FINAL BILL REPORT

SHB 1673

PARTIAL VETO

                                  C 280 L 88

BYHouse Committee on Housing (originally sponsored by Representatives Todd, Barnes, Nutley, Cooper, Cantwell, Sanders, Sayan, Crane, Unsoeld, Rasmussen, Sprenkle, J. Williams, Leonard, Cole, Dorn, Patrick, Pruitt and Beck)

Establishing an office of mobile home affairs.

House Committe on Housing

Senate Committee on Ways & Means/Appropriation

SYNOPSIS AS ENACTED

BACKGROUND:

There are several interrelated issues to consider when addressing mobile or manufactured homes.

The Department of Community Development is a department created to assist in providing financial and technical assistance to the communities of the state, and to assist in improving the delivery of federal, state and local programs.  A significant portion of the department's efforts have focused on housing issues.

Mobile homes or manufactured homes are built in factories, the construction of which, since 1976, has been regulated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).  These homes are built with wheel chassis.  Once put on a site, the wheels, hitch and axles are often removed to make the home more permanent.

Mobile or manufactured homes are placed on land that is either owned by the owner of the mobile home or that is rented.  Some units are in parks composed of lots or spaces, that are rented to the mobile home owner.

Disputes sometimes occur between park owners (landlords) and mobile home owners (tenants).  This area is covered by the mobile home landlord-tenant act.  How effective these laws are at resolving disputes is argued by both sides.  No state agency is responsible for overseeing this area.

Dealers and manufacturers of motor vehicles, including mobile or manufactured homes, are regulated by law.  Persons who engage in the business of selling motor vehicles or mobile homes are defined as dealers and are subject to these statutes.  Mobile home park owners who sell mobile homes at their parks must meet the dealer requirements, unless the sale is an isolated one and the park owner is the registered or legal owner of the mobile home.

SUMMARY:

An office of mobile home affairs is created in the Department of Community Development.  The office will deal with matters relating to mobile or manufactured homes, except for rent control or stabilization, and will act to coordinate state agencies in this area.

The office of mobile home affairs will provide an ombudsman service to assist in the resolution of disputes between park owners and tenants, to help access governmental services related to the health and safety of mobile home parks, and to provide technical assistance in converting mobile home parks to resident ownership.

A five member advisory committee composed of one representative each from mobile home manufacturers, mobile home park owners, mobile home tenants, local government and the public is established.  This advisory committee is to provide input to the Department of Community Development regarding mobile home issues, although mobile home landlord-tenant issues are to be reviewed only by representatives from the park owners, the tenants and the public.  The advisory group is to be a subcommittee of a state housing advisory committee if the Department of Community Development creates one.

The office of mobile home affairs is to be funded through a $1 per space charge to park owners and tenants, to be collected by the Department of Revenue.

Changes are made to the dealer licensing statutes to allow a mobile home park owner who sells mobile homes located on lots within the park to be licensed as a dealer.  The Department of Licensing may issue a dealer's license to such an owner without considering whether the park owner is meeting the following requirements:  Having a commercial building or office with signs and a display area, complying with applicable zoning and land use requirements, and conducting a business in other than a dwelling.  Only dealer licensing requirements are changed.  Local zoning or land use regulations are not affected and may still be enforced by local authorities.  An express statement is added to clarify that a homeowner who sells his or her mobile home in such a park has all the rights available under the mobile home landlord-tenant act.

VOTES ON FINAL PASSAGE:

      House 85  10

      Senate    45     3 (Senate amended)

      House 95   0 (House concurred)

EFFECTIVE:June 9, 1988

Partial Veto Summary:  Vetoed is the subsection establishing the advisory committee and the section exempting mobile home park owners from the specified licensing requirements.  (See VETO MESSAGE)