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Partner
Richard H. Close is a partner of Gilchrist & Rutter. His practice focuses on the areas of real estate, manufactured housing communities, financial and business transactions, formation of and advising professional entities,
and governmental relations and advocacy.
With over 30 years experience representing community owners, Richard Close is the Department Chair for our Manufactured Housing Practice Group, which has become the first choice in legal representation for California community 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 and prevention.
Richard Close’s representative experience consists of lead counsel in the successful, groundbreaking California case involving conversion of manufactured housing communities 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 the past several years Mr. Close was instrumental in lobbying efforts which successfully defeated proposed legislation that would have made subdivisions of manufactured housing communities exceedingly more difficult and costly to park owners. Mr. Close continues to advocate statewide for protection of property owners rights.
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.
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.
- Honors and Awards:
- Super Lawyer in Real Estate Law, Southern California Super Lawyers; selected by Law & Politics Media, Inc.; www.SuperLawyers.com (2012-2010)
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 County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO), 1996 - Present
- County Commissioner
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