Residents of Sterling Shores ask Lake County supervisors for immediate moratorium on pass-through fees

Several residents of Sterling Shores Mobile Home Park told the Lake County Board of Supervisors on Feb. 10 that the park owner, identified in public comment as Caritas Corporation, has begun charging large pass-through capital fees that will be collected monthly over the next decade.

“My name is Maya Lin… Caritas is charging us with pass through fees of approximately $450,000,” said Maya Lin, a Sterling Shores resident, asking the board to place a temporary moratorium on pass-through fees and rent increases before March 1. Laura Ashley, another resident, said the increases threaten low-income, disabled and senior homeowners who own their homes but rent the land.

The residents said the fees are being billed as capital pass-throughs but that the owner’s letter claimed some of the charges represent past operating expenses. Speakers described repeated annual rent increases—citing 6% in 2023, 4.5% in 2024 and 5% in 2025—and said a new monthly fee would add to already constrained household budgets.

The presentation of concerns included descriptions of a nonprofit owner with an executive salary cited by a speaker (Maya Lin said the CEO "makes $300,000 a year") and appeals to the board to act quickly to avoid displacement of elderly and fixed-income residents.

Why it matters: mobile-home parks commonly house low-income and elderly residents who may be unable to relocate quickly, and pass-through fees spread large capital costs into monthly housing payments. The residents requested a temporary moratorium to pause pass-through fees while the board’s ad hoc committee drafts a rent-stabilization ordinance.

Board response and next steps: board members and staff heard multiple public comments and acknowledged an ad hoc committee is already working on rent stabilization. Several supervisors expressed sympathy and said they would consider placing the matter on an upcoming agenda; no formal moratorium motion was made on Feb. 10. Staff noted the county can review legal options and that other counties (Sonoma, Fortuna, Camarillo referenced by speakers) have used moratoria as a temporary measure.

The board did not take an immediate vote on a moratorium at this meeting. The speakers asked the board to place the issue on the Feb. 24 agenda for action or to adopt emergency interim protections; supporters of a moratorium indicated they are prepared to provide county staff examples and evidence used elsewhere.