§ 19-55. Efforts to thwart the exercise of the rental option—Misdemeanor/other penalties.

Any and all conduct intended to chill the rights conferred upon tenants and prospective tenants to exercise their legal rental options granted under this article of the Sonoma County Code is prohibited. Any purchaser qualifications that are proposed to be reduced or relieved for "more than one year" lessees (as opposed to "less than one year" lessees and month-to-month tenants) shall be prima facie evidence of an effort to chill and/or deny prospective mobilehome park space tenants their rights under the county code in the absence of a showing that such qualifications are authorized under Civil Code Section 798.74 or other relevant provisions of law. Such conduct shall be unlawful, and persons who commit such conduct or have their agents commit such conduct shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and additional penalties under Section 17000 et seq. of the Business and Professions Code. However, a new tenant may be lawfully required to assume the remainder of the prior tenant's remaining term under a predecessor's binding rental agreement if the express terms of such rental agreement so provides.

(Ord. No. 5093 § 2, 1998.)