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Petaluma Sandalwood Estates
2009 / Once
again, Bill Feeney/Sandalwood
Estates sue City of Petaluma
Not only one -
but two lawsuits in
December 2008 against the City of Petaluma
from Sandalwood
Estates Park owner
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Welcome
Sandalwood Estates is a
mobile/manufactured home park built in 1964 for
senior citizens by the Thomas Family and remained within the family
until December 2000. From 1964 to year 2000, it was called Candlewood
Park. As you drive into the
park, you are on Candlewood Drive
where the office and the club house are located. Residents from
age 55 to late nineties own their homes and pay rent on the small piece
of land beneath their homes.
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 Temporary
change to this website during election time
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Although
I never met the Thomas family, you can still feel their presence
in the
park. The unique design of the park reveals a certain
personality trait of the
Thomas that is unmistakably kind and compassionate.
Unlike
many parks that I visited, the Thomas built this whole park into small
courts. 178 units built into U-shaped courts of four mobile homes
each court. I hear that the intention was to encourage
communication and socialization among the home owners. The
stories go on about the barbecues, the holiday
celebrations, the games. It was a large happy family.
The
park remained within the Thomas family until
December 2000, when Elaine
Thomas, who inherited the park after her parents passed, finally
consented to sell after repeated offers from Dieter and Helene Rabe of
Napa County. Elaine allegedly told some residents that the Rabes made her an offer she
could not refuse.
Would she have sold out had she known the fate awaiting the homeowners
of
Candlewood Park? Probably not according to those who knew her
well.
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Sad
day for Sandalwood Homeowners
William Feeney
and T.
Patrick Smith had big plans for Sandalwood. July 2001, Sandalwood
Park became Sandalwood Estates, LLC.
The Rabes / Feeney and Smith transaction was bad news for the
homeowners
of Sandalwood and it was a sad day for this community of seniors
citizens where the majority are on fixed income. The Rabes had
probably paid over market value for the property, and now, in addition
to the Rabes, this community was saddled with the Feeney and Smith's
(alleged) lease and they
demanded a "fair rate of return" on their
investment soon after (allegedly) signing their 55-year rental contract.
When Feeney and Smith took over the park, this was a gentle and
friendly community, but to Feeney and Smith, the land they leased was
an investment.
The
Homeowners of Sandalwood Estates
Sandalwood
Estates, a mobile home / manufactured home park located off McDowell
Boulevard North in Petaluma, California, is a community of senior
citizens where the majority are on fixed income. Some of the
homeowners have
been living in this park since it was built in 1964.
The ages range from fifty-five to late nineties. The homeowners
own their homes but pay rent on the small land beneath.
Candlewood Park
/ Sandalwood Park, has always been affordable housing
for senior citizens and most expected to live the rest of their lives
in this comfortable and gentle community. But for many
elderly more fragile residents, the transition of the park and the
constant fear that they could not meet the demands of the new owners,
added such stress and was overwhelming.
The fear of losing their homes robbed them of their last days of
peace.
Several
homeowners died suddently soon after the new owners took over
the lease of the land.
Feeney
and Smith
And
First Meeting with the Homeowners
The
club house was full. Everyone who could walk was there and the
tension was high as homeowners waited for the meeting to begin.
They were concerned about
what they were about to hear, yet they hoped for the best.
These new landowners, would they see their anxiety? Would they
cared about their lives?
Two large tableaux were set up with large blank sheets of paper ready
for the speakers to demonstrate their plans for the future of
Sandalwood Estates, LLC and the future of the
homeowners.
From age 55 to late 90s, they listened while slowly realizing their
worst fears confirmed. Patrick Smith and Bill Feeney,
multi-millionaires and new owners of
the Sandalwood land, clearly spoke of their intention to raise
the rent to $600.00 per month as quickly as possible. It was
more than double for most homeowners on fixed income.
That evening residents of Sandalwood went home devastated. Many
in tears. Most spent sleepless nights worrying, wondering
what to do, where to go. Where do you go if you are 85,
unable to work and about to lose your home?
In their convertible Mercedes and BMW, Mr.
Feeney and Mr. Smith made a grand entrance into the senior mobilehome
park. They demonstrated their authority and
without doubt, they expected Sandalwood homeowners to be easily
intimidated by their ruses.
Sandalwood is a wonderful and friendly little community where everyone
looks after each other. Soon we began to see this community rise,
organize, ready for a fight. Leaders took control and
worked hours, days, and months to learn the laws, talking to
politicians, to lawyers, raising money to fight these abuses.
Yes, some gave up. (It is alleged that $55,000 homes were
bought by Feeney and Smith for $10,000.) Many moved rather
than facing stressful battles. And some died.
Feeney and Smith soon put their plans into actions and began working on
the elderly. They wanted everyone on long term leases.
Those who chose to stay under the city rent control laws were punished
with notices of rent
increases of more than 100%. On
May 9, 2002, an arbitration decision made by arbitrator
Leland Dibble, denied Feeney and Smith their
demand to raise the rent for more
than 6%, what is allowed by city Ordinance Section
6.50.040A.
Feeney and Smith, angry at the decision, appealed the ruling and sued
the City of Petaluma, claiming bias by Arbitrator Leland Dibble.
They lamented they were denied a "fair rate of return" on their
investment. They claimed that by denying them the requested rent
increase, the homeowners were taking from them! ! ! They were the
victims. They, the sophisticated businessmen millionaires
who came to Petaluma looking to expand their wealth off the backs of
the elderly, they were the victims.
As Mr. Dibble justly stated in Findings of
Fact, Feeney and Smith knew when they acquired Sandalwood that
the park was affordable housing for senior citizens. "They
appear to have overpaid in terms of lease payment for the property,
and thus the tenants cannot be burdened with that miscalculation."
And Judge Owen agreed with Mr. Dibble and added: "Petitioner did not
show that it was denied a fair hearing
by Mr. Dibble since the mere fact that a decision is rendered
against a party is insufficient to mandate disqualification for bias."
Still, Feeney and Smith were not satisfied
as they continued to make good of their promise to take the
homeowners to arbitration year after year.
Less than a month after they lost the lawsuit, Feeney & Smith
sent new notices to the stressed homeowners for another rent incease
of 111
%.
Speaking to Argus Courier reporter, Chip McAuley, the attorney for the
homeowners, Joseph Smith said: "The park owners either need to be
criminally indicted or have a civil lawsuit brought against them for
elder abuse and unfair business practices." "A lot of tenants
will die, or move out of the park and the Bay Area," he said.
Several have had strokes during the arbitration process. "Someone
has to intervene. I can't do it alone."
After several years of duress on the homeowners, Bill Feeney and
Patrick Smith finally entered into an agreement with the affected
parties and the City of Petaluma. The agreement, signed in
January 2004, was relatively reasonable considering their
demands. But, was it the end?
Was it the end of harassment for Sandalwood seniors and elderly?
Hardly!
To be continued . . . .
Coming up: Trouble at Sandalwood Estates
Retaliation at Petaluma Sandalwood Estates
January 11, 2009
Once again, Bill Feeney/Sandalwood
Estates sue City of Petaluma
Not only one - but
two lawsuits in
December 2008 against the City of Petaluma from Sandalwood Estates Park
owner
Bill Feeney / Sandalwood Estates in
arbitration again with nine more homeowners. Bill Feeney cries to
City of Petaluma for legal costs of arbitration.
Like Petaluma Mayor, Pam Torliatt
said: Bill Feeney has a choice. He chose to take
homeowners to arbitration year after year.
In 2001, Bill Feeney chose to enter into an
agreement with Sandalwood Estates park owners, The Rabes, knowing this
was a senior park under rent control. (In my opinion, something
illegal happened in the Rabe/Feeney transactions) The past more than
eight years he has been trying to break rent control in Petaluma and
more than eight years later Bill Feeney is still trying to destroy the
spirit of the remaining homeowners. (many died or moved
out) He is still taking several homeowners through arbitrations
year after year, harass and retaliates against many and is making life
miserable to try to force them to move out so he can replace the homes
and get large rent increases. The man is a miserable and
ageing creature and one day he will pay dearly for his acts against
humanity.
Sandalwood
Mourning 
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Other sites by Marcelle Guy
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If
disaster strikes, are you ready?
(Don't
forget your pets)
Go to:
Emergency
Preparedness
City of Petaluma
Emergency Preparedness Programs:
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Petaluma,
California
Stay informed with City Watchdog.
"City
Watchdog" airs on Public Access Channel 26 Sunday 11am Diane
Reilly
Torres has produced over 150 episodes of the City Watchdog program. Her
"man-on-the-street"-style program frequently focuses on issues of open
government and shines a light on social issues
Weekly Schedule:
Th 6pm---Fri 5pm---Sat 9pm --- Sun 11am
Diane Reilly Torres
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Note:
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This website,
PetalumaSandalwood.com, has no affiliation with Sandalwood Estates,
LLC. This is a personal website and the information published and
opinions expressed are those of the
webmaster and provided by Elle on the Web for your personal use.
Content
subject to change without
notice.
Your Webmaster:
Marcelle
E. Guy
Contact: elle@svn.net
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Credit
The paintings used for this
set is by artist,
Penny Parker.
The background, graphics and
layout compliment of:
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City
of Petaluma:
