The Florida Senate

723.061  Eviction; grounds, proceedings.--

(1)  A mobile home park owner may evict a mobile home owner, a mobile home tenant, a mobile home occupant, or a mobile home only on one or more of the grounds provided in this section.

(a)  Nonpayment of lot rental amount. If a mobile home owner or tenant, whichever is responsible, fails to pay the lot rental amount when due and if the default continues for 5 days after delivery of a written demand by the mobile home park owner for payment of the lot rental amount, the park owner may terminate the tenancy. However, if the mobile home owner or tenant, whichever is responsible, pays the lot rental amount due, including any late charges, court costs, and attorney's fees, the court may, for good cause, deny the order of eviction, provided such nonpayment has not occurred more than twice.

(b)  Conviction of a violation of a federal or state law or local ordinance, which violation may be deemed detrimental to the health, safety, or welfare of other residents of the mobile home park. The mobile home owner or mobile home tenant will have 7 days from the date that notice to vacate is delivered to vacate the premises. This paragraph shall be grounds to deny an initial tenancy of a purchaser of a home pursuant to paragraph (e) or to evict an unapproved occupant of a home.

(c)  Violation of a park rule or regulation, the rental agreement, or this chapter.

1.  For the first violation of any properly promulgated rule or regulation, rental agreement provision, or this chapter which is found by any court having jurisdiction thereof to have been an act which endangered the life, health, safety, or property of the park residents or employees or the peaceful enjoyment of the mobile home park by its residents, the mobile home park owner may terminate the rental agreement, and the mobile home owner, tenant, or occupant will have 7 days from the date that the notice is delivered to vacate the premises.

2.  For a second violation of the same properly promulgated rule or regulation, rental agreement provision, or this chapter within 12 months, the mobile home park owner may terminate the tenancy if she or he has given the mobile home owner, tenant, or occupant written notice within 30 days of the first violation, which notice specified the actions of the mobile home owner, tenant, or occupant which caused the violation and gave the mobile home owner, tenant, or occupant 7 days to correct the noncompliance. The mobile home owner, tenant, or occupant must have received written notice of the ground upon which she or he is to be evicted at least 30 days prior to the date on which she or he is required to vacate. A second violation of a properly promulgated rule or regulation, rental agreement provision, or this chapter within 12 months of the first violation is unequivocally a ground for eviction, and it is not a defense to any eviction proceeding that a violation has been cured after the second violation. Violation of a rule or regulation, rental agreement provision, or this chapter after the passage of 1 year from the first violation of the same rule or regulation, rental agreement provision, or this chapter does not constitute a ground for eviction under this section.

No properly promulgated rule or regulation may be arbitrarily applied and used as a ground for eviction.

(d)  Change in use of the land comprising the mobile home park, or the portion thereof from which mobile homes are to be evicted, from mobile home lot rentals to some other use, provided all tenants affected are given at least 6 months' notice of the projected change of use and of their need to secure other accommodations. The park owner may not give a notice of increase in lot rental amount within 90 days before giving notice of a change in use.

(e)  Failure of the purchaser, prospective tenant, or occupant of a mobile home situated in the mobile home park to be qualified as, and to obtain approval to become, a tenant or occupant of the home, if such approval is required by a properly promulgated rule. If a purchaser or prospective tenant of a mobile home situated in the mobile home park occupies the mobile home before approval is granted, the mobile home owner or mobile home tenant shall have 7 days from the date the notice of the failure to be approved for tenancy is delivered to vacate the premises.

(2)  In the event of eviction for change of use, homeowners must object to the change in use by petitioning for administrative or judicial remedies within 90 days of the date of the notice or they will be barred from taking any subsequent action to contest the change in use. This provision shall not be construed to prevent any homeowner from objecting to a zoning change at any time.

(3)  The provisions of s. 723.083 shall not be applicable to any park where the provisions of ¹this subsection apply.

(4)  A mobile home park owner applying for the removal of a mobile home owner, tenant, occupant, or a mobile home shall file, in the county court in the county where the mobile home lot is situated, a complaint describing the lot and stating the facts that authorize the removal of the mobile home owner, tenant, occupant, or the mobile home. The park owner is entitled to the summary procedure provided in s. 51.011, and the court shall advance the cause on the calendar.

(5)  Any notice required by this section must be in writing, and must be posted on the premises and sent to the mobile home owner and tenant or occupant, as appropriate, by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, addressed to the mobile home owner and tenant or occupant, as appropriate, at her or his last known address. Delivery of the mailed notice shall be deemed given 5 days after the date of postmark.

History.--s. 1, ch. 84-80; s. 11, ch. 86-162; ss. 7, 8, ch. 87-117; ss. 2, 3, 4, ch. 87-150; s. 16, ch. 88-147; s. 3, ch. 91-66; s. 12, ch. 92-148; s. 925, ch. 97-102; s. 6, ch. 2001-227; s. 7, ch. 2003-263.

¹Note.--The reference to "this subsection" appears as it did prior to the amendment by s. 6, ch. 2001-227. Prior to the amendment, subsection (3) was paragraph (2)(d).