Article Courtesy of The
Bradenton Herald
By Mark Young
Published March 19, 2019
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bill floating quietly through the Florida Legislature would give mobile home
park owners the authority to enter a homeowner’s property to perform work and
then charge the homeowner.
There are laws in place for park owners
and homeowner associations to initiate fines relating to
house and yard maintenance violations. However, entering
private property — including the homes of tenant who rent
lots — is not allowed unless it’s to make repairs to park
infrastructure.
SB 1262, sponsored by Sen. Ed Hooper,
R-Clearwater, would change that.
The bill would amend existing law to authorize park owners
or their management companies to not only enter someone’s
property but hire workers to do so to, “ensure compliance in
the future,” by forcing a homeowner to pay for work the park
deems needs to be done.
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“Though we do see the need for some method of keeping up
appearances of the community, it is that ‘ensuring compliance’ that we
object to,” said Jan McMeans, a mobile home owner and founder of Networks
for Progress, a grassroots organization that looks out for mobile home
owners’ rights.
The bill — still in committee — points out specific issues relating to
mowing and edging the grass, as well as the trimming of trees and shrubbery.
The park owner must give notice by mail and post the notice on the property.
The park owner can move forward with ensuring the work is done within as few
as three days from the mailing of the notice.
It also would give 30 days from the time of mailing before hiring workers to
paint or pressure wash the mobile home. In all cases, the homeowner would
then be billed for the work.
There are several problems with the bill that McMeans said needs to be
addressed.
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