February 23, 2016

by Susana Chambers
RCO Legal, P.S. – USFN Member (Alaska, Oregon, Washington)

In the wake of a series of articles published by The Seattle Times, critical of the lack of consumer protections for buyers of manufactured homes in Washington State, legislators recently passed House Bill 2954. The February 1 bill tasks the Washington Department of Commerce (Commerce) to study the sale and financing of manufactured homes, and to develop a comparison of consumer protections provided to buyers of manufactured homes contrasted to those available to the buyers of residential property under Washington’s Deed of Trust Act.

Owners of residential property in Washington currently enjoy greater consumer protections — including extended timelines to cure defaults, foreclosure mediation, and a prohibition against deficiency judgments for obligations secured by a deed of trust. Over the next year, Commerce will study manufactured home sale and financing methods, disclosure requirements and practices, repossession processes, and the status of manufactured homes under state law pertaining to real property.

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