SUBJECT:

PURPOSE:

The vast majority of manufactured homeowners rent the lots on which their homes are placed. Manufactured homeowners invest thousands of dollars in their manufactured homes, most of which are not, in fact, intended to be moved once they are settled. Moreover, because of restrictive zoning laws, only a limited number of vacant lots are available. It generally costs a manufactured homeowner thousands of dollars to move a home, provided he or she can find somewhere to place it and assuming the home is capable of being moved without suffering severe damage. As a result, manufactured homeowners find themselves in a precarious and unequal bargaining position with the park owner. This lack of bargaining power disrupts the normal operation of market forces and renders such manufactured homeowners captive to whatever terms a manufactured home park owner may choose to impose.

Please see the list of subjects to which witnesses may direct their testimony, and for a description of the bills that will be discussed at the hearing.

Persons wishing to present pertinent testimony to the Committee at the above hearing should complete and return the enclosed reply form as soon as possible. It is important that the reply form be fully completed and returned so that persons may be notified in the event of emergency postponement or cancellation.

Oral testimony will be limited to ten minutes duration. In preparing the order of witnesses, the Committee will attempt to accommodate individual requests to speak at particular times in view of special circumstances. These requests should be made on the attached reply form or communicated to Committee staff as early as possible

Ten copies of any prepared testimony should be submitted at the hearing registration desk. The Committee would appreciate advance receipt of prepared statements.

In order to further publicize these hearings, please inform interested parties and organizations of the Committee's interest in hearing testimony from all sources.

In order to meet the needs of those who may have a disability, the Assembly, in accordance with its policy of non-discrimination on the basis of disability, as well as the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), has made its facilities and services available to all individuals with disabilities. For individuals with disabilities, accommodations will be provided, upon reasonable request, to afford such individuals access and admission to Assembly facilities and activities.

SELECTED ISSUES TO WHICH WITNESSES MAY DIRECT THEIR TESTIMONY:

1. What recourse do manufactured homeowners who live in manufactured home parks have when presented with an increase in lot rents? Should homeowners be protected from rent increases? Under what circumstances should they be protected? If so, will A.7985 (Alessi) provide adequate protection?

2. What protections do manufactured homeowners have when the park they live in is put up for sale? Should homeowners within the park have a right of first refusal for the purchase of the park? If so, will A.2123 (John) provide that right effectively? What other protections should be put in place for homeowners when a park is offered for sale?

3. What other measures could the legislature take to provide more protections for homeowners within manufactured home parks?

PUBLIC HEARING REPLY FORM

Persons wishing to present testimony at the public hearing on Homeowner Protections In Manufactured Home Parks are requested to complete this reply form as soon as possible and mail it to:

Steve McCutcheon
Legislative Associate
Assembly Committee on Housing
22nd Floor AESOB, 80 South Swan Street
Albany, New York 12248
Email: mccutcheons@assembly.state.ny.us
Phone: (518) 455-4355
Fax: (518) 455-4128

I will address my remarks to the following subjects:

I will require assistance and/or handicapped accessibility information. Please specify the type of assistance required: