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The numbers game
Zoning is applied to parks--not individual sites.
Currently,
there are 400 parks statewide that are comprised of 20 units
or less. There are approximately 800 parks with a minimum of
100 (or more) homes each. Some of the larger parks in the southern
and middle part of Wisconsin have 550 to 400 to 300 to 200 units
each. There are between 250,000 and 260,000 park sites in Wisconsin--255,000
on average. If half of those equal 127,500 for people living
alone, and the other half have at least two people occupying
one home, conservatively the total is 382,500 people in MHPs
statewide.
When MHPs are bought and sold, they are sold as one parcel.
MHPs are rarely platted; that is, they are rarely individually
given lot lines. It costs too much for most MHP owners to hire
a surveyor. Be careful when considering
living in an MHP: ARE THE OWNERS ELDERLY
AND LIKELY TO RETIRE IN A FEW YEARS? IF THEY SELL,
WILL THEY SELL TO A CORPORATE ENTITY, OR WOULD THEY SELL TO
THE RESIDENTS AS A GROUP? Resident-Owned Communities
control their own Rent based on Need and Maintenance
only. Not so with corporate ownership.
Fraud in the MH industry
Repossessed homes represent an average loss of 50 percent nationally;
of that number, an increasing percent is due to fraud. In the
past year or two (2003), the US has lost eight or nine national lenders
due to repossessions because of bad loans. Wisconsin has had approximately 15 percent
repossessed homes. This loss of business to the industry is
what fuels their concern over sales—the industry sold
homes to poor credit risks..
No more vehicle designations
All home buyers of mfd. housing in Wisconsin since July 2000
will be eligible to obtain Certificates of Title--not
vehicle titles--of ownership through
the Dept of Commerce. Check with Commerce to change
your home status.
Midwest basements not the norm
Less than 40 percent of all U.S. houses have basements.
The
Midwest and the Northeast are the only places in the country
where basements are the norm.
Any fool can be an MH dealer/ Many
Park Owners are both.
Currently, dealer licenses cost $8 and require no financial
responsibility. Anyone can file an application and get set
up in business with no assets beyond $25,000 to back up their
business and customer-related complaints. This
amount may have changed since 2006; check with Dept of
Commerce. There are approximately 200 licensed
dealers in the state. If a dealer is convicted of fraud, the
fine is a mere $25. No other penalties exist. Even an attorney
can't help you because the legal language and penalties are so
feeble.
Taxing us on our 'personal property'
Parking fees (excise taxes on personal property) are paid each
month in advance. If you think you should be paying your taxes
in one lump sum at the end of the year, contact your legislator. A
bill has been proposed to do just that, but its passage is moot.
Chump change?
As of 2003, MHP residents pay a total of $35 million in excise taxes (parking
fees) to municipalities annually. Most of us get little to nothing
in services from municipalities nor from park owners, so in effect
we are paying double—in rent, which includes your excise taxes.
Park owners
provide little in maintenance services, and municipalities take
our money and run. Join us and help agitate for
changes!
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