I have a friend who paid her space rent late (approx. 5 days late), but did not pay the late fee of $60.00. After holding her money order for another 8 days, management returned her rent payment and served her with a 3 day pay or quit notice.

Can they do this even though the only part of the total due that was not paid was the late fee of $60.00? Which I'm thinking is pretty much illegaly high for a $280/mo space rent. Doesn't management have to justify the amount of the late fee and associate it with actual costs?

This is in a mobile home park in California.
Thanks,

No, the park does not have to justify anything. It is their late fee and they are charging it. If your friend wants to keep living there they need to pay the park rent and the late fee in full or the park can proceed with eviction proceedings against them and have them removed from the park by a Judge for nonpayment of rent. I am sure that there is something regarding late payment fees in the park resident handbook.

And as far as a $280 monthly rent fee in California - that's wayyy low for a park lot fee. If your friend thinks she's going to be a wiseacre and not pay the late fee, wait until they start looking for another mobile home park that charges less than $500 a month for lot rental.

The $60 late fee is just an incentive to pay your rent on time. My park charges $20 late fee.

First no they don't have to accept partial payments, so they have to pay the entire fee, why don't they just pay the balance,?

That is very very cheap lot rent, it is much higher, almost double in some places here in Georgia. And that is a very acceptable late fee, again I would expect it to be a lot more. And no they have have to justify it to anyone, the renter agreed to this, if they don't like it they are free to move their trailer.