In Utah, the relationship between manufactured home community owners and residents has been a long-standing, and well known battle.

But recently, what some on both sides are calling “a miracle” has taken place.

According to the Salt Lake Tribune, those who support resident and community owner rights have joined forces to support a bill to better define the rights of each group.

HB236 was endorsed on an 8-1 vote Wednesday by the House Business and Labor Committee, and was sent to the full House for consideration.

“As further proof the day of miracles is not over, we are in full support of the bill,” said Mike Ostermiller, who represents the Utah Housing Alliance of Mobile Home Park Owners.

“Our group also supports HB236 and believes it clarifies some rights of tenants, including the right to sue park [sic] owners and collect attorney fees if they win,” said Connie Hill, who represents the Utah Coalition of Manufactured Homeowners.

Rep. Bruce Cutler, (R-Murray), the bill’s sponsor, says that it takes some small steps that all sides agree on, but not the much larger steps that both sides have sought through the years.

“I started working on the bill seeking a home run, but that’s not going to go anywhere. So let’s see if we can at least get halfway to first base. And I think that’s about where we are,” said Cutler.

Provisions in the bill include requiring a written lease between home and community owners, which recent court decisions said were not mandated by rule of existing law.

With the bill, failure of a homeowner to negotiate and sign a lease could be grounds for eviction. If a community owner fails to live up to promised terms, homeowners could sue for damages and attorney fees.

“Being able to collect attorney fees is important because most mobile-home [sic] owners do not have much money and have been unable to pursue such legal action,” said Hill.

Other provisions outlaw so called “unconscionable” actions and rules by community owners, such as community owners blocking residents selling their homes to new owners by refusing to rent to them, because they wanted to buy and rent the homes themselves at lower prices.

A legal help line for community owners and residents that had been operated for two years by the University of Utah law school would also be terminated as a part of the bill, and those running it recommended its termination, saying it was not working as intended. ##

(Image credits are as shown above.)

Submitted by RC Williams to the Daily Business News for MHProNews.