Harrisburg, PA – April 7, 2009 – (RealEstateRama) — Reps. Kate Harper and Rick Taylor, both of Montgomery County, have introduced legislation to help protect owners of manufactured housing, or mobile homes, from unreasonable and unexpected ground rent fees.
“Many older Pennsylvanians on fixed incomes are living in mobile home retirement communities in our region and across the state,” Harper said. “The homes are nice and affordable, but they are not easily moved. When ground rents or lot fees rise unpredictably year after year, seniors are forced to make hard choices with no forewarning.”
“I have spoken with many older Pennsylvanians who have been forced to make tough calls like rationing their medications, skipping meals, or turning off their heat in order to pay ground rent fees,” Taylor said. “It’s tragic, and they deserve better treatment than that.”
House Bill 1201 amends the Mobile Home Park Rights Act to require mobile home park owners to provide potential lessees with a prospectus or written document that includes information on how and when rent can be increased, a three-year history of the rental rate for the tenant’s lot, and information regarding the facilities, rules and regulations of the park.
The lawmakers said their primary goal is to ensure consumers can make an informed choice when deciding where they want to live.
Under the legislation, the state Department of Labor and Industry would review and approve the prospectus. Upon receipt of the document, a tenant would be given 15 days to cancel the lease agreement without penalty. If a park owner fails to provide the document, a tenant may cancel the lease agreement without penalty any time prior to receiving the document.
The bill was referred to the House Urban Affairs Committee for consideration.
Rep. Kate Harper
61st District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
(610) 277-3230
(717) 787-2801
Member Site: KateHarper.net
Contact: Patricia A. Hippler
House Republican Public Relations
(717) 772-9846
Caucus Site: PAHouseGOP.com
