Florida Lawmakers Raid Mobile Home Trust Fund

Mobile home, condominium and timeshare owners in Florida may be surprised to learn that the Legislature has taken $6 million from the state's Division of Condominium, Timeshare and Mobile Home trust fund to help balance this year's budget.

And this transfer of funds is the second time this year that money has been moved from the fund. In January, lawmakers moved $26 million from the same fund to shore up budget shortfalls, according to the Miami Herald.

This year, lawmakers moved moneys from more than 24 trust funds within the state's various state agencies to cover the $6 billion shortfall.

Mobile home, condominium and timeshare owners are required to pay annual fees each year to the fund. Time share owners contribute $2 per seven-day period and are the largest contributors to the fund. Mobile home park owners pay $5 per lot annually, while condominium owners pay $4 per lot each year.

According to the division, 90 percent of the 16,000 phone calls received last year into its office came from Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties with the most coming from condominium owners.

Fees for the fund are collected throughout the year. The balance of the trust fund as of May was $9 million; at the end of December 2008 it was $29 million.

--By Charity Cicardo, Vice President of FCSG

Social Networking Site Just For You!

Florida Community Services has operated a social networking site just for RVers and manufactured homeowners for the past year. For anyone having questions about the RV lifestyle or questions concerning mobile home living, check out the forum link on the site as everyone will always receive a response.

In addition to having questions addressed, the site has expert bloggers with interesting articles about mobile home repairs, RV travel, food, and the real estate market. There's even a blog from a dog's perspective!

Finally, if that were not enough, there are videos and photos of RVs and manufactured homes in the photos/video link and an assortment of entertaining features such as games and webcams under the Cool Stuff link.

Check out the site at http://www.mymobilehomespace.com You'll be glad you did!

New Management Website

Although we really enjoy this blogger site, Florida Community Services Group has created a management website that more closely meets the needs of those interested in our management services. Check out the new site at http://www.myfloridacommunityservices.com/

All updates including new blogs on management will occur to the new site, so please follow the link for more information. Thanks for visiting.

Top 5 Rules Before Moving into Mobile Home Community

It's rare when mobile home legislation to protect homeowner's right is introduced, and even more rare if it passes.

A bill that would have given mobile home owners in Howard County, Maryland, the right of first refusal to purchase their community if the owner wanted to sell died in a senate rules committee this year. Why does Howard County, Maryland care? Because it has seen a steady decline of mobile home residents.

In 2000, there were 43,462 mobile home residents. In 2006, that number was 38,421, according to state records. Currently, there are eight mobile home communities remaining in the county.

Maryland just like many states is seeing affordable housing dwindling, so keeping mobile home communities intact is important. But legislating park owner rights versus mobile home owner rights is difficult if not almost impossible.

Few states have legislation assisting residents who live in communities where they own their homes but rent their lots. Florida, California and Arizona have the most comprehensive laws governing mobile home parks, but as residents will say, they aren’t perfect either.

What’s the solution? Here are the top 5 issues to review prior to moving in to a mobile home community in any state where you will own the home, but rent the lot.

1. Read the park’s rules and regulations carefully before purchasing a home. The rules outline how your home should be kept and how management deals with homeowners who don’t follow the rules. If the rules are vague, then move on.

2. Determine the amount of lot rental increase that will be given at least five or 10 years after move-in. If the park owner or management is vague, you probably don’t want to move in.

3. Ask management if the residents will get the right of first refusal to purchase the community if the park owner ever wants to sell. If enough people ask for this right prior to moving in, it will make park owners think this should be an option they offer. Park owners can make a written agreement with residents in the community to give them the option to purchase; it doesn’t have to be a state law.

4. Do an online search to determine if there are any laws in the state that govern mobile home parks. Most laws are simple enough to read; you may not understand everything, but you’ll understand enough to know if mobile home owners have any protections.

5. If possible, move into a resident owned community. These communities have already been purchased by the residents, who govern the community. Although Florida has the most resident owned communities, mobile home subdivisions in many states are resident controlled if the park is fully developed. Ask questions prior to moving in.

--By Charity Cicardo, Vice President, FCSG

Mobile Home Owner Writes Award-Winning Book

Although being president of a mobile homeowners association is practically a full-time job in itself, Constance Irvin, found time to write an award-winning book.

Irvin is a published author who recently had her latest work “The Walking Man” awarded the Best Regional Book of 2007 by Reader Views Annual Literary Awards.

Irvin, who lives in a manufactured home community in Ft. Myers, Florida, wrote a murder mystery set in the 1950s in Taneytown, Alabama. Reader Views reviews more than 2,000 books each year from budding authors, says Managing Editor Irene Watson. “Our Annual Literary Awards recognize the very best of these up-and-coming authors.”

Reader Views is based in Austin, Texas, and is a one-stop center for budding authors. All entries are judged by reviewers with a wide range of experiences, considered experts in their fields.

“The Walking Man” can be purchased at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Powell’s.

--By Charity Cicardo, Vice President, FCSG

Outdated electronics clutter your closet? Get paid to dispose of them

What do you do when old electronic gadgets are ready to be pitched? Now there are places that will take outdated electronics and either recycle or dispose of them in an environmentally friendly manner. What makes it even better is that they will pay you for these items.

Check out these new websites: buymytronics.com and myboneyard.com. These sites vary as to compensation and which type of electronics they will accept, but it’s worth it to free your home of electronic clutter.

Buymytronics.com currently accepts cell phones, I-pods, and game consoles but adds different equipment each month. In fact, they state that they plan a continued expansion and hope to accept all electronics in the near future.

Myboneyard.com accepts more items including I-pods, laptops, cell phones, desktop systems, and flat panel monitors and will be adding more electronics as well.

Both sites have excellent question and answer links so check that out first, as you’ll learn all you need to know before registering.

--By Charity Cicardo, Vice President, FCSG

Part III: Keeping Good Board Members

Once a board of directors is in place, there are two ongoing requirements that are essential to developing and maintaining effectiveness: training and evaluation.

New board members should always be given a timely and thorough orientation that provides them with the information they need to participate from their first day. This orientation should include a copy of the previously recommended board of directors manual, copies of board meeting minutes for the past 12 months, copies of financial statements for the past 12 months, and any other available information on pending items and issues.

It’s also advisable to schedule some time at the beginning of the next board meeting for new members to introduce themselves, tell a little about their personal and career backgrounds, and ask questions of any other board member.

Ongoing training for board members is absolutely necessary. Board members must keep up-to-date on laws and issues that affect their community. This can be accomplished by joining various organizations with a focus on community living and partaking of the resources and benefits they have to offer. For example, the Community Association Institute (CAI) is a nationwide organization with local chapters that offer seminars and workshops on a variety of laws and other issues.

Invite expert speakers to the board meetings. There are many speakers, such as lawyers, accountants and bankers, who would welcome the opportunity to address a specific subject the board would like to learn more about.

Once every six months, evaluate how the board has operated overall and how each member of the board has performed as an individual. A board evaluation offers each member the opportunity to discuss board efficiencies and deficiencies through a structured format. An evaluation can lead to setting achievable goals for improvement and actually re-energize a board of directors.

Each board member should complete a prepared evaluation form. The responses to each item on each board member’s evaluation form should be totaled and entered on a single evaluation form that creates a “board profile” depicting the strengths and weaknesses of the board. This evaluation form becomes the basis for ideas on how to correct the weaknesses and continue the strengths of the board.

Strong leadership is an essential component of every successful community association. Hopefully these recommendations will aid in attaining that success for yours.

--By Marty Pozgay, President, FCSG