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Senate approves mobile-home resident amendments after heated debate
Summary
The Utah Senate passed House Bill 1,001 on June 18, 1997, reversing a recent change to eviction rules and returning most language to the prior form after extended debate over property rights and tenant protections. The roll call was 21 aye, 6 nay, 2 absent.
The Utah Senate voted to approve House Bill 1,001, a package of mobile-home resident amendments, after an extended and sometimes contentious floor debate on June 18, 1997. The measure — presented to address no-cause evictions in mobile-home parks — passed under suspension of the rules by a roll call of 21 aye, 6 nay and 2 absent and was sent to the House for final enrollment.
Supporters said the bill aims to protect vulnerable residents who face high costs and logistical hurdles to move a manufactured home. Senator (floor sponsor) explained the background: the earlier Franzen bill lengthened eviction timelines but had led to some landlords exploiting loopholes. “This particular bill is one that was passed in good faith in the last session,” a sponsor said, arguing the current changes were intended to correct abuses while preserving necessary contractual distinctions.
Opponents and some senators argued the House amendments went too far by effectively limiting property owners’ ability to end tenancy after a lease expires. Senator Al Mansell warned that the amended language could “give a lease in perpetuity on the space that our mobile home[s] sitting on,” and said, “I don't believe that we ought to do that.” He proposed an alternative amendment to create a transition period (a 10-year amortization and 120-day notice) to balance homeowners’ relocation costs with owners’ property rights.
Other senators urged caution about making broad changes in a special session and recommended returning parts of the bill to the original negotiated text that both park owners and mobile-home residents had supported earlier. Senator Eddie Maine, speaking for constituents, emphasized the human dimension: “We're talking about people who are very vulnerable,” urging protections for older residents and those with limited relocation options.
After debate, the Senate substituted the earlier agreed language and voted the bill forward. The clerk recorded the roll call for final passage as 21 aye, 6 nay, 2 absent. The bill will be returned to the House for final processing and enrollment.
The Senate did not adopt Mansell’s 10-year/120-day transition amendment on the floor; senators said further refinements could be considered in a future regular session if necessary. The next procedural step is House receipt of the enrolled bill and signatures from the presiding officers.
