FINAL BILL REPORT

HB 1552

FULL VETO

BYRepresentatives Todd, Nutley, Padden, Patrick, Holland, Anderson, D. Sommers, Leonard, Walk, Pruitt, Crane, Nelson and Dorn

Establishing the office of mobile home affairs and tenant lot fees.

House Committe on Housing

Senate Committee on Economic Development & Labor

AS PASSED LEGISLATURE

BACKGROUND:

Mobile (manufactured) homes are built in factories under standards specified by law.  The mobile home is either placed on land that is owned by the mobile home-owner or is placed on land that is rented to the mobile home-owner.

Disputes between mobile home park-owners (landlords) and mobile home-owners (tenants) are regulated by the Mobile Home Landlord-Tenant Act.  No state agency is responsible for overseeing the act.

In 1988, the Legislature created an Office of Mobile Home Affairs in the Department of Community Development.  This office serves as the coordinating office for state government in matters related to mobile homes. The office also provides an ombudsman service to park-owners and tenants with respect to problems and disputes between these two groups, and provides technical assistance to tenant organizations who wish to purchase the mobile home park where they reside.

The office is funded through a $1 annual fee per lot (space) that is paid by park-owners and tenants residing in mobile home parks.  The park-owner is required to collect the tenants' fees and submit both the park-owner's and the tenants' fees to the state treasurer.

SUMMARY:

The $1 fee charged to mobile home park-owners per year per lot to help fund the Office of Mobile Home Affairs does not apply to unoccupied lots.

The mobile home-owner (tenant) is required to pay the $1 fee charged to tenants per year to help fund the Office of Mobile Home Affairs to the landlord by January 15th.  In collecting the fee from the tenant, the landlord's only duty is to request payment in writing.

The landlord cannot charge an administrative fee for collecting the $1 fee from the tenant.  The landlord must reimburse any administrative fees collected from tenants.  If the landlord violates the provisions regarding collecting or reimbursing the administrative fees, the landlord is liable for a $50 penalty per violation.

VOTES ON FINAL PASSAGE:

      House 96   0

      Senate    45     0

FULL VETO:  (See VETO MESSAGE)