The Wisconsin Mfd Home Owners Association  encourages you NOT to BUY a manufactured home. The building process, both on-site and in the factories, is about cutting corners—using inferior quality sheathing, cutting boards too short to meet in the center of studs—problems that promote irregular air exchange within a house and which eventually produce growth of mold and excessive heating bills. 

Additional problems:  fraud, misdealing, false statement, improper assembly, illegally based seizure of homes, defective set up, worthless warranties, and suspect consumer protection.  

If you are unfortunate enough to get caught in this malignant Pandora's Box as an unsuspecting consumer, you will find yourself immersed in an endless war that will consume the rest of your life and your life's income. You will get no satisfaction from HUD or even some legislators and state agencies because many have been corrupted by the MH industry—they have been bought off with big money and the heady power of control over millions of victims.

Remember:  You must document incidents in a notebook by date or in a calendar used expressly for that purpose.

Verbal complaints are worthless without documentation. (This is especially true if you need an attorney—don't expect your verbal story to carry any weight unless you have documentation to back up your claims. S/he will need proof of your claims, and you must provide this proof prior to visiting one.)

Keep a file of all pertinent communications/letters you send or receive, and all receipts.

To apply for WI MHOA's assistance, fill out our Complaint Form.

• You must be willing to work on your own problem—with our help—and follow our instructions.
• WIMHOA's housing advocacy is a do-it-yourself project (yours and ours), and instant gratification is nil.
• Plan on the long haul!  Together we can be more effective.

Documentation is everything

• Write a letter (documenting your side of the story) to your park owner. Quote verbatim any and all specific language (pertinent paragraphs) from park rules and regulations; your lease; fair housing law; statutes and/or administrative code; as may be applicable. Note all CC. (copies sent) on your letter.

• Keep a copy with attachments for your own records, and send the original to the park owner.  Create a paper trail by sending copies to:  Consumer Protection, an attorney (if you have one) or WIMHOA; the local paper; your legislator/s; and any other agency or person who has a need to know. This way you have a permanent record, should events escalate. Many CC's also put the park owner on notice that your problem is being made public.

• Attach copies of any documents (from which you quoted) to your letter, plus other supporting documentation such as a physician's statement, etc., to the original; keep your own set of copies. Generally, verbal complaints disappear into thin air, and follow up is less certain. Protect your flank!