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Partner
Richard H. Close is a partner of Gilchrist & Rutter. His practice focuses on the areas of real estate, mobilehome parks, financial and business transactions, formation of and advising professional entities, and civic administration.
With over 25 years experience representing park owners, Richard Close is the Department Chair for our Mobilehome Park Practice Group, which has become the first choice in legal representation for California park owners seeking to subdivide their properties. In addition, Mr. Close counsels clients in non-conversion mobilehome park matters, including acquisitions, closure, rent control litigation, financing, sales, tax-deferred sales and failure to maintain litigation.
Richard Close’s representative experience consists of lead counsel in the successful, groundbreaking California case involving conversion of mobile home parks from rental to condominium resident ownership (El Dorado Palm Springs, Ltd. v. City of Palm Springs, et al., 96 Cal.App.4th 1153 (2001)). Prosecution of appeal against county board of supervisors that established an important principle on Proposition 8, regarding reductions in property values. Prosecution of claim for damages against a public entity for regulatory taking, which proved instrumental in defining the limitations on a local municipality to impose conditions on residents and real estate development. Prosecution of claim seeking remediation costs from responsible parties under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA). Negotiated with state and local governmental entities regarding the remediation and removal of toxic contamination from a 70-acre site in greater Los Angeles. Prosecution of claims against public entity that established appropriate standards for local rental review board.
In 2007, and again in 2009, Mr. Close was instrumental in legislative lobbying efforts which successfully defeated proposed Assembly Bills that would have made subdivisions of mobilehome parks exceedingly more difficult and costly to park owners. Mr. Close continues to advocate statewide for protection of park owners rights.
Mr. Close served on the transition advisory committee for Los Angeles City Attorney Carmen Trutanich. Mr. Close is a member of the Los Angeles County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO), Special Appointee to Los Angeles County Clean Water Board, and several Business Advisory Committees established by California state Senators and Assemblymen. Mr. Close has been the co-author and ballot signer on various civic initiatives and charter measures. He served as Co-Chairman of Californians for Proposition 13, and co-signed with former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan both the Los Angeles Charter Reform Commission Ballot Measure and the ballot measure creating the new Los Angeles City Charter.
Mr. Close received his J.D. magna cum laude from the Boston University School of Law, Massachusetts, where he served as an editor of the Boston University Law Review. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Economics at the Wharton School of Business and Finance, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. He is admitted to the State Bar of California, the State Bar of Massachusetts and the U.S. Tax Court.
Representative Experience:
Mr. Close co-authored "Downward Mobility" (Los Angeles Daily Journal 2007); "Conversion to Resident Ownership: Does it make sense for you?" (WMA Reporter June 2007); "County Leaders Missing Point on Park Conversions" (Santa Cruz Sentinel 2007)
Lead counsel in El Dorado Palm Springs, Ltd. v. City of Palm Springs, 96 Cal. App. 4th 1153 (2002), the successful, ground-breaking California case involving conversion/subdivision of manufactured housing community (mobilehome park) from rental to condominium resident ownership. Close counsels clients with respect to such conversions to realize property value and replace local rent control with State regulations. Also represents clients in non-conversion MHP matters, including acquisitions, closure, rent control litigation, financing, sales, tax-deferred sales and failure to maintain litigation. In 2007 Mr. Close was instrumental in legislative lobbying efforts which successfully defeated a proposed Assembly bill that would have made subdivisions of mobilehome parks exceedingly more difficult and costly to park owners. Close continues to advocate for the protection of the park owner rights.
The Road(blocks) to El Dorado, WMA Reporter (June 2002).
Negotiated with state and local governmental entities regarding the remediation and removal of toxic contamination from a 70-acre site in greater Los Angeles.
Prosecution of claims against public entity that established appropriate standards for local rental review board.
Assist clients in the formation of joint ventures, partnerships, limited liability companies, trusts, family limited partnership, professional corporations and related entities, and Employee Stock Ownership Programs (ESOPs) primarily as method for purchasing companies. Counseled Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) in business transactions and tax requirements.
Negotiate and document purchase and sale of commerical developments, condominium properties, apartment complexes, industrial developments and businesses. Handle various transactions involving renegotiation of real estate financing, and conversion of properties to condomimiums for resale.
Negotiate and document various real estate, financial and business transactions, including a partnership dissolution involving multiple-acre sites in downtown Los Angeles.
Negotiated and documented the purchase of an historic hotel with financial consideration from governmental entities and special federal tax credit transfers.
- Honors and Awards:
- Super Lawyer in Real Estate Law, Southern California Super Lawyers; selected by Law & Politics Media, Inc.; www.SuperLawyers.com (2010)
AV Rated, Martindale-Hubbell, www.martindale.com
- Bar Admissions:
- California, 1971
- Massachusetts, 1969
- U.S. Tax Court, 1970
- Professional Associations and Memberships:
- Beverly Hills Bar Association
- Member
- California State Bar Association
- Member
- Los Angeles County Bar Association
- Member
- California Real Estate Broker, 1978 - Present
- California United Bank, 1982 - 1996
- Founder and Member, Board of Directors
- Los Angeles City Redistricting Commission
- Member
- Los Angeles County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO), 1996 - Present
- County Commissioner
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- Los Angeles City Charter Reform Commission Ballot Measure
- Co-Signer
- San Fernando Valley Business Advisory Commission (for former California State Assembly Speaker Robert Hertzberg)
- Member
- Published Works:
- "Downward Mobility?", Los Angeles Daily Journal Forum, August, 2007
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