Minnesota Session Laws - 2007, Regular Session

CHAPTER 141--S.F.No. 1196

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; authorizing advances to the Minnesota manufactured home relocation 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; neutral third party 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 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 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 the 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 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. 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 post on the department's Web site 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 park 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, sent to both the commissioner of finance and the commissioner of the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency. 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 neutral third party, 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 neutral third party 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 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). 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 neutral third party, 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 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. 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. Nothing in this paragraph is intended to increase the liability of the park owner. new text end

new text begin (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. new text end

new text begin (h) The agency shall report to the chairs of the senate Finance Committee and house of representatives Ways and Means Committee by January 15 of each year on the Minnesota manufactured home relocation trust fund, including the account balance, payments to claimants, the amount of any advances to the fund, and the amount of any insufficiencies encountered during the previous calendar year. 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 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. 8.

new text begin [462A.35] 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. Money in the fund is appropriated to the agency for these purposes and to the commissioner of finance to pay costs incurred by the commissioner of finance to administer the fund. new text end

Sec. 9.

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 money from state appropriations or other resources to the Minnesota manufactured home relocation trust fund established under Minnesota Statutes, section 462A.35, in the event that money in the Minnesota manufactured home relocation trust fund is insufficient to pay the amounts claimed under Minnesota Statutes, section 327.095, subdivision 13. This paragraph sunsets on June 30, 2009. 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 before reimbursement of money advanced by the agency to the fund. new text end

Sec. 10.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin Sections 1 to 9 are effective the day following final enactment. Section 6 does not apply to proceedings initiated before the effective date under a local ordinance that provides for compensation for manufactured home owners for the closure or relocation of a manufactured home park, if final action in the proceedings is completed by August 1, 2007. new text end

Presented to the governor May 22, 2007

Signed by the governor May 25, 2007, 3:32 p.m.