[HISTORY: Adopted by the Rockland County Legislature: Art. I, 6-6-1989 by L.L. No. 3-1989. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Office of Consumer Protection — See Ch. 35.
Homeowners' Protection Board — See Ch. 76.
Fair housing — See Ch. 261.
[Adopted 6-6-1989 by L.L. No. 3-1989]
A. 
This legislature hereby finds and declares that the shortage of decent affordable housing for persons of low and moderate income remains significant and must be addressed in new and innovative ways; that a particular housing problem exists for homeowners residing in mobile home parks, wherein there is the potential for serious dislocation of families and loss of equity through the sale of mobile homes; that mobile home park residents frequently lack the resources to purchase new homes or move existing homes; that in Rockland County there are approximately 19 mobile home parks in which several hundred mobile home owners reside. These mobile home owners are a unique combination of homeowner and tenant since they own their homes, but rent the lot on which it is situated. The present vacancy rate of lots in mobile home parks in Rockland County is less than 4% and as vacancies have occurred, many park owners have required that only new homes may be placed on those lots. These circumstances make it imperative that laws be enacted which protect mobile home owners from arbitrary eviction and guarantee their right to sell their homes in place. Without such protections for mobile home owners, their investment in a home in Rockland County is fraught with unreasonable risk.
B. 
Mobile homes are generally more affordable than conventionally built homes and this Legislature wants to encourage the ownership of mobile homes under conditions which afford protection of the expectation of such homeowners that the equity in their homes will grow over time as long as they maintain their homes in good condition. This article is based on a determination by this Legislature that the current state law to protect mobile home owners, Real Property Law § 233, is ambiguous and inadequate to protect the rights of mobile home owners to stay in parks and sell their homes in place when they leave.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
MOBILE HOME OWNER
One who holds title to a mobile home.
MOBILE HOME PARK
A contiguous parcel of privately owned land which is used for accommodation of three or more mobile homes occupied for year-round living.
MOBILE HOME PARK OWNER OR OPERATOR
The person in charge of a mobile home park. This term shall include, but not be limited to, the owner of the land, the manager, assistant manager or any other person in charge of the operations or activities of a mobile home park.
A. 
A mobile home park owner or operator may not evict a mobile home owner other than for the following reasons:
(1) 
The mobile home owner has defaulted in the payment of rent, pursuant to the agreement under which the premises are held, and a demand of the rent has been made or at least three days' notice in writing has been served upon him as prescribed in § 735 of the Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law. Upon the tender of such delinquent rent, together with allowable costs, an action instituted for nonpayment of rent shall be terminated. Any person succeeding to the mobile home park owner or operator's interest in the premises may proceed under this subsection for rent due his predecessor in interest if he has a right thereto.
(2) 
The mobile home owner is persistently late in the payment of rent. It shall be presumed that a mobile home owner is persistently late in the payment of rent if, within any twelve-month period, the mobile home owner has tendered the rent more than 10 days beyond the due date more than four times and the mobile home park owner or operator has given the mobile home owner written notice by certified mail warning the mobile home owner that further late payment of rent will cause the mobile home park owner or operator to institute an eviction proceeding.
(3) 
The premises, or any part thereof, are used or occupied as a bawdy-house or house or place of assignation for lewd purposes or for purposes of prostitution or for any illegal trade or business.
(4) 
The mobile home owner is in violation of a federal, state or local law or ordinance which may be deemed detrimental to the safety and welfare of the other persons residing in the mobile home park.
(5) 
The mobile home owner or anyone occupying the mobile home is in violation of any lease term or rule or regulation established by the mobile home park owner or operator pursuant to this section, and has continued in violation for more than 10 days after the mobile home park owner or operator has given written notice of such violation to the mobile home owner setting forth the lease term or rule or regulation violated and directing that the mobile home owner correct or cease violation of such lease term or rule or regulation within 10 days from the receipt of said notice. Upon the expiration of such period should the violation continue or should the mobile home owner or anyone occupying the mobile home be deemed a persistent violator of the lease term or rules and regulations, the mobile home park owner or operator may serve written notice upon the mobile home owner directing that he vacate the premises within 30 days of the receipt of said notice. If the violation so specified shall be of such a nature that the same cannot be reasonably cured or remedied within such ten-day period, and if the mobile home owner shall have, in good faith, commenced the curing or remedying of such default within such ten-day period and shall thereafter diligently proceed to completion, then, such action shall be an affirmative defense in any proceeding for eviction.
(6) 
The mobile home park owner or operator proposes a change in the use of the land comprising the mobile home park, or a portion thereof, on which the mobile home is located, from mobile home lot rentals to some other use, provided that the mobile home owner is given at least six months' written notice, or longer if a longer term remains in a rental agreement, of the proposed change of use and the mobile home owner's need to secure other accommodations.
B. 
No mobile home owner shall be denied a continuance or renewal of a lease so long as he or she has, during his or her period of occupancy, complied with the terms of his or her lease and the rules and regulations of the mobile home park then in effect.
C. 
The proceedings to evict shall be governed by the proceedings set forth in Subdivision d of § 233 of the New York Real Property Law.
A. 
No mobile home park owner or operator shall require the removal of or increased rental for a mobile home occupying a lot in a mobile home park solely on the ground of the age, size and/or model of such mobile home.
B. 
No mobile home park owner or operator shall deny any mobile home owner the right to sell his mobile home in the mobile home park or require the mobile home owner or subsequent purchaser to remove the mobile home from the mobile home park based on the sale thereof, provided that the mobile home owner shall give the mobile home park owner or operator 20 days' written notice of his intention to sell. The mobile home park owner or operator may reserve the right to approve the purchaser of said mobile home as a tenant in the park, but such approval shall not be unreasonably withheld. The mobile home park owner or operator may obtain credit information regarding the purchaser. Approval of the purchaser must be granted or denied within 20 days from the date the mobile home park owner or operator is notified of the name, address and information as to the credit worthiness of the purchaser. If the mobile home park owner or operator rejects a purchaser as a prospective tenant, he or she shall notify the prospective seller of the reasons therefor in writing.
C. 
If the mobile home park owner or operator fails to act within the twenty-day period, the purchaser shall have been deemed approved.
D. 
If the mobile home park owner or operator unreasonably withholds permission, the mobile home owner may commence an action for any damages resulting therefrom. If it is found by the court that the mobile home park owner or operator unreasonably withheld such approval, the mobile home owner may recover his or her attorney's fees in addition to any other available remedy at law or in equity. In addition, if the mobile home owner or operator is found by the court to have acted in bad faith in withholding such approval, then he or she shall be liable for treble damages.
E. 
No mobile home park owner or operator shall withhold approval of a sale of a mobile home by refusal to sign an agreement with the lending institution for the prospective purchaser, or charge a fee for signing such agreement, that permits the mobile home to remain in the park in case of a default by the purchaser in the payment of the loan for the mobile home so long as the lending institution guarantees payment of the rent and other legal fees to the mobile home park owner or operator and upkeep of the mobile home and the lot during such time as the lending institution procures a subsequent purchaser for the mobile home who meets the reasonable approval of the owner or operator.
No mobile home park owner or operator shall require a mobile home owner or a prospective mobile home owner to purchase his or her mobile home from the mobile home park owner or operator, or from any entity in which the mobile home park owner or operator, his or her spouse, parents or children, or, if a corporation, any subsidiary or parent corporation, has an interest. Nothing herein shall be construed to prevent a mobile home owner or operator from requiring that any new mobile home to be installed in his or her mobile home park comply with the rules and regulations of said mobile home park or conform to the physical facilities then existing for installation of a mobile home in said mobile home park.
Any mobile home park owner or operator who violates § 302-5 of this article shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than $1,000 for each violation. Each day or a part of a day on which a violation continues or occurs shall constitute a separate violation.
A. 
This article may be enforced by the Rockland County Department of Weights and Measures, Office of Consumer Protection, the Rockland County Attorney or by any other governmental agency authorized to secure compliance with the law by mobile home park owners or operators by an action in any court of competent jurisdiction for an injunction to prevent the violation or threatened violation thereof.
B. 
A civil action in the name of the governmental agency may be commenced to recover a civil penalty in the amounts prescribed by this article. Such action may be released, settled or compromised by the Director-Coordinator of the Rockland County Department of Weights and Measures, Office of Consumer Protection, the Rockland County Attorney or his assistant or the appropriate person of any other government agency.
C. 
A violation or failure to comply with any provision of this article may be raised as a complete defense, or as counterclaim, by a mobile home owner in any action brought by mobile home park owner or operator in a court proceeding in Rockland County.
This article is intended to supersede those provisions of § 233 of the New York Real Property Law with which it directly conflicts.