehome Magazine. What happened to freedom of speech? We are sure their residents wouldn’t be happy. Page 10.
frank@mobilehomemagazine.org
Website www.mobilehomemagazine.org
MHMag is not responsible for content contained in advertising
PUBLISHER & EDITOR Frank A. Wodley
ADVERTISING SALES Rose Rosales
DESIGN
Greg Frazier
ARTICLE CONTRIBUTORS Donna Matthews Bill Schlegel
SPANISH TRANSLATOR Ruben Ibanez
PROOFREADER Barbara Kelley
Finally a word from CAMOA President William Schlegel. See page 12. Till next month, take care and be healthy.
TheMobilehome Magazine Staff
Mobilehome Magazine
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Volume 2 Number 8. August 2014
T A B L E
O F
CONTENTS From The Staff of Mobilehome Magazine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 2 Table of Contents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 3 Information is the Name of Our Game. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 4 Update - CAMOA Hits the Ground Running. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 5 What a Difference One Neighbor, One Month and One MHMag Can Make . Page 6 Elder Abuse Complaint Prompts Quick Change of Park Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . Page 6 Mobilehome Park Managers by Donna Matthews. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 7 Lawsuits Against Kort & Scott / Sierra Management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 8 Letters to the Editor (HOA’s & Roommate Vs Guest). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 9 Mobilehome Magazine Under Fire. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 10 It’s Important to Know the Basics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 11 CAMOA President’s Corner & Membership Application. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 12 Our New Name - Manufactured-Home Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 13 Now You Can Subscribe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 13 Business Directory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14
Mobilehome Magazine
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Volume 2 Number 8. August 2014
Information is the Name of Our Game We at Mobilehome Magazine are proud of our successes: a) We reach more MH owners with important information per month than any other group, b) No one else is providing you an archive of articles that you can easily copy and print from our website, and c) The magazine is bringing folks together, i.e. there is networking and organizing. That’s terrific.
b. Right click on DOWNLOADS c. Right click on the magazine of your choice. d. Use the page up or page down to locate articles. Or use your scroll button on your mouse.
Our Distribution
e. After you’ve located an article of interest, left click any where on the magazine. Locate “print” from the list of options, and right click on “print.”
Currently we are printing 6 magazines. We distribute about 25,000 copies of Mobilehome Magazine per month!
f. Select the page(s) you want to print. You can even save to your computer by using the PDF print feature.
Our distribution areas include two in the San Francisco Bay area (San Jose and North Bay), two in the greater Los Angeles area (San Fernando Valley and Orange County-South L.A.) and two in the San Diego area (North San Diego County and San Diego). We also deliver magazines to parks outside these areas via Priority Mail boxes (150 mags/ box).
You can download as many articles as you desire, or even full magazines. Use our directory listed in the July 2014 issue under Archived Articles Available. Of course, everything is free.
Get On Board If you live in a park not currently getting the magazine, please volunteer to distribute the magazine. We will supply you with free magazines and advise you your rights and options to deliver them. Remember the magazine is being delivered in over 120 parks without interference from park owners and managers. So don’t be afraid. Everyone needs the magazine. Simply call Frank at 818-886-6479 or email him at frank@ mobilehomemagazine.org.
Distribution Growing Now we are offering subscriptions ($15/year) to those individuals not in our local distribution areas and not in a park that has a resident who will distribute the magazine. This means any one wanting a magazine can receive it! Any one! No matter where they live.
Please Donate - It’s Critical!
Our goal is to publish four more magazines for areas east of Los Angeles (San Gabriel Valley, Riverside, Hemet, and Palm Springs) and one for the Sacramento area. If you live in any of these areas, please step up and volunteer to help. Your offer would be much appreciated.
These are the facts. To keep the magazine viable,we need at least $1000/month in donations for the next 12 months while CAMOA gets off the ground. You’re reading the magazine because of one MH owner. Frank Wodley finances, publishes, edits the articles, mails out boxes of magazines, handles advertising and coordinates distribution. All on his own.
Archive of Articles
Frank is not rich. He does not get any grants, but he is dedicated to helping you. MHMag costs almost $100,000/ year. Advertising is down drasticalllyand between July 1, 2013 and June 30, 2014 we only received $6,500 in donations.
Currently we have an archive of over 120 articles. If you haven’t visited our website at www.mobilehomemagazine.org you should today! Click on DOWNLOADS. Displayed are magazines going back as far as September 2011.
Today your donation is critical. If you enjoy getting the magazine, you must support us. Or join CAMOA, that’s even better! Only you can keep us going. If next month you don’t get a magazine, you will know we didn’t receive enough to keep going. That would be sad. Send donations to MHMag, P.O. Box 3774, Chatsworth, CA. 91313. Do it TODAY! Frank and the entire MH Community thanks you for your kind support.
Downloading & Printing Is Easy Downloading and printing articles, even whole magazines, is very easy. Here are the steps: a. Go to www.mobilehomemagazine.org Mobilehome Magazine
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Volume 2 Number 8. August 2014
Our New Name - Manufactured-Home Life Classified Ads
Beginning September 2014 MHMag will be published as “Manufactured-Home Life” or MH Life, or just LIFE for short. There are two main reasons for this change. First, we want to get away from the old term “Mobilehome” as we all know our homes are not mobile. And please do not use the word Coach or Trailer!!!
Beginning September 2014 we will accept classified advertising. Advertise household items, cars, electronics, or whatever. We will even accept ads for mobile/manufactured homes for sale. Advertising is very inexpensive, only $1 per word with a 10 word minimum. Phone numbers count as one word, addresses as two words. Your ad will appear for one month in your area only. Additional areas at $.80 per word or all magazines at $4/ word. So you can reach your local area or the entire state of California with your ad.
Secondly, we want to expand the content of the magazine into all areas of Manufactured-Home life, and not just write about advocacy.
Service Directory As you can see (page 14 ), we are developing a business listing page to highlight local businesses that service you. If you can recommend a business in your area, please let us know (call or email Frank at 818-886-6479 / fawodley@yahoo.com). We will give them a free listing for the balance of 2014. This is a win-win. The business get’s a free listing and residents have choices of businesses when then need something for their home or themselves. Anyone that a MH owner might use qualifies. That includes big and small businesses - Home Depot to the local handyman. Readers want good referrals.
Please include your contact number, including your address, phone number and email address (if you have one) with a check to Wodley Printing, P.O. Box 3774, Chatsworth, CA. 91313.
Articles Please send your articles about MH life to us. We are your magazine and often times you know what readers want to see. And with our new name, now lots of different articles qualify. Don’t be shy. Send them to the address listed above. Thanks!
Now You Can Subscribe to Mobilehome Magazine Many of you might remember prior to July 2013 Mobilehome Magazine was a subscription magazine, but it ultimately did not make sense to take money for a subscription while the magazine was free. Today that has all changed. Our goal is to reach everyone with the magazine; however only residents in the parks in our distribution network (North Bay, San Jose, Orange & South L.A., San Fernando Valley, North San Diego County and San Diego) today receive the magazine. We want to change that. If you live in Timbuktu, we want you to get the magazine.
free. Anyone can see this is a bargain. CAMOA will ear mark $7 of your membership for a “legal fund” and provide you with exceptional customer service. You’re already reading of CAMOA’s successes. Get on board, and let’s really start taking care of business.
Park Owners / Managers Can Subscribe Too We want park owners, managers and residents to work together. Why not? It benefits all parties. And we want Park owners and park managers to be informed, just like MH owners. To that end, we now offer a subscription to park owners and managers. Just $30/year to get the magazine mailed directly to you. Simply make out a check in the amount of $30 payable to Wodley Printing and send it to Wodley Printing, P.O. Box 3774, Chatsworth, CA. 91313.
High Cost of Mailing You’ve heard this before, the cost to mail the magazine is quite high ($.50/issue bulk mail). And subscriptions require lots of paperwork, renewal notices, etc. For that reason, we must charge $15 /12 issues (1 year) of the magazine. To subscribe, simply send a check to Wodley Printing, P.O. Box 3774, Chatsworth, CA. 91313. Include your mailing address, email address and phone number for our records.
Park owners and managers can not join CAMOA.
Final Words We will be sending this magazine to those who subscribed between September 2011 and July 2012. We hope you come back. The magazine is full of good information and worth the $1.25 it costs. We guarantee it.
Another Option - Join CAMOA Today, if you don’t now get the magazine, you have another option. Join CAMOA for $24/year and receive the magazine Mobilehome Magazine
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Volume 2 Number 8. August 2014
Business Directory Finance BAY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION 831-479-6000
Handyman BERT MACK Cooler Tune-Up 408-348-6227
Health Services LIFEHOUSE HEALTH SERVICES 858-277-460
Heating & Air Conditioning BERNARDINO’S HEATING & AIR Northridge / 818-893-8720 California’s Comfort Crarftsman ECONOMY HEATING & AIR Northridge / 818-349-2700 California’s Comfort Crarftsman
Insurance
Real Estate
HUGHES WEST-BROOK 800-660-0204 Low Rates! Family Owned Since 1973 Insuring Your Home for Over 39 Years
CARLTON BROWN 760-471-1212 / 805-550-7055
BARBER INSURANCE 800-696-1108
WODLEY CONSTRUCTION 818-886-6479
WEIBEL INSURANCE AGENCY 800-653-5565
Mortuary ALLAN BROTHERS San Marcos Chapel 760-744-4522 Vista Chapel 760-726-2555
Pest Control / Termite NO NONSENSE TERMITE Michael Williams, Operator 714-635-5111 MANNY’S TERMITE & PEST CONTROL 844-626-6977
Roofing Soundproofing SUPER SOUNDPROOFING 888-942-7723 All Business Directory Ads are free to businesses that service MH owners until 12/31/2014. Display Ad Rates Full Page $500 Half Page $300 Quarter Page $200 Eighth Page $100 Business Card $70
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toll-free: (888) 942-7723 Mobilehome Magazine
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Volume 2 Number 8. August 2014
COOLER TUNE-UP $34.50 6 Point Check List Popular Parts in Stock Handyman
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Mobilehome Magazine
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Volume 2 Number 8. August 2014
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