Columns

Question:  A contractor has been buying homes in the community, placing them on Storage Agreement and flipping after improvements.  Can a park owner deny a contractor a storage agreement based on a previous bad track-record in the community - shoddy improvements, bad dealings with new purchasers etc.  Are there any grounds to deny a contractor a…

  Be prepared to handle requests for reasonable accommodations when residents are caught breaking the rules. It may sound like an excuse, but it should alert you to your obligations under fair housing law to provide reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. The FHA requires communities to make exceptions to rules and policies as…

  Question: As a park owner we pass through the sewer and water charges to our residents. Currently, they are on 5-year leases, all expiring at various times. The leases address our right to pass through utilities. However, fire and police fees have been attached to the water/sewer bills we receive from the city. May we pass those additional fees…

Question: Landlord sent a 10-day nonpayment of rent notice to a resident.  The night before filing the FED the landlord called the resident to remind them to pay - hoping to resolve it before filing and paying the filing fee.  Landlord did not hear back from the resident, so he filed the FED and paid the filing fee of $143.00.  Several days later…

You may expect all residents to abide by the lease and community rules, and you may take action against anyone who fails to do so. Fair housing law bans discrimination against members of protected classes, but it doesn’t excuse residents from following the rules, regardless of their race or any other protected characteristic. Don’t let your fear…

  Focus on fairness and consistency when dealing with residents who break the rules. It’s unlawful to treat residents differently because of their race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, disability—or any other characteristic protected under state or local fair housing law. That means you can’t single anyone out for breaking…

First in a series of articles dealing fair housing issues when addressing residents who break the rules.  Fair housing problems can arise when dealing with residents who break the rules. The specifics will vary, but all residents have to abide by some basic rules: They must pay rent, avoid damage to the unit (subject to reasonable wear and tear…

The following article is a discussion of the federal Fair Housing law governing 55+ communities.  The contents are not intended to constitute legal advice, and should not be relied upon by the reader as such.  All legal questions regarding this complicated and important law should be directed to legal counsel familiar with the area.   The Fair…

    This article is informational only and is not intended as legal advice.  Always consult with a competent attorney before undertaking any legal action.   Unfortunately, it is not unusual to have someone simply pull into an empty RV space and refuse to pay or leave.  How does a landlord best deal with this situation?   Since there is no…

      Question:  We have a resident in our community that has been nothing but trouble.  He is on a two year lease that is coming up for renewal.  Can we simply decline to renew his lease?