Monday, January 7, 2013

Arizona Snowbirds: What You Don't Know Can Cost You...buying and selling park models!

Mexico RV Resort Living

Tucson AZ Park
It is hard to know what is the law and what is the whim of the RV resort owner! Here in Arizona, for example, our owner has made it the "law" that the owner of a park model cannot put a sign in the front window of their park model advertising the model for sale. The residence have even watched each other to make sure that the law was followed to the letter. They would report transgressions to the office. 

Then one of the employees of the park put a for sale sign in the window of a relative's park model. That was when the information was "leaked" to the rest of the residents. Much to our park owner's chagrin, it has been revealed that the state has a "law" of it's own and it says that the owners of the park models do have that right after all. The revelation has caused the owners here in the park to re-examine every rule they have previously followed.  For example:
  • The park owner has always said that the owners could NOT remove a park model unless he gave his approval. He buys park model for $10,000 or less and resells or rents the units.
  • The park owner charges the residence for letting someone come into the park and visit. A family member or a friends is charged $10 per day for visiting. I am not clear if that is $10 per person or just a one time fee. No one can tell me. That is a charge above and beyond what the residents already pays each year to rent the land upon which the park model sits.
  • If we allow someone to stay in our park model while we are gone, the owner can even force an owner to leave the park. In the past he has taken control of who and how long a guest can stay even though it is the same or less people that would ordinarily occupy the park model even if it is a relative.
The owner is in the business of selling to the public here. He would like for all the residents to be forced to work through him.  He makes a percentage of sales and sells the newer or remodeled units at a profit. That is his motivation. I suppose that because older people are more vulnerable, he has gotten away with a lot in past years. 

This is just a sample of what can happen when you live in a 55+ community/RV resort. In most cases, the rules don't bother us at all. We are just living our lives. I am always a little reminded of living in a communist country. It does not really matter 99% of the time.

But when it comes to state law, I begin to wonder where the line is in the sand. Should an owner be held to account for not being more transparent with their clients?  Somehow I think so. But then that is just me! What do you think?

b+
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4 comments:

  1. I think you have many things to research....
    or not.
    It seems like your community is a pretty good one....
    Stirring the pot---good or bad?

    ReplyDelete
  2. We are now residing in a park model we've rented for two months. In Tucson. I'll be reading your comments with special interest!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I think a short consultation with an attorney well versed in mobile home park regulations would be the best bet. Put all that nonsense to rest!

    ReplyDelete
  4. "Stirring the pot" is something most people in this park are not willing to do. We had a couple that tried to meet with the owner several years ago to discuss some of the issues being complained about. Not only did the owner retaliate in his own way, the neighbors were not happy either.

    The culture of any close knit community like this evolves over time and those people that are new learn in a hurry to stop back and wait until they are accepted.

    People like me just let the turmoil swirl around and go on about my life. However, when it comes to bullying the community in the face of the law, we are talking about another thing. It is not so bad that I want to get two mad lawyers, one hired by a very rich business man, to go to court. Things will work out over time I think.

    My point in writing the article was to make the readers aware of what they are getting into when they sign the contract and buy a park model that is parked on rental land.

    Life goes on!

    b+

    ReplyDelete

Leave your thoughts...I am interested.

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