The Delaware Attorney General’s Office is reaching out to educate residents living in manufactured home communities throughout the state about laws and regulations specific to them. Tenants and landlords are subject to many provisions included under Title 25, Chapter 70 of Delaware law.

Many manufactured home communities, like Whispering Pines in Lewes, Delaware, have been in existence for decades, even before the county had a zoning code.

The Cape Gazette tells MHProNews that the Consumer Protection Unit has a team of investigators and attorneys assigned to enforce consumer protection statutes, including those for residents living in manufactured home communities. And for the first time, the unit has a full-time deputy attorney general for manufactured home issues, said Gregory Strong, the unit’s director. Jennifer Smolko, who has been in the AG’s Office for the past two years, started the new job this year.

Several speakers addressed manufactured home residents who packed the Indian River Firehall in Oak Orchard during the Feb. 23 Sussex County workshop, hosted by the Delaware Manufactured Home Owners Association.

Lawrence Lank, director of Sussex County planning and zoning, said setback and spacing issues in manufactured home parks continue to be problematic, especially in older communities. He said the setback in older parks is 5 feet, but it’s 10 feet in newer communities. The spacing requirement between homes remains at 20 feet.

In order to circumvent those regulations, a variance must be approved by the county’s board of adjustment. Lank said amended regulations allowing for the placement of emergency handicap ramps no more than 4 feet into the setback has cut down on the number of variance applications.

Under a new state law, the county is required make inspections to ensure manufactured homes are skirted and tied down, Lank said.

Lank said code violators in manufactured home communities are given time to remedy violations before matters are turned over to the county constable’s office.

Sussex Constable Mike Costello said when all other avenues have failed his office gets involved. Even so, most issues are resolved before court action is necessary, he said.##

(Photo Credit: Cape Gazette)

 

Article submitted by Sandra Lane to – Daily Business News – MHProNews.