abandoned?? MH in Park

[Bill McDowell]

I've owned a small (57 units) park in AL for several years. This is a first for me. I've got three units in park which have aparently been abandoned. No rent paid for several months. One attorney suggested evictions, but cannot find tenant to serve notice. None of the local attornies seem to know what to do!!

HELP, please.

[Chrissy]

In most states, a home is considered to be abandoned when it is uninhabited for at least 45 days, or less time if the utilites have been disconnected. In your case, you might be able to tell if it is abandoned by doing the following things. Call the post office and see if they have entered a forwarding address. If you have their social security number and date of birth, pull a credit report (provided they gave permission for this at the time they moved into the community) and see if a different address shows up on their records. Call the electric and/or gas companies providing service, and see if the payments are current, or if service has been disconnected. If the home is financed, call the lienholder and see if the payments are current. In most states, the only reason for personal service is to get a money judgment. If you just want the home gone, it may be possible to simply post the eviction notice, and win the case by default. To help you be better prepared for this type of event in the future, you might want to visit my website at www.chrissy-jackson.com and order my Operations Solutions Package. It is full of tips for better operations in your community. One of the things included in the package is an Abandoned Homes Checklist. If it is followed, the chances of you finding yourself in this position again are greatly lessened. Now that you are in the midst of this issue, however, you might also want to call Sherry Norris, the Executive Director of the Alabama Manufactured Housing Institute. Her number is 334-244-7828.