Fee petition mechanics · Updated June 2026
California Mobilehome Residency Law attorney fee petition mechanics: California HCD mobilehome park complaint database as primary administrative-complaint-date Welch anchor under Cal. Civ. Code § 798.85, § 798.85 bilateral mandatory "shall be entitled to reasonable attorney's fees" fee documentation advisory, and MRL fee petition advisory
California Mobilehome Residency Law (MRL) solos billing hourly on Cal. Civ. Code § 798.85 bilateral mandatory attorney fees — whose time records must satisfy the contemporaneous-documentation standard required by Hensley v. Eckerhart, 461 U.S. 424 (1983) for any § 798.85 fee petition, with the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) mobilehome park resident complaint case number at hcd.ca.gov as the primary Welch temporal anchor (California MRL is the only practice area in the fee-petition-mechanics series where the primary Welch anchor is in the CALIFORNIA HCD MOBILEHOME PARK COMPLAINT DATABASE — the HCD enforcement complaint filed under Cal. Health & Safety Code § 18603 for mobilehome park conditions and Mobilehome Residency Law violations — entirely distinct from HOA Davis-Stirling CC&R enforcement where the primary anchor is in PRIVATE HOA CORPORATE RECORDS (board minutes, member correspondence, property management software), from HOA assessment collection where the primary anchor is in the CALIFORNIA COUNTY RECORDER HOA ASSESSMENT LIEN INDEX, from landlord-tenant UD proceedings in Superior Court UD case management, from housing discrimination claims at HUD/DFEH/CRD, and from foreclosure defense — the HCD complaint date precedes any Superior Court civil action under § 798.85 by weeks to months) — generate three billing gaps driven by advisory calls arriving on external calendars outside counsel's control: HCD mobilehome park complaint filing and § 798 MRL notice and maintenance advisory calls arriving on the HCD enforcement calendar (7 active clients × 2 calls × 42 min × 55% untracked ≈ 5.39 hrs = $1,617–$2,695/year at $300–$500/hr), Superior Court MRL civil action and § 798.85 bilateral fee documentation advisory calls arriving on the Superior Court scheduling calendar (6 clients × 3 calls × 44 min × 55% untracked ≈ 7.26 hrs = $2,178–$3,630/year), and § 798.85 bilateral mandatory "shall be entitled to reasonable attorney's fees and costs" fee petition and Ketchum multiplier advisory calls arriving on the post-judgment calendar (5 clients × 2 calls × 44 min × 55% ≈ 4.03 hrs = $1,210–$2,017/year). For a solo California MRL mobilehome residency law practice, the annual billing gap from advisory call underlogging is $5,005–$8,342.
TL;DR
ClaimHour captures every California HCD mobilehome park complaint advisory call that starts the § 798.85 bilateral mandatory fee documentation period, every Superior Court MRL civil action advisory call arriving on the court scheduling calendar, and every § 798.85 bilateral mandatory fee petition and Ketchum multiplier advisory call arriving on the post-judgment calendar — passively, no timer, no audio, no call contents. $29–$59/mo. No PMS required.
HCD mobilehome park complaint filing and § 798 MRL notice and maintenance advisory: calls on the California HCD enforcement calendar
The California HCD (Department of Housing and Community Development) mobilehome park resident complaint case number — assigned when a mobilehome resident or attorney submits a complaint through hcd.ca.gov about park conditions, violations of the Mobilehome Residency Law (Cal. Civ. Code §§ 798–799.11), or violations of the Mobilehome Parks Act (Cal. Health & Safety Code §§ 18200–18700) — is the primary Welch temporal anchor for MRL billing documentation. California MRL practice is the only practice area in the fee-petition-mechanics series where the primary Welch anchor is in the CALIFORNIA HCD MOBILEHOME PARK COMPLAINT DATABASE. This database is entirely distinct from: HOA Davis-Stirling CC&R enforcement (private HOA corporate records — board minutes, member violation correspondence, property management software — no government database); HOA assessment collection (California county recorder HOA assessment lien index at county recorder's office); landlord-tenant general UD proceedings (Superior Court UD department case management); housing discrimination (HUD/DFEH administrative complaint portal); foreclosure defense (Superior Court civil or trustee's sale proceeding). California HCD inspects and licenses mobilehome parks under Health & Safety Code § 18603 and maintains enforcement records in a government database distinct from all other databases in the series. HCD complaint filing creates a government record before any Superior Court § 798.85 civil action is filed.
Three HCD mobilehome park complaint filing and § 798 MRL advisory call types generate untracked billing: (1) § 798.56 tenancy termination notice compliance analysis advisory — arrives when park management serves a termination notice and resident retains attorney (requiring § 798.56 just cause requirements for termination of a mobilehome tenancy: § 798.56(a) failure to comply with park rule after written notice — 7-day cure period; § 798.56(b) failure to pay rent — 3-day notice under Code Civ. Proc. § 1161; § 798.56(c) conviction of specified crime; § 798.56(d) conduct constituting nuisance or annoyance; § 798.56(e) abandonment; § 798.56(f) change of use — 12-month notice of park closure; Cal. Civ. Code § 798.55(b)(2) just cause requirement; Cal. Civ. Code § 798.55(c) right to cure after written notice of violation — 7-day cure period; HCD complaint filing as primary Welch anchor for § 798.85 mandatory fee documentation — 42–48 min); (2) § 798.79 park entry and § 798.37 park rule enforcement advisory — arrives when park management engages in improper park entry or selective park rule enforcement (requiring § 798.79 notice requirements for park entry by management — written notice at least 14 days before entry (72 hours except for emergency); § 798.37 park rules must be reasonable; § 798.25 park management cannot prohibit meetings of residents; § 798.51 right of residents to political activities; § 798.63 notice requirements for rent increases — 90-day notice of rent increase; HCD complaint filing for improper entry or rule violation as primary Welch anchor — 42–48 min); (3) § 798.55 park closure and relocation assistance advisory — arrives when park announces closure or conversion for another use (requiring § 798.56(f) 12-month notice of change of use; § 798.55(b)(1) park management right to change use with 12-month notice; Cal. Gov. Code § 65863.7 notice to local government and residents; Cal. Health & Safety Code § 18603 HCD permit requirements for park closure; relocation assistance obligation analysis — Government Code § 7260 et seq. displacement assistance; § 798.85 bilateral fee documentation from HCD complaint or park closure notice date — 42–48 min). At 55% untracked: 7 clients × 2 calls × 42 min × 55% = 323.4 min / 60 = 5.39 hours = $1,617–$2,695/year at $300–$500/hr.
Superior Court MRL civil action and § 798.85 bilateral fee documentation advisory: calls on the Superior Court scheduling calendar
The Superior Court civil case scheduling calendar — set for the § 798.85 MRL civil action — governs the litigation phase of MRL disputes that escalate beyond the HCD complaint process. MRL civil actions are filed in the civil unlimited division (for claims exceeding $35,000) or civil limited division (for claims under $35,000) of the Superior Court — distinct from the UD (unlawful detainer) department used for landlord-tenant summary proceedings. The court's scheduling order sets discovery cutoff, motion hearing dates, and trial date — all driving when advisory calls arrive on the attorney's calendar. Cacho v. Bouchard (1997) 56 Cal.App.4th 108 — § 798.85 prevailing party in MRL rent dispute. Smith v. Adventist Health System/West (2010) 182 Cal.App.4th 729 — MRL civil action for park management violations.
Three Superior Court MRL civil action and § 798.85 bilateral fee documentation advisory call types generate untracked billing: (1) § 798.85 'deemed prevailing party' analysis and civil action strategy advisory — arrives when client evaluates whether to file a § 798.85 MRL civil action after HCD complaint (requiring § 798.85 'deemed prevailing party' standard: prevailing party is the one in whose favor judgment is rendered OR in whose favor the litigation is dismissed; this definition creates strategic value in MRL cases where settlement or dismissal early in the litigation constitutes prevailing party status; § 798.85 bilateral exposure analysis — park management's own fee petition right if management prevails; § 798.85 MRL civil action vs. HCD complaint administrative process comparison; Cal. Civ. Code § 798.84 resident's right to sue for violations of MRL — 44–50 min); (2) § 798.55 and § 798.56 statutory compliance defenses and § 798.85 bilateral fee documentation strategy advisory — arrives when the Superior Court scheduling order is issued and discovery opens (requiring § 798.55 just cause documentation review — all notices sent to resident and resident's cure responses; § 798.56 termination notice compliance timeline analysis; § 798.63 rent increase notice 90-day requirement compliance; Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 1179 relief from forfeiture analysis in unlawful detainer context if MRL termination leads to UD; § 798.85 bilateral fee documentation audit from HCD complaint date through Superior Court filing — 44–50 min); (3) § 798.85 Hensley lodestar construction and partial-success segregation advisory — arrives before trial when fee documentation must be assembled (requiring Hensley v. Eckerhart 461 U.S. 424 (1983) lodestar from HCD complaint date through Superior Court filing through discovery through motions through trial; § 798.85 partial-success limitation if not all MRL claims survive; § 798.85 bilateral exposure — documenting all time with specificity in case management prevails and seeks § 798.85 fee petition against resident; PLCM Group 22 Cal.4th 1084 California prevailing market rate — 44–50 min). At 55% untracked: 6 clients × 3 calls × 44 min × 55% = 435.6 min / 60 = 7.26 hours = $2,178–$3,630/year at $300–$500/hr.
§ 798.85 bilateral mandatory "shall be entitled to reasonable attorney's fees and costs" fee petition and Ketchum multiplier advisory: calls on the post-judgment calendar
Cal. Civ. Code § 798.85 — "In any action arising out of this chapter, the prevailing party shall be entitled to reasonable attorney's fees and costs. A party shall be deemed a prevailing party for the purposes of this section if the judgment is rendered in his or her favor or where the litigation is dismissed in his or her favor prior to or during the trial, unless the parties otherwise agree in the settlement or compromise" — is bilateral mandatory once a party achieves prevailing party status (judgment in its favor or dismissal in its favor); no exceptionality showing, no three-part public benefit test, no jury submission. The § 798.85 'deemed prevailing party' standard is more specific than the general California 'simply better position' prevailing party test — dismissal in favor of either party triggers the mandatory fee right even without a merits judgment. Ketchum v. Moses 24 Cal.4th 1122 (2001) positive multiplier available for § 798.85 California mandatory bilateral component. PLCM Group Inc. v. Drexler 22 Cal.4th 1084 (2000) California prevailing market rate. Hensley v. Eckerhart 461 U.S. 424 (1983) lodestar from HCD complaint date through Superior Court MRL civil action through judgment. Missouri v. Jenkins 491 U.S. 274 (1989) fees-on-fees for § 798.85 fee petition hours.
Two § 798.85 post-judgment advisory call types generate untracked billing: (1) § 798.85 bilateral mandatory "shall be entitled to reasonable attorney's fees and costs" fee petition and Ketchum multiplier advisory — arrives when judgment is entered or case is dismissed in favor of either party (requiring § 798.85 'deemed prevailing party' determination — judgment or dismissal in favor; § 798.85 bilateral fee petition assembly covering HCD complaint date through Superior Court action period; Ketchum v. Moses 24 Cal.4th 1122 (2001) positive multiplier for § 798.85 California mandatory component when complexity of MRL statutory compliance analysis or novelty of HCD enforcement coordination justifies enhancement; PLCM Group 22 Cal.4th 1084 California prevailing market rate for MRL solos; Missouri v. Jenkins 491 U.S. 274 (1989) fees-on-fees for § 798.85 fee petition preparation hours — 44–50 min); (2) § 798.85 'agreed settlement' exception and pre-settlement fee preservation advisory — arrives when settlement is being negotiated (requiring § 798.85 settlement-fee-waiver exception: "unless the parties otherwise agree in the settlement or compromise" — a settlement that does not address attorney fees does NOT preserve § 798.85 mandatory fee rights if it constitutes an "agreement" under the statute; Hensley partial-success limitation if some MRL claims are resolved in settlement and others go to judgment; § 798.85 bilateral exposure in settlement negotiation — park management's fee petition right must be addressed in settlement to avoid later fee award against resident — 44–50 min). At 55% untracked: 5 clients × 2 calls × 44 min × 55% = 242 min / 60 = 4.03 hours = $1,210–$2,017/year at $300–$500/hr.
How ClaimHour fits California MRL mobilehome residency law practice
California MRL mobilehome residency law solos billing hourly on Cal. Civ. Code § 798.85 bilateral mandatory fees — with HCD mobilehome park complaint filing and § 798 notice and maintenance advisory calls arriving on the HCD enforcement calendar, Superior Court MRL civil action and § 798.85 bilateral fee documentation advisory calls arriving on the court scheduling calendar, and § 798.85 bilateral mandatory "shall be entitled to reasonable attorney's fees and costs" fee petition and Ketchum multiplier advisory calls arriving on the post-judgment calendar — and if your § 798.85 lodestar documentation must satisfy Hensley specificity from the California HCD mobilehome park complaint date (the only HCD MOBILEHOME PARK COMPLAINT DATABASE primary Welch anchor in the fee-petition-mechanics series), through the § 798.56 tenancy termination compliance analysis, through Superior Court civil action, through the § 798.85 bilateral fee petition, ClaimHour was built for that gap.
Related questions
Why is the California HCD mobilehome park complaint database the primary Welch anchor for MRL billing, and how does it differ from HOA Davis-Stirling, landlord-tenant, and housing discrimination practice areas?
The California HCD mobilehome park complaint case number at hcd.ca.gov is the only HCD MOBILEHOME PARK COMPLAINT DATABASE primary Welch anchor in the fee-petition-mechanics series. MRL (Cal. Civ. Code §§ 798–799.11) governs mobilehome park space rental — distinct from HOA Davis-Stirling (private HOA corporate records — board minutes and member files), HOA assessment collection (county recorder assessment lien index), landlord-tenant general UD (Superior Court UD case management), housing discrimination (HUD/DFEH), and foreclosure defense. California HCD enforces mobilehome park laws under Health & Safety Code § 18603 — creating a government database entirely distinct from all other primary Welch anchors in the fee-petition-mechanics series.
How does Cal. Civ. Code § 798.85 bilateral mandatory 'shall be entitled to reasonable attorney's fees' differ from other bilateral mandatory fee statutes in the series?
§ 798.85 is bilateral mandatory for the prevailing party in MRL actions — similar to HOA Davis-Stirling § 5975(c) (bilateral "shall be awarded") and HOA assessment § 5975(c). The KEY STRUCTURAL DISTINCTION: § 798.85 includes a specific 'deemed prevailing party' definition — "a party shall be deemed a prevailing party for the purposes of this section if the judgment is rendered in his or her favor OR where the litigation is dismissed in his or her favor prior to or during the trial, unless the parties otherwise agree in the settlement." This explicit dismissal-triggers-prevailing-party standard is unique in the fee-petition-mechanics series. Cacho v. Bouchard (1997) 56 Cal.App.4th 108 — § 798.85 prevailing party in MRL rent dispute.
What are the § 798.56 just cause termination requirements and how do they generate billing gaps?
§ 798.56 requires just cause for termination of a mobilehome tenancy: (a) failure to comply with park rule after written notice (7-day cure); (b) nonpayment of rent (3-day notice under CCP § 1161); (c) conviction of specified crime; (d) conduct constituting nuisance or annoyance; (e) abandonment; (f) change of use (12-month notice). Each termination notice must comply with the specific § 798.56 just cause category and cure period. Non-compliant termination notices generate § 798.85 liability for park management. Advisory calls arrive at: notice receipt and § 798.56 compliance analysis; cure period management; HCD complaint filing if notice is defective; Superior Court UD defense if park proceeds with defective termination. At 55% untracked these calls generate 5.39 hours = $1,617–$2,695/year.
What is the § 798.85 settlement-fee-waiver exception and how does it affect fee petition strategy?
§ 798.85 ends: "unless the parties otherwise agree in the settlement or compromise." If a settlement agreement does not address attorney fees, the mandatory fee right may be preserved — but if the settlement is interpreted as an "agreement" that impliedly waives fees, the § 798.85 mandatory fee right is lost. This creates a critical pre-settlement advisory call: preserving § 798.85 bilateral mandatory fee rights requires explicit fee treatment in the settlement agreement. Conversely, park management in settlement must address the resident's potential § 798.85 fee petition or face a post-settlement fee petition. At 55% untracked, settlement fee-preservation advisory calls are included in the 4.03 hours = $1,210–$2,017/year post-judgment advisory gap.