Maurice A Priest Jr

A recognized expert in mobilehome law and affordable housing, Maurice Priest, was appointed by the State Bar of California as the founding Chairman of the  State Bar Committee on Mobilehome Law in 1982.  He was also appointed by the State Bar of California as a Member of the Real Property Law Section Executive Committee from 1982-1985, where he served as Vice-Chairman in 1985.

He has qualified as an Expert Witness in Mobilehome Law cases in many Superior Courts in California, and has handled cases and trials for homeowner associations (HOA's) and homeowners on all aspects of mobilehome law including failure to maintain common areas, interference with home resales, breach of rental/lease agreements, and breach of park rules and regulations. HOA's have benefited from his advice during lease negotiations, amendments to rules and regulations, and in their efforts to gain resident and nonprofit ownership of mobilehome parks.

For 28 years, Maurice Priest served as the registered lobbyist at the State Capitol in Sacramento for Golden State Manufactured-Home Owners League, Inc. (GSMOL) representing the interests of homeowners and their associations.  He testified regularly before the Judiciary and Housing Committees in both the State Senate and State Assembly. During his tenure as lobbyist for GSMOL, over 175 new laws were enacted to protect the interests of homeowners.  During his lobbying career he worked on all legislation regarding the resident and nonprofit purchase of mobilehome parks, and this uniqure experience has proven invaluable to homeowners seeking to gain ownership of the rental parks where they live.

During his 28 year career as a lobbyist, Mr. Priest, helped to write and gain passage of,  legislation which became The Floating Homes Act of California.  This body of law became the Floating Homes Residency Law, Civil Code Section 800, et seq. This act extended to floating home owners who rent slips in marinas, many of the same laws that Mr. Priest advocated for mobilehome owners renting spaces in mobile home parks.

Mr. Priest serves as President of nonprofits Affordable Communities, Inc. (ACI) and Resident Owned Parks, Inc. (ROP), IRS-approved nonprofit housing corporations, that have served as the conversion consultants for HOA's purchasing mobilehome parks.  Nonprofit ACI/ROP's direct purchase and management of mobilehome communities has benefited many homeowners and associations that could not afford to directly purchase mobilehome parks.  Mr. Priest's expertise in local and state loan and grant programs, tax-exempt bond financing, and conventional financing for the acquisition of mobilehome parks, has proven extremely helpful to his clients seeking to preserve affordable housing.