SF 1196

2nd Engrossment - 85th Legislature (2007 - 2008) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to housing; creating the Minnesota manufactured home relocation trust
fund; requiring that a manufactured home park owner make specified payments
to the trust fund; requiring an owner of a manufactured home who rents a lot in a
manufactured home park to make an annual payment to the trust fund; amending
Minnesota Statutes 2006, sections 327C.095, subdivisions 1, 4, by adding
subdivisions; 462A.21, by adding a subdivision; proposing coding for new law
in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 462A.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 327C.095, subdivision 1, is amended to
read:

Subdivision 1.

Conversion of use; minimum notice.

At least nine months before
the conversion of all or a portion of a manufactured home park to another use, or before
closure of a manufactured home park or cessation of use of the land as a manufactured
home park, the park owner must prepare a closure statement and provide a copy to the
commissioners of health and the housing finance agency, the local planning agency, and
a resident of each manufactured home where the residential use is being converted.
new text begin The closure statement must include the following language in a font no smaller than 14
point: "YOU MAY BE ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION FROM THE MINNESOTA
MANUFACTURED HOME RELOCATION TRUST FUND ADMINISTERED BY THE
MINNESOTA HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY." new text end A resident may not be required to
vacate until 60 days after the conclusion of the public hearing required under subdivision
4. If a lot is available in another section of the park that will continue to be operated as a
park, the park owner must allow the resident to relocate the home to that lot unless the
home, because of its size or local ordinance, is not compatible with that lot.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 327C.095, subdivision 4, is amended to read:

Subd. 4.

Public hearing; relocation deleted text begin costs deleted text end new text begin compensation; third-party neutral new text end .

The governing body of the new text begin affected new text end 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. deleted text begin Before any change in use or cessation of operation and as a
condition of the change, the governing body may require a payment by the park owner to
be made to the displaced resident for the reasonable relocation costs. If a resident cannot
relocate the home to another manufactured home park within a 25 mile radius of the park
that is being closed, the resident is entitled to relocation costs based upon an average of
relocation costs awarded to other residents. deleted text end new text begin 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.40 as
compensation for reasonable relocation costs under subdivision 13, paragraphs (a) and (e).
new text end

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

new text begin At the public hearing, the municipality shall appoint a third-party neutral, 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 third-party neutral 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 third party, the municipality will make a determination.
new text end

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 327C.095, is amended by adding a
subdivision to read:

new text begin Subd. 12. new text end

new text begin Payment to the Minnesota manufactured home relocation trust fund.
new text end

new text begin (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
such change in use, pay to the commissioner of finance for deposit in the Minnesota
manufactured home relocation trust fund under section 462A.40, the lesser amount
of the actual costs of moving or purchasing the manufactured home approved by the
third-party neutral 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 from the
third-party neutral.
new text end

new text begin (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:
new text end

new text begin (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;
new text end

new text begin (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;
new text end

new text begin (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, or has failed to pay the annual $12 payments to the Minnesota manufactured home
relocation trust fund when due;
new text end

new text begin (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;
new text end

new text begin (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
new text end

new text begin (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.
new text end

new text begin (c) Owners of manufactured homes who rent lots in a manufactured home park shall
make annual payments to the park owner, to be deposited in the Minnesota manufactured
home relocation trust fund under section 462A.40, in the amount of $12 per year, per
manufactured home, payable on August 15 of each year. On or before July 15 of each
year, the commissioner of finance shall prepare and forward to the park owner for
circulation to its residents, a generic invoice and cover letter explaining the purpose of the
Minnesota manufactured home relocation trust fund, the obligation of each manufactured
home owner to make an annual $12 payment into the fund, the due date, and the need to
pay to the park owner for collection, and a warning, in 14-point font, that if the annual
payments are not made when due, the manufactured home owner will not be eligible for
compensation from the fund if the manufactured home community closes. The park
owner shall receive, record, and commingle the payments and forward the payments to
the commissioner of finance by September 15 of each year, with a summary by the park
owner, certifying the name, address, and payment amount of each remitter, and noting
the names and address of manufactured home owners who did not pay the $12 annual
payment. The commissioner of finance shall deposit the payments in the Minnesota
manufactured home relocation trust fund.
new text end

new text begin (d) This subdivision and subdivision 13, paragraph (c), clause (5), are enforceable
by the third-party neutral, on behalf of the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, or by
action in a court of appropriate jurisdiction.
new text end

Sec. 4.

Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 327C.095, is amended by adding a
subdivision to read:

new text begin Subd. 13. new text end

new text begin Change in use, relocation expenses; payments by park owner. new text end

new text begin (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 25-mile radius
of the park that is being closed, up to a maximum of $4,000 for a single-section and
$8,000 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.
new text end

new text begin (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).
new text end

new text begin (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 third-party neutral and the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, with a copy
to the park owner, an application for payment, which includes:
new text end

new text begin (1) a copy of the closure statement under subdivision 1;
new text end

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

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

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

new text begin (5) a statement from the manufactured park owner that the lot rental is current
and that the annual $12 payments to the Minnesota manufactured home relocation trust
fund have been paid when due; and
new text end

new text begin (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.
new text end

new text begin (d) If the third-party neutral 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 third-party neutral, 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 third-party neutral to
the park owner with an invoice for payment of the amount specified in subdivision 12,
paragraph (a).
new text end

new text begin (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. The amount that may
be reimbursed under the fund is a maximum of $5,000 for a single-section, and $9,000
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 $12 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 finance in the amount established in subdivision 12, paragraph (a), less any documented
costs submitted to the third-party neutral, required for demolition and removal of the
home, and any debris or refuse left on the lot, not to exceed $1,000. The manufactured
home owner must also provide a copy of the certificate of title endorsed by the owner of
record, and certify to the third-party neutral, 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.
new text end

new text begin (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 the effective date of this section. Notwithstanding paragraph (a),
the manufactured home owner's compensation for relocation costs from the fund under
section 462A.40, is the greater of the amount provided under this subdivision, or the
amount under the local ordinance in effect on the effective date of this section, that is
applicable to the manufactured home owner.
new text end

new text begin (g) Neither the third-party neutral 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. In such an event,
the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency shall keep a record of the time and date of its
approval of payment to a claimant. 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.
new text end

Sec. 5.

Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 327C.095, is amended by adding a
subdivision to read:

new text begin Subd. 14. new text end

new text begin Payment adjustment for smaller manufactured home parks. new text end

new text begin The total
contribution to the fund under section 462A.40 paid by the park owner under subdivision
12, paragraph (a), must not exceed 20 percent of the sale price, or if no sale price is
available, the assessed value of the manufactured home park, except that if the sale price,
or, if there is no sale price, the assessed value, is:
new text end

new text begin (1) less than $100,000, the manufactured home park owner's contribution to the fund
must not exceed five percent of the sale price of the manufactured home park;
new text end

new text begin (2) less than $200,000, the owner's contribution to the fund must not exceed eight
percent of the sale price of the manufactured home park;
new text end

new text begin (3) less than $300,000, the owner's contribution to the fund must not exceed ten
percent of the sale price of the manufactured home park; and
new text end

new text begin (4) less than $500,000, the owner's contribution to the fund must not exceed 15
percent of the sale price of the manufactured home park.
new text end

Sec. 6.

Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 327C.095, is amended by adding a
subdivision to read:

new text begin Subd. 15. new text end

new text begin Preemption of local ordinances. new text end

new text begin Sections 327C.095, subdivisions 1, 4,
and 12 to 16; 462A.21, subdivision 31; and 462A.40 preempt and supersede a township,
county, or statutory or home rule charter city ordinance relating to the relocation or buyout
payments paid due to a change of use or closure of manufactured home communities. A
township, county, or statutory or home rule charter city must not adopt an ordinance
requiring more compensation by the manufactured home park owners or its purchaser
than what is provided for in this statute.
new text end

Sec. 7.

Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 327C.095, is amended by adding a
subdivision to read:

new text begin Subd. 16. new text end

new text begin Advances to the Minnesota manufactured home relocation trust fund.
new text end

new text begin (a) The Minnesota Housing Finance Agency may advance funds from state appropriations
or other resources to the Minnesota manufactured home relocation trust fund established
under section 462A.40 in the event that funds in the Minnesota manufactured home
relocation trust fund are insufficient to pay the amounts claimed under subdivision 13.
new text end

new text begin (b) The Minnesota Housing Finance Agency shall be reimbursed from the Minnesota
manufactured home relocation trust fund for any money advanced by the agency under
paragraph (a) to the fund. Applications for payment to manufactured home owners shall
be paid prior to reimbursement of money advanced by the agency to the fund.
new text end

Sec. 8.

Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 462A.21, is amended by adding a subdivision
to read:

new text begin Subd. 31. new text end

new text begin Manufactured housing relocation trust fund. new text end

new text begin The agency may spend
money for the purposes of sections 327C.095, subdivisions 12 and 13; and 462A.40
and may pay the costs and expenses necessary and incidental to the development and
operation of the fund under section 462A.40.
new text end

Sec. 9.

new text begin [462A.40] MINNESOTA MANUFACTURED HOME RELOCATION
TRUST FUND.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Establishment of fund. new text end

new text begin The Minnesota manufactured home
relocation trust fund is established as a separate account in the housing development
fund. The agency may use the money from the Minnesota manufactured home relocation
trust fund to make payments to manufactured home owners under section 327C.095,
subdivision 13, paragraphs (a) and (e). All interest earned from the investment or
deposit of money in the trust fund must be deposited in the trust fund. The Minnesota
manufactured home relocation trust fund account shall consist of:
new text end

new text begin (1) payments collected from manufactured home park owners under section
327C.095, subdivision 12, paragraph (a), and subdivision 13, paragraph (e);
new text end

new text begin (2) payments collected from manufactured home owners under section 327C.095,
subdivision 12, paragraph (c);
new text end

new text begin (3) interest earned on the money deposited into the trust fund; and
new text end

new text begin (4) other appropriated funds.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Expending funds. new text end

new text begin The agency may expend the money in the Minnesota
manufactured home relocation trust fund to the extent necessary to carry out the objectives
of section 327C.095, subdivision 13, by making payments to manufactured home owners,
or other parties approved by the third-party neutral, under subdivision 13, paragraphs (a)
and (e), and to pay the costs of administering the fund.
new text end

Sec. 10. new text begin EXPIRATION.
new text end

new text begin Minnesota Statutes, section 327C.095, subdivision 12, paragraph (c), expires on
December 31, 2008. Minnesota Statutes, section 327C.095, subdivision 16, paragraph (a),
expires on June 30, 2009.
new text end

Sec. 11. new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE.
new text end

new text begin Sections 1 to 10 are effective the day following final enactment.
new text end