FINAL BILL REPORT

SHB 2136

                                  C 201 L 89

BYHouse Committee on Housing (originally sponsored by Representatives Cole, Rust, Beck, Nutley, Patrick, Todd, Wood, Crane, Walk, G. Fisher, Nelson, Cantwell, Brekke, Sprenkle, Anderson, Holland, Leonard and Winsley)

Providing mobile home relocation assistance.

House Committe on Housing

Rereferred House Committee on Appropriations

Senate Committee on Economic Development & Labor

SYNOPSIS AS ENACTED

BACKGROUND:

Mobile home park-owners are required to give 12 months notice to tenants of the mobile home park when the park- owner is changing the use of the real property to other than a mobile home park.

SUMMARY:

A mobile home park-owner must give tenants 12 months notice to vacate the mobile home park when the park-owner is closing or changing the use of the mobile home park, except that the notice period is 18 months for park closure notices given within six months after the effective date of the act.

Tenants are entitled to monetary relocation assistance when they relocate due to the closing of the park. The relocation assistance is $4,500 for a single-wide home and $7,500 for a double-wide home.

A mobile home park relocation fund is created.  This fund is administered by the Department of Community Development (DCD).  Beginning January 1, 1990, a $10 annual assessment for the relocation fund must be collected from each tenant in a mobile home park by the county treasurer.  The county treasurer, rather than the park-owner, is also responsible for collecting $1 per tenant in a mobile home park for the Office of Mobile Home Affairs, for a total assessment of $11 per year.

The park-owner pays the full amount of relocation assistance on tenant relocations before July 1, 1991, except that if notice of the park closure was given prior to April 1, 1989, relocation assistance is required to be paid only if the tenant is low-income.  The park-owner pays one-third and the relocation fund pays two-thirds of the relocation assistance on tenant relocations after June 30, 1991, except that when the park-owner gives 24 months notice after July 1, 1992, the park-owner pays $500 for a single-wide or $1,000 for a double-wide, and the relocation fund pays the remainder.

In addition to notifying the tenant of the park closure, the park- owner must notify DCD and post a notice at all entrances to the park disclosing that the park is being closed.

A park-owner, on all new tenancies, must promise that the park will not be closed within three years, or inform the tenant in writing that the park may be closed at any time subject to statutory notice requirements.

The tenant may waive any of his or her rights to relocation assistance, provided the tenant's attorney approves the waiver in writing.  Intentionally violating or evading the act is a misdemeanor.

VOTES ON FINAL PASSAGE:

      House 90   8

      Senate    42     2 (Senate amended)

      House 89   4 (House concurred)

EFFECTIVE:April 28, 1989