Beware future residents of Byde-A-Wyle Hacienda, Silo Farms, Sunrise Meadows manufactured home communities in West Valley City and Ridgewood Estates in Layton. Normally UMHAG does not get involved in recommending communities to potential homeowners; nevertheless, reports have come in that are too extreme that we need to go on record advising potential homeowners to stay away from these communities at all costs!

Reports have come in concerning the management practices that not only violate common decency, they violate state law on a regular basis. We have been informed that management in some of these parks has served eviction notices for reasons that are retaliatory (in violation of state law) and – instead of going through the unlawful detainer process which is identified by law – they change the locks to the home and show up with a “constable” and force the homeowners from their home.

There are no “constables” in these cities and if the current homeowners are ever confronted by one or their locks are ever changed, they should notify the police department immediately and advise them of the situation – and tell them that there is somebody impersonating a law enforcement officer.

Other reports have been received of the male park owner or manager forcing his way into the home of female homeowners when they are alone and terrorizing them. This violates every standard of common decency and should not be tolerated. All such instances should be reported to the appropriate police authority immediately.

As homeowners we may put up with a number of abuses by parklords – but these are beyond contempt. While they are only reported abuses – the frequency and quantity justify putting out this warning to any and all future homeowners.

July 2010 Newsletter

July 2010 Issue

May 2010 Newsletter

May 2010 Issue

Issues ranging from lack of access to the money market to rent justification will be on the table for discussion on Tuesday, August 10th at the Sandy Library as the candidates for Utah governor and US Senate gather to meet with homeowners of manufactured homes throughout the state.

The event, sponsored by the Utah Manufactured Homeowners Action Group (UMHAG), is scheduled to start at 5:30 PM at the library located at 10100 S Petunia Way (1450 East) and is open to all manufactured homeowners. Senate hopefuls Mike Lee and Sam Granato will be in attendance as will Democratic gubernatorial candidate Peter Corroon. Conspicuously absent will be Governor Gary Herbert.

Questions and background information were provided to each of the candidates. Each of the candidates committed to attend with the exception of Governor Herbert. When contacted by UMHAG for this event, Brian Maxwell of the governor’s campaign staff told UMHAG President Steve Anderson, “we don’t want to participate at any event that may give ‘legitimacy’ to our opponent.”

Anderson commented further, “All we want is the opportunity to have an open and honest discussion of our issues with those running for office. We don’t understand why the governor won’t appear at this forum. Nonetheless, we have honored his wishes and have requested a separate meeting him. So far, all we have heard is silence since we made the request.”

UMHAG is a statewide homeowner’s organization that represents over 70,000 Utahans who own manufactured homes in the state where their homes are located in leased land communities. They are affiliated with the Manufactured Home Owners Association of America (MHOAA) on the national level.

Included in this posting are the proposed guidelines produced by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) in response to the congressional mandate to develop programs that will serve underserved markets – amongst which is the manufactured home market. As you read these you will discover that FHFA has done nothing but maintain the status quo. In other words, we are still kept out of the money market.

Attached is the UMHAG response to these guidelines. In it, I included some of my own personal situation. I believe that it is imperative that you send a similar letter letting the federal bureaucrats know the far reaching effects of their inaction and lack of leadership. The letter needs to be addressed to:

Alfred M. Pollard
General Counsel,
Federal Housing Finance Agency,
Fourth Floor, 1700 G Street, NW.,
Washington, DC 20552

In the subject line you need to write:

Subject: Comments/RIN 2590–AA27

The email address to send your comments is: RegComments@fhfa.gov

The Utah congressional delegation should also receive a copy of your letter. If enough of us write to them, it should create a stir. Their addresses are as follows:

Senator Orrin Hatch
104 Hart Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Senator Bob Bennett
431 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510-4403

Representative Rob Bishop
123 Cannon Building
Washington, DC 20515

Representative Jim Matheson
2434 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515

Representative Jason Chaffetz
1032 Longworth HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515

You need to get your letters out no later than July 20th. Please don’t let this one pass you by.

Steve

FHF – A Proposed Rule on Duty to Serve

UMHAG Response to Duty to Serve Guidelines

By Steve Anderson (UMHAG President)

What a night it was indeed…Four candidates were invited to attend and discuss items important to manufactured homeowners. Included in these were:

1. Lack of access to adequate financing of our homes.
2. Preservation of our communities via incentives to park owners to sell to homeowners to form resident owned communities.
3. Lack of reinvestment in basic infrastructure by park owners and operators.
4. Constantly rising rents that are well above the cost of living and continue to increase – in spite of the recession where rents in all other sectors have decreased.

The candidates who were invited were those who face contested primaries on June 22nd for the Democratic nomination in the 2nd Congressional District and the Republican nomination for the US Senate. These are:

Claudia Wright
Rep. Jim Matheson
Mike Lee
Tim Bridgewater

Rep. Matheson advised that he had a vote and would not be able to attend; however, he would be sending somebody to represent him. That representative was a NO SHOW! Similarly, Mike Lee’s campaign staff indicated that he too would attend. He was a NO SHOW!

In response to the question regarding manufactured home financing, Ms Wright stated that she felt that whatever the proportion of manufactured housing that exists, the same percentage of funds should be made available by banks for homeowners. Mr. Bridgewater felt that barriers needed to be knocked down so that homeowners had access to the financial marketplace and that he would work with banks and the Federal Housing Finance Agency to help make this happen.

When it comes to park preservation, Mr. Bridgewater is willing to support and possibly co-author a measure that would eliminate the federal capital gains tax for a park owner who sells to the homeowners (minimum 70%) to form a resident owned community. Ms Wright took it a step further and stated that she felt if a developer purchased a community with the intent of closing it and redeveloping the land, the developer should pay the homeowners capital gains plus relocate the homes and provide the land where the homes would be relocated.

When the question of basic habitability standards for our communities came up, Ms Wright stated that standards should be established and that HUD should take over jurisdiction of the parks, similar to how they have taken over jurisdiction of the home construction. Mr. Bridgewater was sympathetic to the issue and felt he needed to learn more before he could respond with an effective plan of action. Several in the audience gave him examples of the lack of maintenance. He is in favor of something and he cited the problems that originally existed with condominiums when they first came into existence; however, he had no specific solution.

The subject of rents is something that is very emotional to most of us and is a very sore subject. Mr. Bridgewater felt that by opening up the financial markets where banks require long term leases as part of their RESPA protections, this will result in a market based solution. Those of us with homes that are paid off will then be able to insist on the parity with those coming in with new homes. Ms Wright was on point with Mr Bridgewater; however, she was looking to do it more with statute. She also mentioned the possibility of rent control on a national level.

It was an interesting evening. One of the things that impressed the group was the fact that Mr. Bridgewater grew up in a manufactured home community and that his aunt lives in Winchester Estates in Murray.

We wish we would have seen more of you there – I think you would have enjoyed it. We will be scheduling another event with the gubernatorial candidates sometime in July of August. We will also be inviting the final senate and house candidates back again closer to the election.

In the meantime, June 22nd is the primary election – don’t forget to vote!