SAN JOSE, Calif. (March 14, 2022) – The Nicholson Family has announced today it will enter into a new land lease agreement for Westwinds Mobile Home Park. The new lessee will engage an organization specializing in the management of mobile home parks.
While the mobile home park was initially developed as an interim use, Westwinds residents are assured that the Nicholson Family has no intention of displacing anyone and is fully committed to respecting all the residents’ legal rights. Furthermore, the family has no plans for redeveloping the land for the foreseeable future.
This commitment to the residents comes as MHC Operating Limited Partnership, the current ground lessee and owner and operator of Westwinds, has filed a meritless lawsuit against the family.
“We have always been and remain fully committed to the well-being of the residents of Westwinds. We appreciate the opportunity to fully reassure the residents with this public statement and look forward to a smooth transition with a new ground tenant and hands-on, local management company,” said Craig Nicholson, spokesperson for the Nicholson Family Partnership. “MHC has a lawful obligation to fulfill its responsibilities both to the Westwinds residents as well as with our family Partnership.”
In 2019, well before the land lease expires later this year, the Nicholson Family contacted MHC to engage in discussions about transitioning control back to the family. However, MHC has been unwilling to collaborate and instead, through litigation, created the present-day scenario whereby direct communication with the residents has been limited.
As the matter remains in litigation, the Family cannot comment further on the lawsuit at this time.
About the Nicholson Family
The Nicholson Family has been stewards of the Nicholson Ranch, the land where Westwinds resides, for over 150 years. In fact, the Nicholson Family itself has been in California since the 1850s, purchasing the Nicholson Ranch in 1868. The property has been in the family for several generations, holding a special place in their hearts.
The Family has been deeply invested in San Jose, Silicon Valley and the greater Bay Area through public service, philanthropy and land stewardship since almost the birth of the state of California itself.
Bill Nicholson, part of the second Bay Area-born generation, created a legacy across the Valley through his construction business, building hundreds of civic and community buildings. The family also built a tradition of volunteering and paying it forward, including launching The Nicholson Family Foundation, a grant-giving organization. Learn more about the family’s history here.