FINAL BILL REPORT

SHB 1086

C 61 L 03

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Moving mobile homes by mobile home park owners.

Sponsors: By House Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Representatives Morris, Pearson, Sullivan, Miloscia and Kristiansen).

House Committee on Transportation

Senate Committee on Highways & Transportation

Background:

If a person interested in moving a mobile home upon a public highway, the person must obtain a special movement permit from the Department of Transportation (DOT). However, the permit is not valid until the county treasurer provides an endorsement certifying that all property taxes have been paid on the dwelling. If taxes are owed, the county treasurer will not issue the certification until the taxes are paid in full, which therefore means the mobile home may not legally be moved. Once the county treasurer certifies that the taxes have been paid, a decal is issued which must be displayed during the movement of the home.

The only time the county treasurer certification and associated decal are not required is when a mobile home is entering the state, is being moved from a manufacturer or distributor to a retail sales outlet, is being moved directly to the purchaser’s designated location, or is being moved between retail sales outlets. Because of the limited nature of these exemptions, issues have arisen around situations where a mobile home must be moved by someone other than the owner but it is discovered that the property taxes due were not paid and, thus, a movement permit and county treasurer certification could not be obtained.

Summary:

If a mobile home or park model trailer has been abandoned or has been awarded to the mobile home park landlord as part of a final court judgment for restitution of the premises, the landlord may move the home on a public highway without having to obtain an endorsement from the county treasurer certifying that all property taxes have been paid, provided that the home is being moved to a disposal site for destruction. In order for this to be allowable, the landlord must first file a signed affidavit of destruction with the county assessor's office. Once the affidavit is filed, the mobile home will be removed from the tax rolls and any outstanding taxes on the destroyed home will be removed by the county treasurer.

When a mobile home is going to be sold or rented, rather than destroyed, the outstanding taxes become the responsibility of the landlord and the movement of the home is subject to receiving the county certification.

Votes on Final Passage:

House 96  0

Senate 47  0

Effective: July 27, 2003