Rental Housing Panel Continues Work Toward Revising Ordinance On Mobile Homes
Mobile homes and newer manufactured homes dominated the agenda of the monthly Ste. Genevieve Rental Housing Advisory Commission on November 4.
Community development administrator David Bova said that about five landlords had attended the previous meeting and that he had taken their comments into consideration and had made some revisions on the city’s proposed ordinance, adding requirements of the International Residential Code (IRC) Manufactured Housing Code to city ordinances, including removal of a soil classification requirement.
On the Pre-HUD mobile homes [mobile homes built before June 15, 1976, none of which meet current Housing and Urban Development (HUD) standards without major modifications], a few changes were also made.
Bova said one of the changes was to better define “abandoned mobile home.”
Bova said he added that “any abandoned mobile home must be removed from the city of Ste. Genevieve or otherwise disposed of in a legal manner within 100 days of being deemed ‘abandoned.’”
A process was already in place for abandoned buildings, Bova pointed out.
During discussion of the definition of a mobile home, one with the trailer gooseneck removed and placed on blocks, “would no longer be a mobile home any more,” Bova said.
Bova read the amended definition of an abandoned mobile home.
“An abandoned mobile home would be one not occupied for 180 days, one for which applicable taxes haven’t been paid for a year, one that is in a condition that presents a substantial danger or hazard,” he read, “one which has remained on a property, supported by its wheels and tongue with minimum effort.
“So, someone brought it to a piece of property, dropped it and left it,” he added.
Another addition made at request of the landlords addressed better-maintained mobile homes.
“An unoccupied mobile home that is in good repair on the exterior that sets upon a property, that is not creating a public nuisance, that is current on applicable taxes, that is not presenting a substantial danger to public health, safety or welfare and that is properly secured and protected from unauthorized entry shall be considered ‘vacant’ and not ‘abandoned.’”
City administrator Martin Toma asked whether the tongue and the axle would have to be removed before the mobile home would be considered real estate rather than a temporary mobile home.
Bova explained the modifications.
“It gives those folks that are working on something a chance to continue working on it, as long as it stays in good shape, it’s not accessible to a bad element, the property around it stays in good shape, it’s not a nuisance and the taxes are paid on it,” Bova said.
See complete story in the November 13 edition of the Herald.