House committee advances bill to assign utility repair responsibilities in manufactured-home communities

The House Housing Committee voted 6-1 to release House Bill 39, which would amend Title 25 of the Delaware Code to define maintenance responsibilities for utilities in manufactured-home communities and revise time-computation rules for short statutory periods.

The bill matters because many homeowners who place manufactured homes on leased lots pay lot rent but do not own the land; HB39 would place responsibility for maintaining and repairing underground water, electrical, plumbing, gas, septic and other utilities on the landowner “up to the connection of the home,” while changing how short deadlines are calculated when weekends or legal holidays fall inside the period.

Representative Carson, the bill sponsor, told the committee HB39 "clearly outlines the financial responsibilities between the landowners and the homeowners who pay rent to the landowner in order to place their manufactured homes." Patrick J. McGill, legislative director for the Delaware Manufactured Homeowners Association, urged the committee to approve the bill, saying many homeowners on fixed incomes are not protected when lot rents rise while utility repairs remain their responsibility.

Supporters…