Tag Archives: Mobile Homes

Can Mobile Homes/Manufactured Homes be Moved?

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Trailers, mobile homes and manufactured homes are built in factories and transported over the road on axles and wheels to the site where they will be set up – whether that is in a rental community (mobile home park/manufactured housing community), or on privately owned land.  The manufactured home is set up on pillars, earthquake systems are installed on newer homes, the tires are removed, and siding or skirting is added.  Owners add steps to the front and back doors and, in many parks, carports and patios are installed with covers.  Driveways and landscaping are added and maintained by the mobile home owner renting the site. 

Once a mobile home is set in place, it can be moved the same way it was originally moved to the site.  If the home is multi-section (double or triple wide), the sections are divided and move along the roadway as single sections.  In many mobile home parks built in the 60s and 70s, the original homes are now 50 and 60 years old and are being replaced by newer manufactured housing.  Where do these older homes go?  Some go to Mexico or out of state, others to privately owned land or older mobile home parks in rural areas where they are fixed up and rented or sold.

Are you ready for inspection?

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Have you seen a Notice of Planned Inspection flyer posted in your park office? If so, then the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) will be conducting an inspection at your mobile home park! Here is some quick information regarding what you can expect from the inspection, and what you can do to prepare:

Keep an eye out for the HCD inspector – The inspector will be wearing an HCD vest and identification badge. They will examine the common areas of the park, but will also inspect your individual lot. They may enter your lot, but they will not enter your home without your permission, and will only request permission if the outside of your home suggests potential safety hazards within.

Remove any obstacles for the inspection – The inspector will need easy access to examine the landing, stairs, and deck to your mobile home. If you have a shed, remove any large obstacles that may restrict access so the inspector can see that it is structurally sound. Keep all animals indoors for both their and the inspector’s safety.

Keep your lot clean – Remove any garbage or combustible debris from your lot (paper, boxes, scrap wood, etc.). This is a fire and safety hazard and can result in a violation that could otherwise be avoided.

 Make sure all doorways are accessible – No doors leading to the exterior of your mobile home should be padlocked or blocked by furniture, and all stairs and landings should be free of damage. Obstructing an entry/exit on the exterior of your mobile home is a safety hazard.

Perform a preliminary inspection of your own home – All awnings, carports, decks and porches should be adequately supported. Any damage to structural support needs to be addressed. The skirting of your unit must be without decay or deterioration.

Address any electrical hazards – Cables and conductors for electrical wiring outside of the unit must be weather proof. Power cords must not be damaged, and the unit must not have more than one power supply cord. Electrical appliances cannot be installed outside of the unit unless inside a weather proof structure with adequate wiring.

The inspection is done to ensure that both the park owner and the mobile home park residents are maintaining their properties at the minimum safety requirements of the state. For more detailed information regarding what you can expect from the inspection, visit www.hcd.ca.gov/mpm-booklets and download the Resident Information Booklet. A copy of the booklet will also be mailed to you by the HCD inspector 30 days prior to the inspection.

Thinking of selling your home?

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Before selling your home, be sure everything is in order regarding the registration of the home with the State of California, that taxes are all paid and current, and that you are aware of the proper disclosure forms that must be provided to the buyer of your home. These forms are outlined in California Civil Code Sections 1102 and require the seller of a manufactured home to disclose information including what items are included in the home, significant defects/malfunctions, hazardous materials in the home, and that any room additions comply with the appropriate code. The disclosure form is far more detailed, so be sure that you are thoroughly aware of this section of the California Civil code BEFORE you put your home up for sale. You will also want to advise the on-site manager/park owners that you are selling your home so that they can provide you with additional information or procedures that will need to be followed.

Safety Tips for the Summer Sun Lover

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California is set for a hot summer, which will inevitably draw people from their homes and to the pool, beach or shady park. Make sure that you are fully protected because sun exposure can lead to burns, exhaustion, sun poisoning, and dehydration. Here are a few tips from WebMD on how to make sure your time in the California Sun is not something you will later regret.

  1. Wear a sunscreen that has an SPF of at least 30 and says “broad-spectrum” on the label, which means that it protects against the sun’s UVA and UVB rays. Put it on all over about 15 to 30 minutes before going out in the sun. Reapply at least every 2 hours and after you’ve been sweating or in the water.
  2. Limit your sun exposure between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and remember that water, snow, and sand can intensify the sun’s damaging rays.
  3. Wear sunglasses, a hat, and protective clothing.
  4. Check on your medications. Ask your doctor if anything you take might make your skin more sensitive to sunlight.

Management::Notice of Entry

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Management entry notification, and allowable entry in mobile home parks is far different from apartments as a general rule. This is due to the fact that Mobile Homes and Mobile Home Parks are unique; the park resident owns their mobile home and rent the land the home sits on.Management must be careful to properly notify the resident (home owner) when a home or land entry is necessary.

*If you live in a park owned mobile home and are renting the entire home, the rules for entering your home are the same as those living in an apartment.

For the residents who are homeowners the MRL spells out exactly what management must do if they need to enter your home and your rights in refusing entry.

  • Ownership may enter the home with prior written consent of the resident.
  • Consent may be revoked by the resident IN WRITING at any time
  • Ownership/Management shall gain entry onto the land which the mobile home sits, with proper notice, for
    • Maintenance of utilities
    • Maintenance of Trees or Driveways
    • Or for general maintenance of the premises in accordance with the rules and regulations.
  • Ownership may enter the home WITH OUT prior written consent of the resident
    • In case of emergency
    • If the resident has abandoned the home

Rental Assistance for Low Income Mobile Home Owners in Orange County

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RAPLogoIf you are struggling to pay your rent there is a program in Orange County that was set-up to assist you while you wait for a Section 8 housing voucher to become available. It is a privately funded program, sponsored by local Park Owners and administered by MHET. You must meet specific guidelines to qualify for the program. If you feel you may qualify or would like more information or to request an application packet please call the Mobile Home Rental Assistance Program (RAP) 949-380-3311.

How to prepare your home for an Earthquake and what to do after one occurs.

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California has experienced quite a few earthquakes in the last few months and it is suspected that there are more to come. Most people have prepared plans with their families on what to do to protect themselves during an earthquake. You know to take cover away from all windows and large pieces of furniture but what should you do to prepare your home?

The first step is to make sure all large pieces of furniture and hot water heaters are secured to the walls. You also want to make sure that you do not have any heavy objects over your bed such as large framed pictures or mirrors, although these may look great the risk of them falling off the wall in a large quake are great. If the quake struck at night the risk of you getting crushed by these objects is even greater.

Make sure you have a working carbon monoxide detector in your home. Many times a large earthquake will disrupt gas connections. The carbon monoxide detector will warn you if there are unsafe levels in your home and you will have time to leave safely. You can also call the gas company and have them come out to do an inspection of your home to make sure that there are not any leaks and that all connections are still secure.

If the power is out try to use only battery-powered lanterns. If there is a gas leak lighting candles can ignite a fire. It is better to be safe than sorry.

Open all cabinets carefully, especially if there are heavy or potentially harmful martials inside. The earthquake might have shifted the objects around and they may fall on you so be cautious.

Who Really Lives in Mobile Homes? The Perception and Misconceptions of Mobile Home parks and their residents.

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Mobile home parks and their residents are beginning to be featured more and more in today’s media. First came Welcome to Myrtle Manor, a reality TV show about a handful of quirky mobile home park residents in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Then, more recently, with the controversial statement made by Miss South Carolina in her intro to the Miss America Pageant, “I’m from the state where 20 percent of our homes are mobile, because that ‘s how we roll.” Some argue that statements like these and TV shows like Welcome to Myrtle Manor only serve to perpetuate the “trailer trash” stereotype. Others say it brings a lighthearted nature to mobile home living that has not been there in the past due to the stereotype of the poor and downtrodden mobile home owner.

So who really lives in mobile homes? According to a recent article written by Tom Geoghegan: Pamela Anderson, Minnie Driver, and Matthew McConaughey are all residents of the mobile home park Paradise Cove in Malibu, California. In this park the homes boast marble floors and sell for around $2.5 Million. The same article alluded to parks in Thermal, California where conditions are terrible and most homes are held together with spit and a prayer. Both of these parks are the exception and not the rule.

If it is neither the exorbitantly wealthy nor the unemployed and destitute that live in the majority of the over 8 million mobile homes (US Census, Manufactured Housing Institute) located in the United States, who really lives in mobile homes? According to the US Census 57% of mobile home owners distinguished as the “head of household” have full time employment and 23% of residents are retired. Young families just starting out and seniors tend to populate the majority of mobile home parks. This is in part due to the cost of the average mobile home, “70% of all new single family homes sold for under $125,000 are manufactured”(Manufactured Housing Institute). The affordability of a manufactured home versus a site built home attracts younger families just starting off. It also attracts many seniors wishing to retire. Many of them sell their site built homes for the ease of Mobile Home living; with little to no yard to maintain and many amenities, including clubhouses and pools, some event boast tennis courts, the value far exceeds the cost. Other than being the average American, the mobile home owner is really just someone who has the opportunity to enjoy, as the old adage goes, “More bang for your buck”.

Nutrition and Meals- Free for Low Income Seniors and those with Disabilities

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Being hungry is a terrible feeling but one that many seniors live with due to budget constraints. The California Department on Aging offers programs to help low income seniors who are in need of meals.

According to their website, Congregate Nutrition Services provide meals in a group setting. Services also include nutrition and health promotion education, and opportunities for socialization. People eligible for Title III C-1 nutrition services are 60 years of age or older, individuals with a handicap or disability who meet specific criteria, spouses of eligible participants regardless of age, and volunteers who provide needed services during meal hours. Project facilities and operations conform to health and safety standards and provide safe, wholesome and nutritious meal services to older clients.

Home Delivered Meal Services are available to people, age 60 or older, who are home bound by reason of illness, incapacity, or disability, or who are otherwise isolated. Because home bound meal recipients are typically older and frailer, they are usually referred to the program by a hospital, a family member, or other referral service. Most home-delivered meal programs provide their clients with a hot meal five days a week delivered by staff or volunteer drivers. In addition, nutrition education is provided.

For more information on these programs call 1 (800) 510-2020.

Stay Safe this 4th of July

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The Fourth of July is a huge celebration full of BBQ’s, fireworks, friends and family. It is easy to get caught up and to forget that a lot of things can go wrong.

Make sure you are drinking plenty of water. People tend to stay outside Barbequing or swimming. These activities can cause you to sweat and loose a lot of water. Keep bottles handy. Remember that soda and alcohol can cause dehydration. Water is your best option to keep from getting light headed, nauseous and possibly passing out due to dehydration.

Check with your city and your park to make sure it is legal to shoot off fireworks. If your city or park does not allow for at home fireworks check the local newspapers or go online to see if they have a firework show close to you. Click here for a list of shows in Orange County,  Here for San Bernardino County, and Here for Riverside County. These often boast pre-firework entertainment and all day fun at a low cost.

If your city allows at home fireworks know what safety precautions to take.  Always read all warning labels and follow instructions carefully, light fireworks in a large empty space cleared off all things that can catch on fire, have buckets of water ready, place used firework shells in water before discarding to ensure all sparks are put out. For more tips on firework safety click here.  Around 200 people per day are taken to the emergency room due to firework related injuries in the month of July, do not be one of these people.

Enjoy your 4th of July and Stay Safe!