This morning the Oregon State Senate passed the 2015 Landlord-Tenant Coalition Bill on a vote of 29-0 with one Senator absent.  The bill now moves on to Governor Kate Brown's desk for signature. 

MHCO is THRILLED that a long standing legislative goal - the ELIMINATION of the requirement that landlords pay the back taxes on an abandoned home in their community when the landlord purchases the abandoned home is well on it's way to becoming Oregon law.  This portion of the legislation will become effective January 1, 2016.  MHCO along with Phil Querin have already created initial drafts of the forms necessary to comply with the new law.  Those forms will be reviewed and available to members on-line later this year.  We will also have an extensive article by Phil Querin available for the MHCO membership later this year as well.  Other issues contained in this legislation will be addressed at the annual MHCO Conference at the end of October.  Stay tuned for details!

This is a major win for Oregon community owners and will impact every community owner in the state.  Special thanks to Dale Strom, Adam Cook and Phil Taylor who dedicated an enormous amount of time negotiating on behalf of community owners in the landlord tenant coalition.   MHCO also thanks Diane Belt with the Oregon Tax Assessors Association for her expertise and willingness to resolve this issue. 

There have also been some less than satisfactory developments in Salem this week.

Yesterday the Oregon Senate Committee on Human Services and Early Childhood held a public hearing on HB 2564.  This is the inclusionary zoning" bill that passed the Oregon House earlier this session.  It is also the bill that Representatives in the House alluded to the as needing a rent control amendment during the floor debate in the Oregon House last month.

At yesterday's public hearing an amendment (the dash 5 amendment) was introduced that would chip away at the statewide preemption on rent control.  

Here is Phil Querin's analysis of the proposed amendment:

"When the bill attempts to exclude the application of ORS 91.225 (which prohibits rent control)

Question: Over the years Oregon rental laws change. When should I update my rental agreement to reflect those changes? Can I change my “Statement of Policy”? What about the community rules and regulations?

Question: A former tenant who signed over his mobile but left the Park with almost $4,000 in back rent, unpaid property taxes and attorney fees is now applying to be a Temporary Occupant in a neighbor's home. Is there any way I can prevent him from living in the Park? If I deny him temporary occupancy, I'm afraid he will say he will be serving as a care giver for the current tenant. What can I do?

Take a look at the signage in your community. Are there signs clearly posted to indicate that your community is private property, has a no soliciting policy, a speed limit, pets must be on a leash or that unregistered/unauthorized vehicles may be towed? These are just some examples, but they are quite common in many manufactured home communities. In order to effectively enforce a policy or rule, the signs indicating those policies or rules must be clearly visible and properly maintained. A sun-bleached sign that used to say No Soliciting or a No Parking sign obscured by a tree or bush, most likely, will not convey the important information that you want people in your community to know.