Expedited removal of abandoned mobile homes proposed

A proposal to speed up the removal or rehabilitation of abandoned mobile homes in manufactured housing communities was considered Feb. 4 by the Judiciary Committee.

LB1230, introduced by Sidney Sen. Paul Strommen, would include mobile homes under the state’s Disposition of Personal Property Landlord and Tenant Act, which governs how landlords handle abandoned personal property.

Under the bill, homes valued under $2,000 could be disposed of at the landlord’s discretion, while homes valued over $2,000 could be sold at public auction. After completing the required steps, landlords would be able to obtain a certificate of title from the state Department of Motor Vehicles, giving them legal control of the property.

Strommen said removing an abandoned mobile home under current law can take more than 120 days because landlords must wait 90 days for the property to remain on site, provide 30 days public notice of their intent to sell and follow public sale procedures.

LB1230 would streamline the process, he said, allowing landlords to notify tenants directly — seven days in person or 14 days by mail — and obtain a certificate of title from the DMV once procedures are completed.

“It is the expectation that [LB1230] will be an efficient means to facilitate dealing with the removal of abandoned mobile homes, which create eyesores and safety concerns for mobile home communities throughout the state of Nebraska,” Strommen said.

Paul Elofson testified in support of the measure on behalf of the Nebraska Manufactured Housing Association, saying the bill would make current procedures under the Storage Lien Act more efficient and allow landlords to better manage their communities.

“We are hoping that the Legislature adopts this language and allows for an efficient means by which mobile home park owners can keep their parks clean,” Elofson said.

Stephen Hipple, president of the Nebraska Manufactured Housing Association and owner of a Bellevue mobile home community, also supported LB1230.

He cited two recent incidents in his park that would have been simplified by the proposal, including a storm-damaged home abandoned after an insurance payout that cost $7,000 to remove and another left in disrepair and linked to criminal activity, which cost $4,000 to remove.

No one testified in opposition and the committee took no immediate action on the measure.