Residents of the Marin Valley Mobile Country Club in Novato are renewing a push for the city to grant them ownership of the property.

A group of neighbors packed the City Council chambers on Tuesday to make their case along with representatives of You Are The Power, a national nonprofit organization with a stated mission to “protect individuals and families from local government abuse.”

The neighborhood, which is geared toward residents 55 and older and has about 300 manufactured homes, has been waging a long campaign for equity.

In 1997, residents asked for the city to buy the property because they were unable to obtain financing. The city borrowed $17 million for the purchase, and residents have been paying off the loan through rent payments. The city holds the title to the property.

The resident group, the Park Acquisition Corp., has consistently asserted that the 1998 purchasing agreement was made with the understanding that the tenants would acquire the property once the loan was repaid in 2027.

The residents attempted to purchase the park two more times. The most recent effort fizzled last winter after a two-year negotiation with the city.

Now the group says it is no longer trying to buy the park. Instead, it is demanding that the city honor what it sees as the original agreement and transfer the property to residents when the loan is repaid.

“Just because you hold the title doesn’t mean to say you own the park,” said Serena Fisher, a Park Acquisition Corp. leader. “You did not purchase it, we purchased it.”

Victoria Lawhorn, a national organizer for You Are The Power, said the nonprofit spent months poring over the documentation, and while the city owns the property “on paper,” the residents’ case is “objectively true.”

“One of the most important elements here is what you can do and what you should do,” Lawhorn said. “We are representing people that we believe have been wronged.”

The organization does not employ lawyers or offer legal advice.

Several people involved with the 1998 agreement spoke to the council, urging the city to honor the intention of the deal.

“Commitments made in one generation should not be abandoned by the next,” said Bernie Meyers, a former City Council member and mayor. “You are the stewards of a promise made long ago.”

Mayor Rachel Farac offered to have a separate meeting about the issue. Fisher said the group is interested in meeting with Farac as well as its district council member, Sandeep Karkal.

Sherin Olivero, a spokesperson for the city, said that “conversations regarding potential resident ownership are not new.”

“The City recognizes that these discussions have contributed to differing expectations regarding ownership of the park,” Olivero wrote in an email. “The City remains committed to ensuring the long-term affordability, stability, and sustainability of the community for both current and future residents.”