Legislation that would provide owners in manufactured home parks the opportunity to purchase the land beneath their residences was signed into law the week of Jan. 18.
The Manufactured Home Park Protection Act would give residents of mobile and manufactured homes the right of first refusal if the owners of their home park anticipate selling or changing the use of the land.
Among the bill’s sponsors were state senators John Burzichelli and Paul Moriarty.
“This will give residents of mobile home parks the opportunity to remain in their homes and preserve their communities before the property is sold out from beneath them,” said Burzichelli. “This ‘right to own’ is a means of making housing affordable to more people. It offers true home ownership for many residents who have already invested in the residences themselves.”
While most owners of manufactured homes own their residences, they do not own the land. The new measure will require landowners to inform homeowners and other state and local leaders if they intend to sell or redevelop a community. Resident homeowners would then have the right of first refusal for nearly all sales regardless of the buyer’s future intentions.
If 51% of residents agree to purchase and meet the conditions of the sale, they will be given 120 days to execute a contract with the existing owner.
There are more than 1,000 resident-owned mobile and manufactured home communities in the U.S., most concentrated in states that have passed strong resident right-to-purchase statutes. There are not yet any in New Jersey.
