MOBILE HOME PARK RESIDENTS RETAIN LAWYER.

Byline: Susan Abram Staff Writer

NEWHALL - About 40 residents of the Polynesian Mobile Home Park have retained a local attorney to assist them after dozens of their homes were damaged or deemed uninhabitable by flooding rains and mud as a result of this month's rain storm.

Attorney Hunt Braly said residents approached his firm asking what they could do after heavy rains earlier this month caused a torrent of mud and water to pass through the drainage culvert, submerging the access road into the park.

Residents there have been stranded repeatedly because the access road is the only way in and out.

About 30 of the mobile home units remain red-tagged. Others remain damaged by mud.

``We agreed that if people wanted to retain us, we would move forward with an investigation, and find those who might be responsible,'' Braly said. ``People have different issues and different claims, including problems accessing and egressing the park.''

During a multi-agency meeting held earlier this month, officials from Santa Clarita, the state Department of Fish and Game, the Department of Housing and Community Development and the Los Angeles County Fire Department, as well as the mobile home park's operators, agreed that the solution to preventing flooding into the 141-unit park off San Fernando Road was to fix the bridge that runs over a culvert.

Part of the problem was caused by the recent fires that charred the hills of Placerita Canyon. Runoff from the Jan. 8-9 deluge pushed excess mud and burned debris through the culvert. Officials are concerned about future storms, because burn areas take years to recover, and more flooding can be expected.

But Braly said the park owners have been difficult to contact because they are listed under a limited liability corporation. He also said his firm will ask the Department of Housing and Community Development, a regulatory agency that oversees mobile home parks, to place more pressure on the owners.

State officials could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.

``We believe they have a responsibility to put pressure on the park,'' Braly said. ``Clearly, there's a lot of finger-pointing, but we intend to continue to investigate. One of the challenges has been that no one has talked to the owner.''

Santa Clarita officials have been assisting by clearing the creek and helping restore utilities from some residents.

As of Tuesday, natural gas was restored to 50 units and on Wednesday, another 50 were expected to have gas lines working. The remaining units, about 14, will have service by the end of the week.

The red-tagged units will not have gas restored until further notice, city officials said.

During Tuesday's City Council meeting, officials agreed it was the state's responsibility to place more pressure on the owners of the mobile home park.

``I know it defies common sense, but the state has jurisdiction of mobile home parks,'' City Manager Ken Pulskamp said. ``In spite of that, we will do what we can do to help these people.''

Pulskamp said the upper creek cleanup would cost roughly $150,000, and would require financing from public and private agencies.

The council also asked the city staff to petition state legislators to order repairs at the mobile home park. ``I feel like I've fallen down a rabbit hole,'' resident Hadassah Foster told the council. ``I have no gas in my home, but the state of California tells me it's safe to live in. It boggles the mind.''

Staff Writer Eugene Tong contributed to this report.

Susan Abram, [phone]

susan.abram(at)dailynews.com