Rent Control and Right of FIrst Refusal UPDATE

Our organization is currently working with state lawmakers for a rent control bill (law) that protects your interests as homeowners. Four bills were introduced for the work session ending June 2007 and all of the bills are dead in the water. The problem with the bills are that they were drafted to give the court system the oversight of rent control. The bills also stated that it would be under Real Property Law 233, which is Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR), and this is the where the problem is. Anything that is under RPL 233 is the jurisdiction of DHCR and not the courts. We also had problems with the bills as they were to vague and left homeowners with no protections such as capital improvement costs and how that would effect an increase, the ability to look at other regional rents from other parks to justify and increase ( what if another park in the area is $50 more?), and the fact that the park owner would be afforded the increase based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for housing for each individual area, such as 3%, when the park owner does not pay our housing costs. Now that would effect the homeowner as they not only pay the housing costs for the home in which they own, but would also pay, in a rent increase, the park owner for the same. A bit unfair, don't you think?! And we agree! There is a lot of work to get it right and we are up to the challenge.

Another problem that we are getting is parks being sold for development. The right of First Refusal has been a bill, never a law, for more than 20 years and enough is enough! Please let your elected officials know that this is not acceptable and that in 2008, we need it passed. Remember, that in 2008, it is election time for ALL state lawmakers and that you need to vote accordingly. You are a citizen of this state and a taxpayer and you need to be protected. I wonder what would happen if a state lawmaker was in jeopardy of losing their home with no compensation as is the case with mobile/manufactured homeowners?

Please take a moment to review the other bills in the State Assembly and Senate the effect you as a Park Resident Homeowner;

What is the Park Resident Homeowners Association? (PRHO)

Coming together united under the Statewide Organization called the Park Resident Homeowners Association (PRHO), more than 450,000 mobile / manufactured homeowners living in park communities throughout New York State have protection under the "Tenants Bill of Rights" and "Real Property Law Section 233".

PRHO works to create changes at the local and state level to benefit all residents of manufactured home community parks. PRHO interacts with the New York State Legislature, works hand-in-hand with the Attorney General and with the Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR).

PRHO sets up workshops to promote and organizes Associations which are protected by the State of New York. PRHO assists in promoting economic equity and community stability by helping homeowners create a cooperative to purchase their park. Across the country, park residents have been successful in taking action to organize and unite to form tenant owned and tenant controlled manufactured home communities.  By investing in their neighborhoods and establishing co-operative communities, owners have taken control of their lives.

PRHO helps to resolve problems with owners and managers through active communication.  PRHO also assists in getting help through local and state agencies and has been instrumental in protecting homeowner's rights under the STAR Program.

The Park Resident Homeowners Association encourages you to discuss this information with your friends and neighbors. The problems you face are similar to those faced by manufactured park homeowners across the state and nation. PRHO has joined with other states as a member of the National Foundation of Manufactured Homeowners. PRHO is also a life time member of Federation of Mobile Home Owners of Florida, Inc. You can benefit from PRHO's experience. We hope that you will join PRHO upon organizing, to show a strong united front of manufactured park homeowners to park owners and law makers.