Mobile Home Park Closure: Relocation Assistance in Minnesota

If your mobile home park is closing in Minnesota, understanding your rights and the relocation assistance process can help protect your housing and financial stability. Minnesota law gives manufactured home residents specific protections and resources in these challenging situations. This guide clarifies your options and points you to official forms and support channels.

Understanding Park Closures and Your Rights

In Minnesota, when a landlord decides to close a mobile/manufactured home park, tenants (homeowners) have the right to receive notice in advance and are eligible for relocation compensation under state law.

• 120-day Written Notice: The park owner must provide a written closure notice to each resident at least 9 months before the park closes. Learn about your notice rights in Minnesota Statutes Section 327C.095.
• Relocation Assistance: Most residents are entitled to financial help for moving their home elsewhere or, if that's not possible, for selling/demolishing it.
• The Minnesota Manufactured Home Relocation Trust Fund helps pay these costs.

How Relocation Assistance Works in Minnesota

Financial help is available through the state-managed Minnesota Manufactured Home Relocation Trust Fund. The Minnesota Department of Commerce oversees these benefits.

• Who Qualifies: Any homeowner leasing land in a park that is closing or converting to another use.
• What Is Covered: Reasonable costs to move your home to a new site (up to a set cap), or payment if your home can't be moved and must be abandoned or demolished.
• How to Apply: Homeowners need to submit the official application and supporting paperwork in a timely manner, per state guidelines.
• The Trust only covers "reasonable relocation costs" as defined by law and set by annual limits.

Official Forms Used

• Minnesota Manufactured Home Relocation Trust Fund Application (No form number):
  Use this form to request moving reimbursement or compensation if you cannot move your home. The park owner will give you the paperwork and explain your basic eligibility when they deliver the park closure notice.
  • When Used: After you receive an official notice that your park will close.
  • How it’s Used (Example): For example, if your mobile home qualifies to be moved, you collect estimates and receipts for moving costs, fill out the application, and submit it to the address supplied—often through the park owner or the escrow agent assigned by the Minnesota Department of Commerce.
  • Access official application details and instructions on the MN Department of Commerce site

How Much Assistance Can You Receive?

• For homes that can be moved: Up to $8,000 for a single-section home and up to $14,500 for a multi-section home (as of 2024 updates).
• For homes that cannot be moved: The appraised market value, up to $8,000 (single) or $14,500 (multi-section), if the home must be demolished or abandoned.

For full eligibility details and annual cap updates, see the Minnesota Manufactured Home Relocation Trust Fund section of state law.

Steps to Take If Your Park Is Closing

Following the required steps promptly can help ensure you don't miss out on relocation assistance:

• Carefully read your official closure notice and keep all paperwork.
• Contact the Minnesota Department of Commerce or your park’s assigned escrow agent for your application materials.
• Get estimates from reputable moving companies for your mobile home or, if the home cannot be moved, get an appraisal for its value.
• Gather supporting documents (notices, estimates, receipts, appraisals).
• Complete and submit the official Relocation Trust Fund Application before the deadline outlined in your notice.
• Keep copies of everything you submit.

What If You Need to Dispute a Decision?

If you disagree with a decision about relocation assistance, you have the right to contest it. Minnesota uses district courts for formal disputes about landlord/tenant law, but mediation options may also be available for manufactured home issues. For guidance, see the resources section below or consult the Minnesota Judicial Branch: Landlord & Tenant resource.

Relevant Law and Oversight

• The main Minnesota law for mobile home park closures and relocation assistance is Minnesota Statutes Section 327C.095.
• Disputes regarding evictions, tenant rights, or other rental issues in Minnesota are overseen by the Minnesota Judicial Branch: Housing Court (depending on your county).

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How much money can I get to help move my home?
   In 2024, the maximum is $8,000 for a single-section home and $14,500 for a multi-section home, covering reasonable moving expenses or compensation if your home cannot be moved.
2. How do I apply for relocation benefits when my park closes?
   After receiving notice, request the application paperwork from the park owner or your escrow agent, gather moving/appraisal documents, and submit the completed application to the Minnesota Department of Commerce.
3. What happens if my mobile home is too old or damaged to move?
   If your home can’t be moved, you may qualify for compensation at the appraised value, capped at $8,000 (single-section) or $14,500 (multi-section), to help offset the loss.
4. Who handles disputes about park closure relocation assistance in Minnesota?
   Initial questions go to the Minnesota Department of Commerce; formal legal disputes can be heard in district court or housing court.
5. Does the park owner have to give me a specific amount of notice?
   Yes. By law, park owners must give you at least 9 months’ written notice before closing or converting the park to another use.

Conclusion: Key Takeaways for Minnesota Park Closures

• You have the right to at least 9 months’ notice before a park closes.
• Financial relocation help is available but requires prompt application and supporting paperwork.
• Start the process early, keep records, and use official state resources to maximize your benefits and protect your rights.

Need Help? Resources for Renters

• Minnesota Manufactured Home Relocation Trust Fund — Relocation help and application details
• Minnesota Judicial Branch: Housing Court — Handles legal disputes about mobile home parks and rental issues
• HOME Line (Minnesota nonprofit tenant advocacy service) — Free and confidential renter support
• The main governing law: Minnesota Statutes Section 327C.095 (Park Closure Law)

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1. "Manufactured Home Park Closings and the Relocation Trust Fund," Minnesota Statutes Section 327C.095, current as of 2024.
2. Minnesota Department of Commerce: Manufactured Home Relocation Trust Fund.
3. Minnesota Judicial Branch: Housing Court and Landlord/Tenant Resources.

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