One of the simple demographic facts facing America is that America is getting older. Approximately 55 million people in the U.S. are over 55 years of age. By the year 2014, the youngest baby boomer (born January 2011, more than 10,000 baby boomers began reaching the age of 65 every single day, and this trend will continue for the next 18 years. Currently, 34 million Americans are over 65 and that will double by 2030. By the year 2020, the senior population will number 115 million people.

One of the simple demographic facts facing America is that America is getting older. Approximately 55 million people in the U.S. are over 55 years of age. By the year 2014, the youngest baby boomer (born January 2011, more than 10,000 baby boomers began reaching the age of 65 every single day, and this trend will continue for the next 18 years. Currently, 34 million Americans are over 65 and that will double by 2030. By the year 2020, the senior population will number 115 million people.

Question: A resident whose business is a medical marijuana store in town has informed the manager that she plans on growing marijuana plants on the space. She has not indicated if this is for sale, medical, or her own use. The community has not updated their rules to implement a No Marijuana policy, but they do say that there are to be no businesses in the park. The rental agreement is several years old so it is mute on the issue of marijuana. What should the manager do? What are the landlord's rights?

Question: A community owner entered into a Storage Agreement on a home in early January 2014. The agreement provides that the home must be removed by November 30th if it does not sell. We are now approaching the end of November, and the community owner does not believe the home will be sold by the end of this month. What's next? Does the community owner take the homeowner to court? Doesn't the landlord have to give one year to the home owner? [1]

Community Rules and Regulations along with your rental agreement are critical for the successful operation and management of your manufactured home community. Here are some provisions that should be part of your community rules. Remember, good rules are the first step in maintaining an orderly relationship with your residents. You must also apply and enforce the rules consistently and fairly.

Here are some suggestions:

Question: We have a resident who has about 40 cottonwood trees in her yard. She planted them some time ago. The trees are all about 50 feet in height and very overgrown. I'm pretty sure they've never been trimmed or maintained. We have had complaints recently from a neighbor that they are concerned with the safety of those trees in a storm. We had an arborist inspect the trees and he deemed them a safety hazard and recommended taking them all out, as trimming would only escalate the growth speed of that species of trees.

How do we get the resident to remove all of her trees? My interpretation of the law is that because she is the person who planted them, she is responsible for the maintenance and/or removal of the trees. Is that correct? What if she sold her home and then we wanted the new resident to remove the trees? Could the new resident avoid having to incur the cost of removal because they did not plant them?

I spoke with my insurance agent and they assured me we're not liable to any damage done by a tree falling as that is an act of God. So I guess my follow-up question is, why would we need to demand someone to remove or trim a tree for safety issues if we're not liable for it?

Question: We have been a little lax in keeping some of our RV tenants on track with their rent and late charges. It has to stop. How do we collect the money these tenants owe the park?

Oregon’s Joint Venture (Legalization of Marijuana)  – How Will It Affect Community Owners?  What you need to know about POT Legalization and Your Community

Question: Our community is having more and more residents who purchase pets as puppies, sign the MHCO Pet Agreement that CLEARLY STATES our maximum 25 pound weight limit, and then over time, and the animal becomes too large, they refuse to remove it from the community, and claim their pet is really a "service animal," "assistance animal," "emotional support animal" or some such other animal which they believe protects them from us enforcing the size limits they previously agreed to. What can be done? Do we, as landlords, have any recourse to require residents to get rid of their animals, as they are abusing the system to circumvent our size requirements?

Question: One of my tenants has approached me asking if I would pay relocate their home, as a portion of her space is falling away due to erosion from a nearby stream. As a park owner, what is my responsibility for undertaking this expense?