Who keeps a Maine park lot habitable after a storm?

The park, under a statutory warranty. Under 10 M.R.S. §9099(1), in any agreement for a park space the park 'is deemed to covenant and warrant that the space and its associated facilities are fit for human habitation,' and §9099(2)–(3) let a tenant file a court complaint and obtain remedies if a condition endangers health or safety and the park fails to repair it after notice. This is general information, not advice about a specific situation — consider consulting a licensed attorney in Maine.

Can a Maine town set stronger safety standards?

Yes, for habitability. Under §9099(5), 'municipalities may adopt or retain, by ordinances or rules, standards more stringent than those provided in this section,' while any less restrictive municipal standard is suspended.

Mobile home storm rules in Maine

Q: What standards govern how a Maine manufactured home is anchored?

State installation standards plus the federal HUD Code. Under 10 M.R.S. §9006(1), the Manufactured Housing Board 'shall, by rule, set uniform reasonable standards for the installation of manufactured homes, including ... standards for foundations, supports, anchoring, underpinning and skirting,' and the federal HUD construction code (24 C.F.R. Part 3280) sets wind-zone construction requirements.

Maine addresses storm and disaster safety for manufactured homes through a habitability warranty in the park law, state installation standards set by the Manufactured Housing Board, and the federal HUD construction code. The information below describes how the law generally works; anyone dealing with a specific situation should consider consulting a licensed attorney in Maine.

What the statute says

The park's responsibility for the lot is fixed by 10 M.R.S. §9099(1):

In any written or oral agreement for rental of a space in a mobile home park, the park owner or operator is deemed to covenant and warrant that the space and its associated facilities are fit for human habitation.

The rest of §9099 lets a tenant file a District Court or Superior Court complaint when a condition "endangers or materially impairs the health or safety of the tenants" and the park "unreasonably failed ... to take prompt, effective steps to repair or remedy the condition," and §9099(5) lets municipalities adopt "standards more stringent than those provided in this section." How the home itself is anchored is governed by 10 M.R.S. §9006(1), under which the Manufactured Housing Board "shall, by rule, set uniform reasonable standards for the installation of manufactured homes, including ... standards for foundations, supports, anchoring, underpinning and skirting of manufactured homes installed in this State."

How it works in general

Two layers protect storm safety. For the lot, the park's habitability warranty means the space and its associated facilities must stay fit for human habitation; if a storm-damaged condition endangers health or safety and the park does not fix it promptly after written notice, a resident can go to court for repairs or a rent adjustment. For the home, how it resists wind comes from its construction wind-zone rating under the federal HUD Code (24 C.F.R. Part 3280) and from the Manufactured Housing Board's state installation standards for foundations, supports, anchoring, underpinning, and skirting (§9006). A park also cannot force a resident to buy tie-down equipment from the park (§9092). Disaster assistance is handled through federal and state emergency-management programs.

Common scenarios

General examples Maine park residents commonly encounter:

A storm damages the lot or shared facilities. The §9099 habitability warranty applies once the park has notice and fails to act.
Questions arise about anchoring or skirting. Those come from the Manufactured Housing Board's installation standards (§9006) and the federal HUD Code.
A town has stricter standards. Section 9099(5) lets municipalities set more stringent habitability standards.

Other authorities that may apply

Chapter 953 supplies the habitability warranty (§9099), and the Manufactured Housing Act (Chapter 951) gives the Manufactured Housing Board its installation-standard authority (§9006). The federal HUD Code (24 C.F.R. Parts 3280 and 3285) governs home construction and installation. The Maine Emergency Management Agency and FEMA administer disaster assistance, and a homeowner's insurance policy — not statute — usually governs storm-damage claims.