Industry Voices By Savvy Insightful Passionate MH Professional

sunshinehomes-mhpronews

Industry Voices By Savvy Insightful Passionate MH Professional

Manufactured Home Communities – aka “Mobile Home Park” – Closures – Viewpoint by Marty Lavin

MartyLavinJDMobileHomeParkManufacturedHomeCommunityClosuresMHProNews-2

As with many things in life, the matter of park closings is highly complicated with few easy answers.

Probably the best answer is to allow the park residents the option to purchase the property. Not fool proof, but meets the burden of the failure of the park owner to allow residents to maintain the perpetual rental of space for their home, which is implicit in buying a home in the property.

When most (manufactured home community residents) buy a home in the property, rarely if ever is he handed a notice that the community could be closed on short notice, their only relief being whatever measure their state or city has for park closings. Most residents rarely consider park closings as a threat till the specter arrives.

On the other hand, in a capitalist nation we still behave in some areas as though the park owners have no legal responsibility to allow the residents to stay, and can sell the property to others at will, and empty the community with little hindrance or concern, again, subject to whatever relevant laws control the closing.

I have been surprised in areas where park closings are common that authorities do not compel a statement be given in writing as part of the move-in process alerting the new resident of the right of the park owner to sell or close the community and what compensation, if any, is available to the resident on closing.

MartyLavinJDMobileHomeParkManufacturedHomeCommunityClosuresMHProNews
Headlines and these graphic are provided by MHProNews, as is customary with many in media.

I’m also wondering, but not enough to research the subject, whether upon notice of closing, residents should get an attorney to plead their case that the park owner allowed them to have a home in the park, often encouraging their entry, knew or had reason to know most people would get a long term mortgage to purchase their home. Often at closure, many years mortgage term remain unpaid. It is here the lender gets the downside loss, and is not particularly beneficial for the home owner.

Remember, it is not unusual that when the home must be moved or resold because of a closing, the stars do not line up well for the home owner. First, the home must be moved, there as a cost of moving and the difficulty of finding a lot to accommodate the home. Quite a hand full, usually not ending well, unless the state laws give some protection to the resident. The process is pretty destructive of our financially fragile customer base.

Frankly, this mercenary park closing without adequate compensation for the resident is morally wrong if not legally. It does no credit to the industry that so much of this happens.

Meanwhile, I was amused that people are forming groups to try to save endangered parks to keep them open.

I wondered where these folks were in the 1970s when I was doing park development zoning in the north east.

At virtually every meeting, the facility used had to be upgraded to the school gym to handle all the attendees. All seem to me to be carrying tar and feathers and had mean looks in their eyes. How many parks could have been built to accommodate the demand had there been far less resistance? Who knows, but far more. And it continues even today.

I guess that train has passed, but the California boys being pretty bright, I’m sure they are still trying to build parks in less expensive land areas. How is that going? ##

(Editor’s Note: The commentary above is in response to the mainstream media article, linked here. Lavin is the winner of MHI’s Totaro Award for his lifetime contributions in financing, was a mobile and manufactured home retailer, as well as  an owner/operator of manufactured home communities.  Some of Lavin’s other insightful, popular commenataries are linked below.)

MartyLavinTotaroAwardFinanceAwardManufacturedHousingIndustryVoicesMHProNews
Photo from Mary Lavin, Esq.

MARTIN (Marty) LAVIN
Att’y, Consultant, Expert Witness
in Manufactured Housing.
350 Main Street
Burlington, VT 05401
802.238.7777

 

Recent, also by Marty Lavin:

http://www.MHProNews.com/blogs/industryvoices/not-enough-hunger/

MartyLavinJDExpertWitnessTataroAwardWinner-NotEnoughHunger-IndustryVoicesMHProNews--500x365

http://www.MHProNews.com/blogs/industryvoices/deja-vu-again-a-new-manufactured-housing-institute-mhi-initiative/

MartinMartyLavinJD-PhotoQuoteDidAnExpertWitnessAssignmentInIndiandaNotImpressedManufacturedHomeCommunityResidentsTreatmentYesCostsMoneyToBePoor

Marty Lavin, J.D., Weighs in on Resident Complaints of Predatory Behavior by Manufactured Home Community Consolidators

Tony, I am not familiar with this situation, other than as the news account details. On the one hand I know from personal experience that …

Read More →
KarlRaddeQuoteSouthernComfortHomesByranTX-rePendingPlanBanMobileManufacturedHomes

Karl Radde – TMHA, MHI, Southern Comfort Homes – Addressing Bryan City Leaders, Letter on Proposed Manufactured Home Ban

To All Concerned [Bryan City Officials, Others]: As the retail location referenced by Mr. Inderman, I would like to take a moment to address the …

Read More →
EdwardAsk-EddieHicksIndustryVoicesManufacturedHousingMHProNews-1

MHC Pro Eddie Hicks, Federal Stalemate, and the 28th Amendment Solution

If you, like me, are somewhat totally perplexed by the apparent “stalemate” our duly elected members of Congress are in, perhaps it’s because in recent …

Read More →
TrailerParkBoysCommentaryAlKempExecutiveDirectorManufacturedHomeParkOwners-AllianceBritishColumbiaDailyBusienssNewsMHProNews-2

“Trailer Park Boys” Al Kemp, Canadian Manufactured Home Community Association, Reacts to Netflix Series

Hi Tony, The short answer is that – at least in Canada – “trailer park” connotes exactly the type of persons portrayed in Trailer Park …

Read More →
TimConnorCSPManufacturedHousingIndustryDailyBusinessNewsMHProNews-2

Social Media, Mass Emails vs. the Personal Touch? Field Testing Business Development Methodologies

As someone who has been selling my services globally for over forty years, I recently decided to dramatically reduce using technology, social media and mass …

Read More →

The Importance for Businesses and Investors in Manufactured Housing for Selecting the Next Supreme Court Justice

Predictability in law is the key to a prosperous Republic. Laws must be interpreted based on the language in them first and foremost. Only, when …

Read More →
FreeTradeOrEconomicWarMartyLavin475-AA

Free Trade or Economic War?

Anyone going to school in the U.S. after WW II has learned the breakdown in world trade was a primary, though not only, cause of …

Read More →
RealEstatePersonnelCanSellMHCASusanBrentonManufacturedHousingIndustryVoicesDailyBusinessNewsMHProNews

Law Allows Real Estate Personnel to Sell Homes in Your Manufactured Home Community

Real estate personnel are now allowed to sell homes in manufactured and mobile home parks without first having to be licensed as a broker under …

Read More →
RevDonaldTyeJr-ManufacturedHousingAdvocateQuickestWayWealthIndustryVoicesMHProNews550

Manufactured Homes – Access & Equity – a Key Cure for America’s Housing Shortages, Wealth-Building Says Activist Donald Tye, Jr.

Manufactured housing could cure most of the ills we have in this country as it pertains to the housing shortage. Why then is it not …

Read More →
MHCommunitiesOfAZNealTHaneyPresidentWhyTheyQuitManufacturedHousingInstituteMHIDailyBusinessNewsMHProNews

State Association Quits Membership in Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI), Explains in Writing, Why?

The manufactured housing industry has long been a mainstay of affordable housing in the United States.  For decades the industry has provided an unmatched quality …

Read More →
GusRodriguezTejasHomesConroeTXIndustryVoicesDailyBusinessNewsMHProNews

“No Greater Resource” in Manufactured Housing Industry

Dear Tony and Soheyla, Thank you for your great reporting on our industry and the challenges we face as independent retailers. There is no greater …

Read More →
EconomicRacismIlGenAssemblyRevDonTyeJr-JDHarperArkp-ManufacturedHousingAssoc-IndustryVoicesMHProNews-2

McCrory Lawsuit – “Significant Victory Against Zoning Discrimination” – Manufactured Homes

The McCrory lawsuit is a significant victory against zoning discrimination that many working families in Arkansas face from cities and towns when they attempt to …

Read More →
Scroll to Top