Senate Bill sb1626c1

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    Florida Senate - 2002                           CS for SB 1626

    By the Committee on Commerce and Economic Opportunities; and
    Senator Posey




    310-2095-02

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to mobile home parks; amending

  3         s. 723.037, F.S.; requiring a meeting regarding

  4         lot rent increases; amending s. 723.06116,

  5         F.S.; providing for certain payments by mobile

  6         home park owners to be made to the Florida

  7         Mobile Home Relocation Corporation instead of

  8         to the Florida Mobile Home Relocation Trust

  9         Fund; establishing a deadline for certain

10         payments by mobile home park owners; conforming

11         cross-references; providing that certain

12         provisions relating to payments to or by the

13         Florida Mobile Home Relocation Corporation are

14         enforceable in court; amending s. 723.0612,

15         F.S.; lengthening the time period during which

16         the Florida Mobile Home Relocation Corporation

17         must approve certain payments; providing an

18         effective date.

19

20  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

21

22         Section 1.  Subsection (4) of section 723.037, Florida

23  Statutes, is amended to read:

24         723.037  Lot rental increases; reduction in services or

25  utilities; change in rules and regulations; mediation.--

26         (4)(a)  A committee, not to exceed five in number,

27  designated by a majority of the affected mobile home owners or

28  by the board of directors of the homeowners' association, if

29  applicable, and the park owner shall meet, at a mutually

30  convenient time and place within 30 days after receipt by the

31  homeowners of the notice of change, to discuss the reasons for

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    Florida Senate - 2002                           CS for SB 1626
    310-2095-02




  1  the increase in lot rental amount, reduction in services or

  2  utilities, or change in rules and regulations.

  3         (b)  At the meeting, the park owner or subdivision

  4  developer shall in good faith disclose and explain all

  5  material factors resulting in the decision to increase the lot

  6  rental amount, reduce services or utilities, or change rules

  7  and regulations, including how those factors justify the

  8  specific change proposed. The park owner or subdivision

  9  developer may not limit the discussion of the reasons for the

10  change to generalities only, such as, but not limited to,

11  increases in operational costs, changes in economic

12  conditions, or rents charged by comparable mobile home parks.

13  For example, if the reason for an increase in lot rental

14  amount is an increase in operational costs, the park owner

15  must disclose the item or items which have increased, the

16  amount of the increase, any similar item or items which have

17  decreased, and the amount of the decrease. If an increase is

18  based upon the lot rental amount charged by comparable mobile

19  home parks, the park owner shall disclose, and provide in

20  writing to the committee at or before the meeting, the name,

21  address, lot rental amount, and any other relevant factors

22  relied upon by the park owner, such as facilities, services,

23  and amenities, concerning the comparable mobile home parks.

24  The park owner shall prepare a written summary of the material

25  factors and retain a copy for 3 years. The park owner shall

26  provide the committee a copy of the summary at or before the

27  meeting.

28         (c)  If the committee disagrees with a park owner's lot

29  rental amount increase based upon comparable mobile home

30  parks, the committee shall disclose to the park owner the

31  name, address, lot rental amount, and any other relevant

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    Florida Senate - 2002                           CS for SB 1626
    310-2095-02




  1  factors relied upon by the committee, such as facilities,

  2  services, and amenities, concerning the comparable mobile home

  3  parks.  The committee shall provide to the park owner the

  4  disclosure, in writing, within 15 days after the meeting with

  5  the park owner, together with a request for a second meeting.

  6  The park owner and the committee shall meet to discuss the

  7  disclosure within 30 days after the owner receives the

  8  committee's request.

  9         (d)  The committee and the park owner may mutually

10  agree, in writing, to extend or continue any meetings required

11  by this section.

12         (e)  Either party may prepare and use additional

13  information to support its position during or subsequent to

14  the meetings required by this section.

15         Section 2.  Section 723.06116, Florida Statutes, is

16  amended to read:

17         723.06116  Payments to the Florida Mobile Home

18  Relocation Corporation Trust Fund.--

19         (1)  If a mobile home owner is required to move due to

20  a change in use of the land comprising a mobile home park as

21  set forth in s. 723.061(1)(d), the mobile home park owner

22  shall, upon such change in use, pay to the corporation

23  department for deposit in the Florida Mobile Home Relocation

24  Trust Fund $2,000 for each single-section mobile home and

25  $2,500 for each multisection mobile home for which a mobile

26  home owner has made application for payment of moving

27  expenses. The mobile home park owner shall make the payments

28  required by this section and by s. 723.0612(7) to the

29  corporation within 30 days after receipt of the invoice for

30  payment from the corporation.

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    Florida Senate - 2002                           CS for SB 1626
    310-2095-02




  1         (2)  A mobile home park owner is not required to make

  2  the payment prescribed in subsection (1), nor is the mobile

  3  home owner entitled to compensation under s. 723.0612(1) s.

  4  723.0612, when:

  5         (a)  The mobile home park owner moves a mobile home

  6  owner to another space in the mobile home park or to another

  7  mobile home park at the park owner's expense;

  8         (b)  A mobile home owner is vacating the premises and

  9  has informed the mobile home park owner or manager before the

10  change in use notice has been given; or

11         (c)  A mobile home owner abandons the mobile home as

12  set forth in s. 723.0612(7) s. 723.0612(8).

13         (3)  This section and s. 723.0612(7) are enforceable by

14  the corporation by action in a court of appropriate

15  jurisdiction.

16         Section 3.  Subsection (4) of section 723.0612, Florida

17  Statutes, is amended to read:

18         723.0612  Change in use; relocation expenses; payments

19  by park owner.--

20         (4)  The Florida Mobile Home Relocation Corporation

21  must approve payment within 45 15 days after receipt of the

22  information set forth in subsection (3), or payment is deemed

23  approved. A copy of the approval must be forwarded to the park

24  owner with an invoice for payment. Upon approval, the

25  corporation shall issue a voucher in the amount of the

26  contract price for relocating the mobile home. The moving

27  contractor may redeem the voucher from the corporation

28  following completion of the relocation and upon approval of

29  the relocation by the mobile home owner.

30         Section 4.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2002.

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    Florida Senate - 2002                           CS for SB 1626
    310-2095-02




  1          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
  2                         Senate Bill 1626

  3

  4  The committee substitute differs from SB 1626 in the following
    ways:
  5
    Amends s. 723.06116(1), F.S., to provide that, if a mobile
  6  home owner is required to move due to a change in use of the
    land comprising a mobile home park, the mobile home park owner
  7  must pay certain fees to the Florida Mobile Home Relocation
    Corporation instead of to the Department of Business and
  8  Professional Regulation for deposit in the Florida Mobile Home
    Relocation Trust Fund, as provided for in current law. This
  9  subsection is also amended to require mobile home park owners
    to make such payments and payments under s. 723.0612(7), F.S.,
10  (relating to mobile-home abandonment) to the corporation
    within 30 days after receipt of an invoice for payment from
11  the corporation.

12  Amends s. 723.06116(2), F.S., to correct a cross-reference in
    order to clarify that, although a mobile home owner who
13  abandons his or her mobile home is prohibited from collecting
    the "non-abandonment" compensation under s. 723.0612(1), F.S.,
14  the mobile home owner is still allowed to collect the
    compensation under s. 723.0612(7), F.S.
15
    Deletes a provision in s. 723.06116(2)(c), F.S., (as amended
16  by SB 1626) which made explicit that payment under s.
    723.0612(7), F.S., by a mobile home park owner to the Florida
17  Mobile Home Relocation Corporation is required before the park
    owner is exempt from paying certain relocation fees into the
18  Florida Mobile Home Relocation Trust Fund under s.
    723.06116(1), F.S.
19
    Creates s. 723.06116(3), F.S., which provides that s.
20  723.06116, F.S., (relating to payments to the Florida Mobile
    Home Relocation Corporation) and s. 723.0612(7), F.S.,
21  (relating to mobile-home abandonment) are enforceable by the
    corporation by action in a court of appropriate jurisdiction.
22
    Amends s. 723.0612(4), F.S., to provide that the Florida
23  Mobile Home Relocation Corporation must approve payment to an
    eligible mobile home owner, who has been required to move due
24  to a change in use of the land comprising his or her mobile
    home park, within 45 days (instead of 15 days as under current
25  law) after receipt by the corporation of specified information
    from the mobile home owner, or payment to the mobile home
26  owner is deemed approved.

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