Charles County, MD Chapter 130 Trailers and Trailer Parks

[HISTORY: Adopted and amended as indicated in text.]

GENERAL REFERENCES

County Commissioners — See Ch. 27.

Department of Facilities — See Ch. 97.

Sewers and drainage systems — See Ch. 122.

Building construction — See Ch. 224.

Gas standards — See Ch. 241.

Mobile homes and mobile home courts — See Ch. 257.

Stormwater management — See Ch. 274.

Subdivision regulations — See Ch. 278.

Water and sewers — See Ch. 291.

Zoning regulations — See Ch. 297.

§ 130-1 General regulations.

[1965 Code, sec. 321; 1969 Code, sec. 379. P.L.L., 1965, ch. 851;[1] 1982, ch. 833]

A. Definitions.

[1995, ch. 417]

(1) As used in this chapter, the following words have the meanings indicated.

(2) "Park" means trailer coach park.

(3) "Person" means any natural individual, firm, trust, partnership, association, or corporation.

(4) "Trailer coach" means any vehicle or similar portable structure having no foundation other than wheels, jacks, or skirting and so designed or constructed as to permit occupancy for dwelling or sleeping purposes.

(5) "Trailer coach park" means any plot of ground upon which any trailer coach occupied for dwelling or sleeping purposes is located, regardless of whether or not a charge is made for such an accommodation.

(6) "Trailer coach space" means a plot of ground within a trailer coach park designed for the accommodation of one trailer coach.

B. Licensing requirements.

(1) License required. It shall be unlawful for any person to maintain or operate within Charles County any trailer coach park unless such person shall first obtain a license therefor. All trailer coach parks in existence upon June 1, 1965, shall, within 90 days thereafter, obtain such license and in all other respects comply fully with the requirements of this chapter.

(2) Application requirements; approval.

(a) Contents of application. Applications for a trailer coach park license shall be filed with and issued by the Board of County Commissioners, showing:

[1] The name and address of the applicant.

[2] The location and legal description of the trailer coach park.

[3] A plot plan, drawn to scale, showing the complete layout of said park, including the location of every trailer lot, accessory building or other building or structure, as well as driveways, automobile parking spaces, water and sanitary facilities and surface drainage.

[4] Plans and specifications of all buildings and other improvements constructed or to be constructed within the trailer coach park, including plans and specifications of water supply and distribution and sanitary facilities.

[5] Such further information as may be required by the Board of County Commissioners to enable it to determine if the proposed park will comply with legal requirements.

(b) Inspection and recommendation from other agencies; approval and issuance of license. The Board of County Commissioners shall require the Charles County Sanitary District to inspect the site, review the plans and specifications and submit recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners as to approval, disapproval or revisions necessary for the plans and specifications to comply with all provisions of this chapter and all other applicable ordinances or statutes. If the provisions of this chapter have been complied with and if the applicant is found to be of good moral character and if the Board of County Commissioners shall have determined that the granting of the application is not detrimental to the public welfare or safety of persons or property because of pertinent conditions in regard to public roads, schools, churches, public utilities and household services, use of adjacent territory for residential, agricultural or other purposes and maintenance of peace and good order, the Board of County Commissioners shall approve the application and shall issue the license.

(3) License transfers. The fee for the transfer of a license shall be $5 and shall be transmitted to the County Commissioners before the transfer of the license is effective. In addition, no transfer of license shall be effective until all the taxes owed by the transferor have been paid to the County. No transfer shall be permitted to a person who is not of good moral character.

C. Occupancy tax. An occupancy tax shall be paid for each occupied trailer space.

[1991, ch. 248]

(1) The tax shall be $15 per month.

[1995, ch. 417]

(2) The occupancy tax shall be prorated for any period of occupancy of less than one month.

(3) If the owner of any trailer subject to the occupancy tax of this subsection is eligible and applies for property tax relief as an elderly or disabled renter pursuant to § 9-102 of the Tax - Property Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland, the tax shall be $5 per month.

(4) The tax shall be applicable to all trailers in any trailer coach park and any trailer located on rented property. The owner of the trailer coach park or the owner of the land shall collect the tax monthly and shall remit it to the County Commissioners not later than the 20th day of the following month.

D. Requirements for trailer coach parks. Every trailer coach park shall conform to the following requirements:

(1) Every trailer lot shall have frontage on a well-drained and graded driveway not less than 20 feet in width, said driveway to be maintained in a passable condition at all times.

(2) All of the land in any trailer park shall be well-drained and free from standing or casual water.

(3) The ingress and egress to any trailer park shall be so designed as to avoid traffic hazards.

(4) Driveways shall be continuous or provided with a turnaround whose inner radius is not less than 40 feet.

(5) An electrical outlet supply of at least 110 volts shall be provided for each trailer coach space.

(6) Every trailer park shall provide such water, service and sanitary facilities as may be required by the Charles County Sanitary District.

E. Maintenance of grounds and service buildings. All service buildings and the grounds of any trailer park shall be maintained in a clean, sightly condition and kept free from any condition that will menace the health of any occupant or the public or constitute a nuisance.

F. Use and occupancy limitations for trailer coaches; exception. It shall be unlawful for any person to maintain or use any trailer coach which is occupied for dwelling or sleeping purposes at any place within Charles County for a period of more than 10 days in any month, except in a duly licensed trailer park or upon obtaining written permission from the Board of County Commissioners following inspection and approval by the Charles County Sanitary District.

G. Maintenance and preservation of park register.

(1) It shall be the duty of every licensee to keep a register containing a record of all trailer coach owners and occupants located within a park. The register shall contain the following information:

(a) The name and address of each occupant.

(b) The make, model and year of all automobiles and trailer coaches.

(c) The license number and owner of each trailer coach and automobile by which it is towed.

(d) The state issuing such license.

(e) The date of arrival and of departure of each trailer coach.

(2) The licensee shall keep the register available for inspection at all times by law enforcement officers, public health officials and other officials whose duties necessitate acquisition of the information contained in the register. The register records shall not be destroyed for a period of three years following the time of registration.

H. Revocation of license; reissuance. The Board of County Commissioners may revoke any license to maintain and operate a park when the licensee has been found guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction of violating any provision of this chapter. After such conviction, the license may be reissued if the circumstances leading to conviction have been remedied and the park is operated and maintained in full compliance with the law.

I. Conspicuous posting of license required. The license certificate shall be conspicuously posted in the office of or on the premises of the trailer coach park at all times.

J. Severability. Should any section or provision of this chapter be declared invalid, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this chapter.

K. Violations and penalties. Any person violating this chapter shall be fined not less than $25 nor more than $300 for each offense. Each day that a violation is permitted to exist shall constitute a separate offense.

[1] Editor's Note: Section 2 of Chapter 851 of 1965 also provided that "any of the regulations herein provided may be waived in the discretion of the County Commissioners if the public health will not be adversely affected thereby. The Board of County Commissioners shall have authority to issue any necessary regulations to implement the performance of this section."