Broward County Mobile Home Law

Below is Broward County's mobile home law which can be found in the Broward County Code of Ordinances Chapter 22, titled MOBILE HOMES AND MOBILE HOME PARKS. The ordinance covers issues including permit and inspection fees, inspections, notice to tenants about rules and regulations, and the duty of a mobile home park to provide a fire extinguisher.

We also created an index of Florida Statutory law related to Mobile homes which can be found here.

Chapter 22 - MOBILE HOMES AND MOBILE HOME PARKS

Cross-reference — Building regulations and land use, § 5-1 et seq.; mobile home park zoning, § 39-320 et seq.

ARTICLE I. - IN GENERAL

Sec. 22-1. - Authority of county to adopt code pertaining to protection and anchoring of mobile homes.

The Board of County Commissioners of Broward County is hereby authorized to adopt and enforce a code of rules and regulations relating to the proper protection and anchoring of mobile homes, house trailers, or vehicular portable structures designed or capable of being used with or without a permanent foundation, as a dwelling or residential accommodation for one or more persons, in the unincorporated areas of the county, to protect such facilities or vehicles and lives of occupants from the elements of winds, hurricanes or other disasters.

(Sp. Acts, Ch. 65-1341, § 1)

Sec. 22-2. - Finding of public necessity; application of regulations.

The need for such regulations being based upon the necessity of protection of life, property, safety and welfare of the citizens of the county, the regulations adopted by the commission shall apply without regard to whether such facilities may be construed under other laws as motor vehicles for taxation or other purposes. Such regulations shall apply to such facilities or vehicles even though they be uninhabited, used intermittently, or used only temporarily, for housing during recreation or vacations.

(Sp. Acts, Ch. 65-1341, § 2)

Sec. 22-3. - Authority of municipalities to adopt codes.

Each municipality within the county is hereby granted the same authority to adopt and enforce a code of rules and regulations as that granted to the county commission herein.

(Sp. Acts, Ch. 65-1341, § 3)

Sec. 22-4. - Contents of codes.

The code shall set forth minimum standards of materials and proper procedures of installation of anchoring devices to protect such facilities or vehicles against the force of hurricane winds during the official hurricane season as established by the United States Weather Bureau.

(Sp. Acts, Ch. 65-1341, § 4)

Sec. 22-5. - Appeals from decisions made under codes.

Any person aggrieved by the decision of any official of the county in the enforcement of such code shall have the same rights of public hearing, review and appeal through the board of rules and appeals and to the appropriate court in the same manner and following the same procedure as is established by chapter 30613, Laws of Florida, Special Acts of 1955, as amended.

(Sp. Acts, Ch. 65-1341, § 5)

Sec. 22-6. - Effect and scope of codes.

The effect and scope of such code shall not be limited to only those facilities requiring or utilizing supplemental construction of other materials, and shall apply to all such facilities or vehicles whether or not such facilities are self-contained and do not require supplemental construction to be used as a living accommodation. This chapter shall apply to self-propelled vehicles used for living accommodations.

(Sp. Acts, Ch. 65-1341, § 6)

Sec. 22-7. - Public hearing on adoption of codes.

The code and amendments or supplements thereto from time to time shall not be adopted until after a public hearing in relation thereto, at which parties in interest and citizens shall have an opportunity to be heard. At least fifteen (15) days' notice of the time and place of such hearing shall be published in a newspaper authorized to publish legal advertisements in the county.

(Sp. Acts, Ch. 65-1341, § 7)

Sec. 22-8. - Application to facilities and vehicles existing prior to adoption of code; publication after adoption.

The code as adopted by the board shall apply to all such facilities or vehicles whether or not same were situated in the unincorporated areas of the county prior to the adoption of this chapter or prior to the adoption of the code, provided, however, any owner of such a facility or vehicle that was situated in the unincorporated area of Broward County prior to the effective date of such code shall have and be allowed a period of six (6) months from the date of the first publication of notice of adoption of the code in which to comply with the requirements thereof. Upon adoption of the code the board shall publish a notice once each week for four (4) consecutive weeks in a newspaper in the county authorized to publish legal advertisements giving notice of the adoption of such code, the date on which it became effective, the date on which said code will be effective as to existing facilities or vehicles, the penalty provisions of this chapter, and that compliance is required to avoid a violation of this chapter.

(Sp. Acts, Ch. 65-1341, § 8)

Sec. 22-9. - Owners of facilities and lands severally responsible for compliance.

The owners of such facilities or vehicles and the owners of the lands upon which they are located shall be severally responsible for compliance with this chapter and the code.

(Sp. Acts, Ch. 65-1341, § 9)

Sec. 22-10. - Permit and inspection fees authorized.

The board is authorized to fix reasonable permit and inspection fees as they may determine are necessary in the administration of this chapter and the code.

(Sp. Acts, Ch. 65-1341, § 10)

Sec. 22-11. - Violations.

Any person, firm, corporation, association or other group who shall violate any of the provisions of such code adopted under the authority of this chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

(Sp. Acts, Ch. 65-1341, § 11)

Sec. 22-12. - Abatement.

A violation of this chapter or any provision of the code may be restrained by injunction, including a mandatory injunction, and otherwise abated in any manner provided by law, it being hereby declared that a failure to comply with such code creates a condition hazardous to life and property requiring abatement, and action may be instituted and maintained by the board, any taxpayer of the county, or any person affected by the violation of any regulation, restriction, limitation or other provisions of the code.

(Sp. Acts, Ch. 65-1341, § 12)

Secs. 22-13—22-18. - Reserved.

Editor's note— Sections 22-13—22-18, relating to the mobile home advisory board, derived from Ord. No. 76-23, §§ 1—6, adopted May 4, 1976; Ord. No. 77-20, § 1, adopted Apr. 26, 1977; Ord. No. 79-36, § 2, adopted June 20, 1979; and Ord. No. 80-108, § 1, adopted Nov. 19, 1980, were repealed by § 3, of Ord. No. 82-37, adopted July 15, 1982.

Cross reference— Consumer protection code, § 20-159 et seq.

Sec. 22-19. - Notice to tenants required in mobile home park rules and regulations.

It shall be a violation of the Broward County Code for any mobile home park owner or operator to deliver, distribute, post or maintain posted, park rules and regulations which do not include as a conspicuous part thereof the following notice in letters at least as large as the letters of the rules and regulations:

NOTICE TO TENANTS. PARK RULES AND REGULATIONS MAY BE CHANGED OR ADDED TO IN ACCORDANCE WITH FLORIDA LAW.

(Ord. No. 81-59, § 1, 6-18-81)

Secs. 22-20—22-22. - Reserved.

 

ARTICLE II. - MOBILE HOME PARKS

Sec. 22-23. - Definitions.

As used in this article, unless the context otherwise indicates:

(1)  County means Broward County, Florida.

(2)  Fire department means a permanent organization for preventing or extinguishing fires which has express responsibility delegated by a municipality or by the Broward County Fire Control District or is a nonprofit corporation chartered to provide services to a specified geographic area of the County.

(3)  Fire extinguisher means an approved portable, multipurpose, pressurized dry chemical type fire extinguisher with a rating of not less than 1 A and 10 B C as classified and rated by Underwriters' Laboratories, Inc.

(4)  Trailer means a mobile home, travel trailer, camper trailer or pick-up unit used for year-round occupancy that is parked in a trailer park.

(5)  Recreation unit means any pick up coach, camper trailer, travel trailer, motor home, or auto camper designed for temporary dwelling for travel, recreation and vacation use.

(6)  Trailer park or park means a place set aside and offered by any person, firm, corporation, municipality or other public body principally for the permanent parking and accommodation of two (2) or more trailers, occupied for sleeping or eating, for either direct money consideration or for indirect benefit to the owner, lessee or operator of such place. The term "trailer park" or "park" shall not include a "trailer camp," or other park offered to accommodate recreation units only, as defined in subsection (5) above.

(7)  Trailer space. A parcel of land in a trailer park for the placement of a single trailer and for the exclusive use of its occupants.

(8)  Park street. A private way which affords principal means of access to abutting individual trailer spaces and auxiliary buildings.

(9)  Person. Includes individuals, children, firms, associations, joint adventures, partnerships, estates, trusts, business trusts, syndicates, fiduciaries, corporations and all other groups or combinations.

(Ord. No. 75-2, § 1, 1-28-75; Ord. No. 76-6, §§ 1—4, 1-27-76)

Sec. 22-24. - Required information.

Each owner of a trailer park shall submit to the fire department providing services to the area in which the park is located the following:

(1)  A detailed map of the trailer park depicting:

(a)  Trailer spaces;

(b)  Names of park streets and public streets used as access roads to the trailer park;

(c)  Location of hydrants and other available water supply; and

(d)  Location of the trailer park office;

(2)  A list of all trailer space addresses within the park; and names, addresses, and twenty-four-hour emergency telephone numbers of park owners and managers; and

(3)  A compilation of signed statements from at least one occupant of each trailer or recreation unit physically located within the trailer park, verifying that such trailer or recreation unit is outfitted with the equipment required by this article or statements signed by such occupant stating that he refuses, upon the park owner's or manager's demand to so outfit his trailer or recreation unit. A copy of such compilation of signed statements shall be maintained by the park owner or manager.

(Ord. No. 75-2, § 2, 1-28-75; Ord. No. 76-6, § 5, 1-27-76)

Sec. 22-25. - Extinguisher required.

(a)  Owners of trailers or recreation units, physically located within trailer parks for fourteen (14) consecutive days or more, shall provide and maintain one (1) approved Type A.B.C. fire extinguisher of a rating of at least 1 A and 10 B C as classified and rated by Underwriters' Laboratories, Inc.

Such fire extinguisher shall be placed in a visible and readily accessible location within the trailer or recreation unit and shall be mounted in a bracket to be attached to the interior of the trailer or recreation unit.

(b)  Park owners or managers shall provide one (1) fire extinguisher of the type designated in subsection (a) herein, for each trailer or recreation unit physically located, or to be located, within a park for less than fourteen (14) consecutive days and such fire extinguisher shall be delivered to each such trailer or recreation unit. Park owners or managers may require a deposit of not more than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) for each fire extinguisher so provided.

(Ord. No. 75-2, § 3, 1-28-75; Ord. No. 76-6, § 6, 1-27-76)

Sec. 22-26. - Inspections.

Trailer parks shall be annually inspected by the Broward County Department of Community Development, Division of Planning, Building and Zoning, the municipal building department, or the fire department having jurisdiction over the property for the purposes of reviewing and updating the information required by this article. The park owner or manager shall provide updates from time to time of the material required by this article to the fire department providing services to the area in which the park is located whenever a change in any such material occurs.

(Ord. No. 75-2, § 4, 1-28-75)

Sec. 22-27. - Unlawful to fail to provide information or equipment.

It shall be unlawful for any person to fail to provide the information or fire prevention equipment required by this article.

(Ord. No. 75-2, § 5, 1-28-75)

Sec. 22-28. - Penalties.

Persons violating any of the provisions of this article shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished as provided by law.

(Ord. No. 75-2, § 6, 1-28-75)

Sec. 22-29. - Severability clause.

If any clause, section or other part of this article shall be held by any court of competent jurisdiction to be unconstitutional or invalid, such unconstitutional or invalid part shall be considered as eliminated and in nowise affecting the validity of the other provisions of this article.

(Ord. No. 75-2, § 7, 1-28-75)

Source: Broward County Code of Ordinances

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