United States v. Plaza Mobile Estates

273 F. Supp. 2d 1084, 2003 WL 21750859
CourtDistrict Court, C.D. California
DecidedJuly 1, 2003
DocketCV91-6255-RMT(GHKx), CV92-3015-RMT(GHKx)
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 273 F. Supp. 2d 1084 (United States v. Plaza Mobile Estates) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, C.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Plaza Mobile Estates, 273 F. Supp. 2d 1084, 2003 WL 21750859 (C.D. Cal. 2003).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM RE MOTION BY PLAINTIFF AND PLAINTIFF-IN-TERVENORS FOR PARTIAL SUMMARY JUDGMENT RE: PARK RULES

TAKASUGI, Senior District Judge.

This matter has come before the court on the motion by plaintiff-intervenors and plaintiff United States of America for partial summary judgment against defendants Joseph Sherman, Mike and Darla Morton, and George Briggs re: park rules. Having considered the pleadings and other papers filed herein, the court issues this memorandum in lieu of findings of fact and conclusions of law.

Pursuant to Rule 56(c) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, summary judgment “shall be rendered forthwith if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.” By this motion, plaintiff United States of America and plaintiff-intervenors seek (1) declaration that rules and regulations at Walnut Hills Mobile Home Community (“Walnut Hills”), Rancho La Seda Mobile Home Community (“Rancho La Seda”), Sierra Pines Mobile Home Country Club (“Sierra Pines”), Rancho La Puente Mobile Home Community (“Rancho La Puente”), Rancho Hermoso Mobile Home Park (“Rancho Hermoso”), and Park Santa Anita (“Santa Anita”) have restricted or denied access to facilities and/or areas on the basis of age in violation of the Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 3601, et seq.; and (2) injunctive relief, precluding any further publication or enforcement of the discriminatory rules at Walnut Hills, Rancho La Seda, and Sierra Pines (collectively, “Current Parks”).

The Current Parks are mobile home parks presently owned by Defendant Joseph Sherman (“Sherman”). Rancho La Puente, Rancho Hermoso, and Park Santa Anita (collectively, “Previously Owned Parks”) are mobile home parks previously owned by Defendant Sherman. The mobile home parks, Rancho La Puente and Ran-cho Hermoso were sold by Defendant Sherman in 1996 and 1995, respectively. Park Santa Anita was closed in 1994.

Defendant George Briggs (“Briggs”) was the on-site manager of Park Santa Anita from 1989 to 1994. Beginning in 1994, per the request of Defendant Sherman, Defendant Briggs served as supervisor to the on-site managers of Rancho Hermoso, Rancho La Puente, and Rancho La Sedo. Shortly thereafter, Defendant Briggs additionally served as supervisor to the on-site managers of Sierra Pines and Walnut Hills. From February 1992, to April 1995, defendants Mike and Darla Morton (collectively, the “Mortons”) managed Walnut Hills.

AGE RESTRICTIVE RULES AT THE MOBILE HOME PARKS

Of the six mobile home parks in question herein, Walnut Hills, Sierra Pines, and Rancho Hermoso had, in 1989, preambles to their rules stating that the park was “designed and built as an adult facility.” In 1993, Rancho La Seda’s preamble to its rules stated that it was “designed as an ADULT facility.”

As of March 10, 1989, mobile home park rules at Sierra Pines, restricting access or denying the use of park facilities and/or areas on the basis of age, included the following: (a) Children under the age of fourteen(14) years old shall not be allowed to ride a bicycle on the park streets *1088 without the accompaniment of an adult registered to the mobile home in which they reside, (b) Children under the age of eight (8) years old must be confined to a play area in the rear fenced yard of the family residence; (c) Children shall not be allowed to play on park streets, or in any other common areas; (d) Residents under the age of eighteen (18) years old shall not be permitted to use the recreation building (clubhouse) or any other recreational facilities without the accompaniment of an adult registered to the mobile home in which they reside; (e) Residents under the age of eighteen (18) years old must be accompanied by the registered resident adult from the same household in order to use any of the recreational facilities or recreational building (clubhouse); (f) Residents and visitors under the age of eighteen (18) years old may use the swimming pool and sun deck during the hours of 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (noon) every day. Residents and visitors under the age of eighteen (18) years old are not permitted around the pool or sun deck after 12:00 noon; (g) Residents and visitors under the age of eighteen (18) years old are not permitted to use the saunas or the therapeutic jet pool at any time; and (h) Children under the age of fourteen (14) years old must be accompanied by a registered resident adult to be allowed to ride a bicycle in the park streets. 1

From March, 1995, to the present date, rules at Sierra Pines, restricting access or denying the use of park facilities and/or areas on the basis of age, include the following: (a) The adult resident host must accompany all guests of their mobile home who use the recreation building (clubhouse) or any of the recreational facilities of the park; (b) Children under the age of fourteen (14) years old must be accompanied by the registered resident adult from the same household in order to use any of the recreational facilities or recreational building (clubhouse), and (c) Residents and visitors under the age of fourteen (14) years old are not permitted to use the saunas or the therapeutic jet pool (spa) at any time. As of March, 1995, supplemental park rules and regulations regarding the recreation building policies of Sierra Pines mandated that, when using the clubhouse, persons under ten (10) years old must be accompanied by an adult resident. In 1997, Sierra Pines had rules posted that provided: (a) Use of the billiards room was restricted to residents over eighteen (18) years old; (b) Use of the spa was prohibited to children under eighteen (18) years old; and (c) Use of the pool by children fourteen (14) years old and under required accompaniment by a resident.

As of July, 1989, rules at Walnut Hills restricting access or denying the use of park facilities and/or areas on the basis of age included the following: (a) Bicycle riding by anyone is prohibited unless accompanied by adult resident parent or adult host; (b) Any guest walking or riding bicycles must be accompanied by an adult resident; (c) Residents under the age of eighteen (18) years old shall not be permitted to use the recreation facility without the accompaniment of an adult registered to the mobile home in which they reside, except no one under twenty-one (21) years old may use the billiard room at any time; (d) Parent of resident child or resident host must accompany children at all times in the pool or pool area; (e) Guests and residents under the age of eighteen (18) *1089 years old are permitted to use the swimming pool and sun deck from the. hours of 9.00 a.m. to 12 noon only and must be accompanied by the parent or resident child or resident host; and (f) Any coach where children reside must be fenced.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
273 F. Supp. 2d 1084, 2003 WL 21750859, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-plaza-mobile-estates-cacd-2003.