HF 3285

1st Engrossment - 90th Legislature (2017 - 2018) Posted on 04/09/2018 03:57pm

A bill for an act
relating to manufactured housing; modifying provisions related to home park
closings; amending Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 327C.095, subdivisions 4,
6, 12, 13, by adding a subdivision.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 327C.095, subdivision 4, is amended to read:

Subd. 4.

Public hearing; relocation compensation; neutral third party.

new text begin Within 60
days after receiving notice of a closure statement, new text end the governing body of the affected
municipality shall hold a public hearing to review the closure statement and any impact that
the park closing may have on the displaced residents and the park owner. At the time of,
and in the notice for, the public hearing, displaced residents must be informed that they may
be eligible for payments from the Minnesota manufactured home relocation trust fund under
section 462A.35 as compensation for reasonable relocation costs under subdivision 13,
paragraphs (a) and (e).

The governing body of the municipality may also require that other parties, including
the municipality, but excluding the park owner or its purchaser, involved in the park closing
provide additional compensation to residents to mitigate the adverse financial impact of the
park closing upon the residents.

At the public hearing, the municipality shall appoint a new text begin qualified new text end neutral third party, to
be agreed upon by both the manufactured home park owner and manufactured home owners,
whose hourly cost must be reasonable and paid from the Minnesota manufactured home
relocation trust fund. The neutral third party shall act as a paymaster and arbitrator, with
decision-making authority to resolve any questions or disputes regarding any contributions
or disbursements to and from the Minnesota manufactured home relocation trust fund by
either the manufactured home park owner or the manufactured home owners. If the parties
cannot agree on a neutral third party, the municipality will deleted text begin make a determination deleted text end new text begin determine
who shall act as the neutral third party new text end .

new text begin The qualified neutral third party shall be familiar with manufactured housing and the
requirements of this section. The neutral third party shall keep an overall receipts and cost
summary together with a detailed accounting, for each manufactured lot, of the payments
received by the manufactured home park owner, and expenses approved and payments
disbursed to the manufactured home owners, pursuant to subdivisions 12 and 13, as well
as a record of all services and hours it provided and at what hourly rate it charged to the
Minnesota manufactured home trust fund. This detailed accounting shall be provided to the
manufactured home park owner, the municipality, and the Minnesota Housing Finance
Agency to be included in its yearly October 15 report as required in subdivision 13, paragraph
(h), not later than 30 days after the expiration of the nine-month notice provided in the
closure statement.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 327C.095, subdivision 6, is amended to read:

Subd. 6.

Intent to convert use of park at time of purchase.

Before the execution of
an agreement to purchase a manufactured home park, the purchaser must notify the park
owner, in writing, if the purchaser intends to close the manufactured home park or convert
it to another use within one year of the execution of the agreement. The park owner shall
provide a resident of each manufactured home with a 45-day written notice of the purchaser's
intent to close the park or convert it to another use. The notice must state that the park owner
will provide information on the cash price and the terms and conditions of the purchaser's
offer to residents requesting the information. The notice must be sent by first class mail to
a resident of each manufactured home in the park. The notice period begins on the postmark
date affixed to the notice and ends 45 days after it begins. During the notice period required
in this subdivision, the owners of at least 51 percent of the manufactured homes in the park
or a nonprofit organization which has the written permission of the owners of at least 51
percent of the manufactured homes in the park to represent them in the acquisition of the
park shall have the right to meet the cash price and execute an agreement to purchase the
park for the purposes of keeping the park as a manufactured housing community new text begin , provided
that the owners or nonprofit organization will covenant and warrant to the park owner in
the agreement that they will continue to operate the park for not less than six years from
the date of closing new text end . The park owner must accept the offer if it meets the cash price and the
same terms and conditions set forth in the purchaser's offer except that the seller is not
obligated to provide owner financing. For purposes of this section, cash price means the
cash price offer or equivalent cash offer as defined in section 500.245, subdivision 1,
paragraph (d).

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 327C.095, subdivision 12, is amended to read:

Subd. 12.

Payment to the Minnesota manufactured home relocation trust fund.

(a)
If a manufactured home owner is required to move due to the conversion of all or a portion
of a manufactured home park to another use, the closure of a park, or cessation of use of
the land as a manufactured home park, the manufactured park owner shall, upon the change
in use, pay to the commissioner of management and budget for deposit in the Minnesota
manufactured home relocation trust fund under section 462A.35, the lesser amount of the
actual costs of moving or purchasing the manufactured home approved by the neutral third
party and paid by the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency under subdivision 13, paragraph
(a) or (e), or $3,250 for each single section manufactured home, and $6,000 for each
multisection manufactured home, for which a manufactured home owner has made
application for payment of relocation costs under subdivision 13, paragraph (c). The
manufactured home park owner shall make payments required under this section to the
Minnesota manufactured home relocation trust fund within 60 days of receipt of invoice
from the neutral third party.

(b) A manufactured home park owner is not required to make the payment prescribed
under paragraph (a), nor is a manufactured home owner entitled to compensation under
subdivision 13, paragraph (a) or (e), if:

(1) the manufactured home park owner relocates the manufactured home owner to
another space in the manufactured home park or to another manufactured home park at the
park owner's expense;

(2) the manufactured home owner is vacating the premises and has informed the
manufactured home park owner or manager of this prior to the mailing date of the closure
statement under subdivision 1;

(3) a manufactured home owner has abandoned the manufactured home, or the
manufactured home owner is not current on the monthly lot rental, personal property taxes;

(4) the manufactured home owner has a pending eviction action for nonpayment of lot
rental amount under section 327C.09, which was filed against the manufactured home owner
prior to the mailing date of the closure statement under subdivision 1, and the writ of recovery
has been ordered by the district court;

(5) the conversion of all or a portion of a manufactured home park to another use, the
closure of a park, or cessation of use of the land as a manufactured home park is the result
of a taking or exercise of the power of eminent domain by a governmental entity or public
utility; or

(6) the owner of the manufactured home is not a resident of the manufactured home
park, as defined in section 327C.01, subdivision 9, or the owner of the manufactured home
is a resident, but came to reside in the manufactured home park after the mailing date of
the closure statement under subdivision 1.

(c) If the unencumbered fund balance in the manufactured home relocation trust fund
is less than deleted text begin $1,000,000 deleted text end new text begin $3,000,000 new text end as of June 30 of each year, the commissioner of
management and budget shall assess each manufactured home park owner by mail the total
amount of $15 for each licensed lot in their park, payable on or before deleted text begin September deleted text end new text begin November new text end
15 of that year. deleted text begin The commissioner of management deleted text end new text begin Failure to notify new text end and deleted text begin budget shall deposit
any payments in the Minnesota deleted text end new text begin timely assess the new text end manufactured home deleted text begin relocation trust fund.
On or before July 15 of deleted text end new text begin park owner by August 30 of any year shall waive the assessment
and payment obligations of the manufactured home park owner for that year. Together with
said assessment notice, new text end each year deleted text begin , deleted text end the commissioner of management and budget shall prepare
and distribute to park owners a letter explaining whether funds are being collected for that
year, information about the collection, an invoice for all licensed lots, and a sample form
for the park owners to collect information on which park residents have been accounted
for. If assessed under this paragraph, the park owner may recoup the cost of the $15
assessment as a lump sum or as a monthly fee of no more than $1.25 collected from park
residents together with monthly lot rent as provided in section 327C.03, subdivision 6. Park
owners may adjust payment for lots in their park that are vacant or otherwise not eligible
for contribution to the trust fund under section 327C.095, subdivision 12, paragraph (b),
and deduct from the assessment accordingly. new text begin The commissioner of management and budget
shall deposit any payments in the Minnesota manufactured home relocation trust fund.
new text end

(d) This subdivision and subdivision 13, paragraph (c), clause (5), are enforceable by
the neutral third party, on behalf of the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, or by action
in a court of appropriate jurisdiction. The court may award a prevailing party reasonable
attorney fees, court costs, and disbursements.

Sec. 4.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 327C.095, subdivision 13, is amended to read:

Subd. 13.

Change in use, relocation expenses; payments by park owner.

(a) If a
manufactured home owner is required to relocate due to the conversion of all or a portion
of a manufactured home park to another use, the closure of a manufactured home park, or
cessation of use of the land as a manufactured home park under subdivision 1, and the
manufactured home owner complies with the requirements of this section, the manufactured
home owner is entitled to payment from the Minnesota manufactured home relocation trust
fund equal to the manufactured home owner's actual relocation costs for relocating the
manufactured home to a new location within a deleted text begin 25 deleted text end new text begin 50 new text end -mile radius of the park that is being
closed, up to a maximum of $7,000 for a single-section and $12,500 for a multisection
manufactured home. The actual relocation costs must include the reasonable cost of taking
down, moving, and setting up the manufactured home, including equipment rental, utility
connection and disconnection charges, minor repairs, modifications necessary for
transportation of the home, necessary moving permits and insurance, moving costs for any
appurtenances, which meet applicable local, state, and federal building and construction
codes.

(b) A manufactured home owner is not entitled to compensation under paragraph (a) if
the manufactured home park owner is not required to make a payment to the Minnesota
manufactured home relocation trust fund under subdivision 12, paragraph (b).

(c) Except as provided in paragraph (e), in order to obtain payment from the Minnesota
manufactured home relocation trust fund, the manufactured home owner shall submit to the
neutral third party and the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, with a copy to the park
owner, an application for payment, which includes:

(1) a copy of the closure statement under subdivision 1;

(2) a copy of the contract with a moving or towing contractor, which includes the
relocation costs for relocating the manufactured home;

(3) a statement with supporting materials of any additional relocation costs as outlined
in subdivision 1;

(4) a statement certifying that none of the exceptions to receipt of compensation under
subdivision 12, paragraph (b), apply to the manufactured home owner;

(5) a statement from the manufactured park owner that the lot rental is current and that
the annual $15 deleted text begin payments deleted text end new text begin payment new text end to the Minnesota manufactured home relocation trust
fund deleted text begin have deleted text end new text begin has new text end been paid when due; and

(6) a statement from the county where the manufactured home is located certifying that
personal property taxes for the manufactured home are paid through the end of that year.

(d) new text begin The neutral third party shall promptly process all payments for completed applications
within 14 days. new text end If the neutral third party has acted reasonably and does not approve or deny
payment within 45 days after receipt of the information set forth in paragraph (c), the
payment is deemed approved. Upon approval and request by the neutral third party, the
Minnesota Housing Finance Agency shall issue two checks in equal amount for 50 percent
of the contract price payable to the mover and towing contractor for relocating the
manufactured home in the amount of the actual relocation cost, plus a check to the home
owner for additional certified costs associated with third-party vendors, that were necessary
in relocating the manufactured home. The moving or towing contractor shall receive 50
percent upon execution of the contract and 50 percent upon completion of the relocation
and approval by the manufactured home owner. The moving or towing contractor may not
apply the funds to any other purpose other than relocation of the manufactured home as
provided in the contract. A copy of the approval must be forwarded by the neutral third
party to the park owner with an invoice for payment of the amount specified in subdivision
12, paragraph (a).

(e) In lieu of collecting a relocation payment from the Minnesota manufactured home
relocation trust fund under paragraph (a), the manufactured home owner may collect an
amount from the fund after reasonable efforts to relocate the manufactured home have failed
due to the age or condition of the manufactured home, or because there are no manufactured
home parks willing or able to accept the manufactured home within a 25-mile radius. A
manufactured home owner may tender title of the manufactured home in the manufactured
home park to the manufactured home park owner, and collect an amount to be determined
by an independent appraisal. The appraiser must be agreed to by both the manufactured
home park owner and the manufactured home owner. If the appraised market value cannot
be determined, the tax market value, averaged over a period of five years, can be used as a
substitute. The maximum amount that may be reimbursed under the fund is $8,000 for a
single-section and $14,500 for a multisection manufactured home. The minimum amount
that may be reimbursed under the fund is $2,000 for a single section and $4,000 for a
multisection manufactured home. The manufactured home owner shall deliver to the
manufactured home park owner the current certificate of title to the manufactured home
duly endorsed by the owner of record, and valid releases of all liens shown on the certificate
of title, and a statement from the county where the manufactured home is located evidencing
that the personal property taxes have been paid. The manufactured home owner's application
for funds under this paragraph must include a document certifying that the manufactured
home cannot be relocated, that the lot rental is current, that the annual $15 payments to the
Minnesota manufactured home relocation trust fund have been paid when due, that the
manufactured home owner has chosen to tender title under this section, and that the park
owner agrees to make a payment to the commissioner of management and budget in the
amount established in subdivision 12, paragraph (a), less any documented costs submitted
to the neutral third party, required for demolition and removal of the home, and any debris
or refuse left on the lot, not to exceed deleted text begin $1,000 deleted text end new text begin $3,000 new text end . The manufactured home owner must
also provide a copy of the certificate of title endorsed by the owner of record, and certify
to the neutral third party, with a copy to the park owner, that none of the exceptions to
receipt of compensation under subdivision 12, paragraph (b), clauses (1) to (6), apply to the
manufactured home owner, and that the home owner will vacate the home within 60 days
after receipt of payment or the date of park closure, whichever is earlier, provided that the
monthly lot rent is kept current.

(f) The Minnesota Housing Finance Agency must make a determination of the amount
of payment a manufactured home owner would have been entitled to under a local ordinance
in effect on May 26, 2007. Notwithstanding paragraph (a), the manufactured home owner's
compensation for relocation costs from the fund under section 462A.35, is the greater of
the amount provided under this subdivision, or the amount under the local ordinance in
effect on May 26, 2007, that is applicable to the manufactured home owner. Nothing in this
paragraph is intended to increase the liability of the park owner.

(g) Neither the neutral third party nor the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency shall be
liable to any person for recovery if the funds in the Minnesota manufactured home relocation
trust fund are insufficient to pay the amounts claimed. The Minnesota Housing Finance
Agency shall keep a record of the time and date of its approval of payment to a claimant.

(h) The new text begin Minnesota Housing Finance new text end Agency shall new text begin post on its Web site and new text end report to the
chairs of the senate Finance Committee and house of representatives Ways and Means
Committee by deleted text begin January deleted text end new text begin October new text end 15 of each year on the Minnesota manufactured home
relocation trust fund, including the new text begin aggregate new text end account balance, new text begin the aggregate assessment
payments received, summary information regarding each closed park including the total new text end
payments to claimants new text begin and payments received from each closed park new text end , the amount of any
advances to the fund, the amount of any insufficiencies encountered during the previous
deleted text begin calendar deleted text end new text begin fiscal new text end year, new text begin reports of neutral third parties provided pursuant to subdivision 4, new text end and
any new text begin itemized new text end administrative charges or expenses deducted from the trust fund balance new text begin , all
of which should be reconciled to the previous year's trust fund balance new text end . If sufficient funds
become available, the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency shall pay the manufactured home
owner whose unpaid claim is the earliest by time and date of approval.

Sec. 5.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 327C.095, is amended by adding a subdivision
to read:

new text begin Subd. 16. new text end

new text begin Reporting of licensed manufactured home parks. new text end

new text begin The Department of Health
or, if applicable, local units of government that have entered into a delegation of authority
agreement with the Department of Health as provided in section 145A.07 shall provide, by
March 31 of each year, a list of names and addresses of the manufactured home parks
licensed in the previous year, and for each manufactured home park, the current licensed
owner, the owner's address, the number of licensed manufactured home lots, and other data
as they may request for the Department of Management and Budget to invoice each licensed
manufactured home park in the state of Minnesota.
new text end

Sec. 6. new text begin ADVANCES TO THE MINNESOTA MANUFACTURED HOME
RELOCATION TRUST FUND.
new text end

new text begin (a) Until June 30, 2020, the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency or Department of
Management and Budget as determined by the commissioner of management and budget,
is authorized to advance up to $400,000 from state appropriations or other resources to the
Minnesota manufactured home relocation trust fund established under Minnesota Statutes,
section 462A.35, if the account balance in the Minnesota manufactured home relocation
trust fund is insufficient to pay the amounts claimed under Minnesota Statutes, section
327C.095, subdivision 13.
new text end

new text begin (b) The Minnesota Housing Finance Agency or Department of Management and Budget
shall be reimbursed from the Minnesota manufactured home relocation trust fund for any
money advanced by the agency under paragraph (a) to the fund. Approved claims for payment
to manufactured home owners shall be paid prior to the money being advanced by the agency
or the department to the fund.
new text end