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Council seeks fixes for probate delays and blight tied to abandoned manufactured homes
Summary
Members described multi-year probate delays, difficulty obtaining possession of abandoned units, unpaid rent and town tax liens, and asked for statutory or procedural changes to speed safe removal and reduce hazards to residents.
Council members described recurring problems when a manufactured-home owner dies and no heir assumes the property: lengthy probate timelines, unpaid rent, unsafe structures, public-health hazards and stalled property removal. Park owners and council members said those conditions lead to blight, safety risks and lost rental income.
"It's two years and $10,000," said Mark Berkowitz, a council member, describing time and cost burdens he said owners face when opening estates in probate to clear abandoned homes. Council members said the probate process often results in boarded or deteriorating homes, infestations, structural collapse and a negative effect on neighboring residents' property values.
Council members discussed current practice: the probate process and existing statute (members cited 21-80) were designed to ensure heirs have an opportunity to claim property before it is disposed of, but members said the result can be protracted vacancy and public-safety issues. Janita Hamill (DCP) confirmed that files handled in the legal department require legal office involvement.
Park owners and planners suggested potential remedies for council consideration: statutory changes to shorten probate timelines or allow expedited processes where no heirs are located; clearer municipal authority to declare unsafe structures and remove or demolish units promptly; stronger ability for towns to lien estates for unpaid demolition and public-safety costs; and a standardized notice and search process before disposal.
Members also raised related enforcement issues, including criminal or nuisance activity at abandoned homes, and the limited effectiveness of current blight-citation procedures that can be slow and require multiple notice steps. "The only recourse I have is to go to probate," one owner said. Others noted that fire marshals and local code enforcement may provide a path when a structure is unsafe, and that towns sometimes collect unpaid taxes through estate cases.
The council did not adopt a formal recommendation at the meeting but directed members to explore statutory revisions and administrative options to reduce delays and give towns and owners clearer pathways to secure and, if necessary, remove hazardous abandoned units.
