1604-S.E

AN ACT Relating to the purchase of mobile home parks by qualified tenant organizations; and amending RCW 59.23.015 and 59.20.080.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1. RCW 59.23.015 and 1993 c 66 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

If a qualified tenant organization gives written notice to the mobile home park owner where the tenants reside that they have a present and continuing desire to purchase the mobile home park, the park may then be sold only according to this chapter. This notice must be given to the mobile home park owner before execution of any sale documents to a third party, including an earnest money agreement or purchase and sale agreement.

"Notice" for the purposes of this section means a writing signed by owners of mobile homes located on at least sixty percent of the ((~~tenants~~)) occupied lots in the park indicating that they desire to participate in the purchase of the park, and that they are ((~~contractually~~)) bound to the qualified tenant organization and to the other signators of the notice to participate by purchasing an ownership interest ((~~that will entitle them to occupy a mobile home space for the remainder of their life or for a term of at least fifteen years~~)) in the park.

Sec. 2. RCW 59.20.080 and 1993 c 66 s 19 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) A landlord shall not terminate or fail to renew a tenancy, of whatever duration except for one or more of the following reasons:

(a) Substantial violation, or repeated or periodic violations of the rules of the mobile home park as established by the landlord at the inception of the tenancy or as assumed subsequently with the consent of the tenant or for violation of the tenant's duties as provided in RCW 59.20.140. The tenant shall be given written notice to cease the rule violation immediately. The notice shall state that failure to cease the violation of the rule or any subsequent violation of that or any other rule shall result in termination of the tenancy, and that the tenant shall vacate the premises within fifteen days: PROVIDED, That for a periodic violation the notice shall also specify that repetition of the same violation shall result in termination: PROVIDED FURTHER, That in the case of a violation of a "material change" in park rules with respect to pets, tenants with minor children living with them, or recreational facilities, the tenant shall be given written notice under this chapter of a six month period in which to comply or vacate;

(b) Nonpayment of rent or other charges specified in the rental agreement, upon five days written notice to pay rent and/or other charges or to vacate;

(c) Conviction of the tenant of a crime, commission of which threatens the health, safety, or welfare of the other mobile home park tenants. The tenant shall be given written notice of a fifteen day period in which to vacate;

(d) Failure of the tenant to comply with local ordinances and state laws and regulations relating to mobile homes or mobile home living within a reasonable time after the tenant's receipt of notice of such noncompliance from the appropriate governmental agency;

(e) Change of land use of the mobile home park including, but not limited to, conversion to a use other than for mobile homes or conversion of the mobile home park to a mobile home park cooperative or mobile home park subdivision: PROVIDED, That the landlord shall give the tenants twelve months' notice in advance of the effective date of such change, except that for the period of six months following April 28, 1989, the landlord shall give the tenants eighteen months' notice in advance of the proposed effective date of such change;

(f) Engaging in "criminal activity." "Criminal activity" means a criminal act defined by statute or ordinance that threatens the health, safety, or welfare of the tenants. A park owner seeking to evict a tenant under this subsection need not produce evidence of a criminal conviction, even if the alleged misconduct constitutes a criminal offense. Notice from a law enforcement agency of criminal activity constitutes sufficient grounds, but not the only grounds, for an eviction under this subsection. Notification of the seizure of illegal drugs under RCW 59.20.155 is evidence of criminal activity and is grounds for an eviction under this subsection. If criminal activity is alleged to be a basis of termination, the park owner may proceed directly to an unlawful detainer action;

(g) The tenant's application for tenancy contained a material misstatement that induced the park owner to approve the tenant as a resident of the park, and the park owner discovers and acts upon the misstatement within one year of the time the resident began paying rent;

(h) If the landlord serves a tenant three ((~~fifteen-day~~)) notices within a twelve-month period for failure to comply ((~~or vacate for failure to comply~~)) with the material terms of the rental agreement or park rules, and if the tenant has been served a fifteen-day notice to comply or vacate for failure to comply with each of the first two offenses, the landlord may evict the tenant immediately after issuing a third notice designated as a fifteen-day notice to vacate for failure to comply, without mediation and without further written notice to comply, regardless if the tenant has complied with any of the previous notices. The applicable twelve-month period shall commence on the date of the first violation;

(i) Failure of the tenant to comply with obligations imposed upon tenants by applicable provisions of municipal, county, and state codes, statutes, ordinances, and regulations, including chapter 59.20 RCW. The landlord shall give the tenant written notice to comply immediately. The notice must state that failure to comply will result in termination of the tenancy and that the tenant shall vacate the premises within fifteen days;

(j) The tenant engages in disorderly or substantially annoying conduct upon the park premises that results in the destruction of the rights of others to the peaceful enjoyment and use of the premises. The landlord shall give the tenant written notice to comply immediately. The notice must state that failure to comply will result in termination of the tenancy and that the tenant shall vacate the premises within fifteen days;

(k) The tenant creates a nuisance that materially affects the health, safety, and welfare of other park residents. The landlord shall give the tenant written notice to cease the conduct that constitutes a nuisance immediately. The notice must state that failure to cease the conduct will result in termination of the tenancy and that the tenant shall vacate the premises in five days;

(l) Any other substantial just cause that materially affects the health, safety, and welfare of other park residents. The landlord shall ((be)) give ((~~[shall give]~~)) the tenant written notice to comply immediately. The notice must state that failure to comply will result in termination of the tenancy and that the tenant shall vacate the premises within fifteen days; or

(m) Failure to pay rent by the due date provided for in the rental agreement three or more times in a twelve-month period, commencing with the date of the first violation, ((~~after service of a five-day notice to comply~~)) but only if the tenant has been served a five-day notice to pay rent or vacate for each of the first two violations. The landlord may evict immediately after giving a third notice designated as a notice to terminate tenancy for late rent payments, regardless if the tenant has complied with any of the previous five-day notices to pay rent or vacate.

(2) Within five days of a notice of eviction as required by subsection (1)(a) of this section, the landlord and tenant shall submit any dispute to mediation. The parties may agree in writing to mediation by an independent third party or through industry mediation procedures. If the parties cannot agree, then mediation shall be through industry mediation procedures. A duty is imposed upon both parties to participate in the mediation process in good faith for a period of ten days for an eviction under subsection (1)(a) of this section. It is a defense to an eviction under subsection (1)(a) of this section that a landlord did not participate in the mediation process in good faith.

(3) Chapters 59.12 and 59.18 RCW govern the eviction of recreational vehicles from mobile home parks.