HB 584 — "Mobile Home Park Act" — Bill Summary
Status & procedural posture
- Introduced: November 12, 2024. (Bill information lists “Passed 1st Reading.”)
- Current stage: Referred to committee(s) for further consideration (see legislative history for specific referrals). Monitor committee reports for amendments or final passage; an effective date listed among tracking notes is January 1, 2026 if enacted.
Purpose / intent
- Establish uniform statutory protections and procedures for mobile-home owners (homeowners) and mobile-home park management by creating a dedicated “Mobile Home Park Act” within Chapter 42. The bill also directs the State Human Rights Commission (referred to in the draft as “the Commission”) to regulate mobile home parks and to serve as a dispute-resolution body for owner/management conflicts.
Key definitions (highlights)
- Mobile home: single‑family dwelling on a permanent chassis (includes manufactured homes when sited in a mobile home park).
- Mobile home park: parcel(s) used for continuous accommodation of five or more occupied mobile homes operated for pecuniary benefit.
- Homeowner: an individual (and family) who owns a mobile home subject to a tenancy in a park.
- Management: owner, landlord, operator, or authorized agent acting for the park.
Major provisions and changes
- Scope and supremacy: Act applies only to mobile homes (as defined) and — when in conflict with existing Chapter 42 provisions — the Mobile Home Park Act controls.
- Written lease requirement: No tenancy in a park may begin without a written lease or rental agreement. Rental agreements may include reasonable park rules and regulations.
- Notice and eviction timing:
- A landlord must give notice to terminate tenancy per G.S. 42‑14 (statutory notice procedures).
- In general, homeowners are given at least 90 days from service/posting of a notice to sell or remove their mobile home.
- If the unit is occupied by non‑owners in violation of park rules, a 30‑day termination notice may be used.
- For termination on certain specified grounds (cited as G.S. 42‑85(a)(5)), homeowners get no less than 10 days to remove the home.
- Right to cure noncompliance: Where termination is based on rule/lot noncompliance, the notice must state the homeowner’s right to cure within 30 days; that cure period runs concurrently with a 60‑day removal period.
- Contractual protections: Leases cannot contain provisions that waive homeowner rights created by the Act; attempted waivers are void as contrary to public policy.
- Entry‑fee and deposits: The bill distinguishes entry fees from rent and lists allowable exceptions (e.g., rent, reasonable incidental service charges, government fees, utilities, late fees, cooperative membership fees). Security deposits must be held in separate trust accounts by the landlord and not commingled (the landlord may retain interest as compensation under the draft language).
Regulatory and dispute-resolution role
- The draft directs the North Carolina Human Rights Commission to regulate mobile home parks and to resolve disputes between homeowners and management (text in bill introduction). The Commission would have rulemaking/oversight and dispute‑resolution authority under the Act as drafted.
Who is affected
- Homeowners (owners of mobile homes sited in parks) — strengthened notice, cure, and sale/removal protections; prohibition on rights waivers.
- Park owners/operators/management — new lease, notice, recordkeeping (trust account) and procedural obligations; subject to Commission oversight and dispute resolution.
- Prospective buyers/residents and local regulators — affected by the Act’s definitions and tenancy standards.
Potential impact and considerations
- Intended to provide greater eviction protections and procedural safeguards for mobile‑home owners (who typically own the dwelling but rent the lot).
- Imposes operational and administrative duties on park management (written leases, specified notices, trust accounting for deposits).
- Could increase enforcement and dispute-resolution workload for the Human Rights Commission if it assumes regulatory duties.
- Implementation details (fees, enforcement mechanisms, appeals, penalty structure) appear in later or truncated sections and would be important to review once full text or amendments are reported out.
Next steps for readers
- Track committee reports and substitute language for changes (especially on enforcement, penalties, and the Commission’s exact authority).
- Review the full bill text (complete Article additions) and any enacted version for final effective date(s) and transitional provisions.
