Can a West Virginia park evict a mobile home owner without a reason?

Not during the placement period. Under W. Va. Code §37-15-6(a), a single-section home's tenancy 'may not be terminated until twelve months after the home is placed on the site except for good cause,' and a multisection home for five years. After that period (or the lease term), the tenancy can be ended for any reason on three months' notice unless the agreement requires reasons (§37-15-6(b),(c)). 'Good cause' includes unpaid rent, a material lease breach, or deliberate property damage (§37-15-2). This is general information, not advice about a specific case — consider consulting a licensed attorney in West Virginia.

What protection do West Virginia residents get if a park does a mass eviction?

A six-month-notice process. Under W. Va. Code §37-15-6a, a landlord may not evict 'more than twenty-five tenants ... within a single eighteen-month period' unless every tenant agrees, the landlord gives 'not less than six months' notice,' or the tenant breached the agreement. A violation lets each tenant recover actual damages, relocation costs, and treble damages or a year's rent plus attorney fees.

Mobile home eviction rules in West Virginia

Q: Can a West Virginia park shut off my utilities to force me out?

No. Under W. Va. Code §37-15-6(d), 'a landlord may not cause the eviction of a tenant by willfully interrupting gas, electricity, water or any other essential service, or by removal of the factory-built home from the ... site, or by any other willful self-help measure.' A landlord must also state the specific reason for a termination in the notice (§37-15-6(e)).

West Virginia's Mobile Home Parks act (W. Va. Code Chapter 37, Article 15) protects a tenancy with a good-cause requirement, long notice, a ban on self-help, and limits on mass evictions. The information below describes how the law generally works; anyone facing a specific notice should consider consulting a licensed attorney in West Virginia.

What the statute says

Under W. Va. Code §37-15-6(a), a single-section home's tenancy "may not be terminated until twelve months after the home is placed on the site except for good cause," and a multisection home "until five years." After the placement period or the lease term, either party may terminate "for any reason, unless the rental agreement states that reasons for termination must exist," but only on "written notice at least three months before the termination date" (§37-15-6(b),(c)). "Good cause" is defined in §37-15-2 to include unpaid rent, a material or repeated lease breach, a breach of warranty, or deliberate or negligent property damage.

Self-help is barred by §37-15-6(d): "a landlord may not cause the eviction of a tenant by willfully interrupting gas, electricity, water or any other essential service, or by removal of the factory-built home ... or by any other willful self-help measure." The notice must state the reason "with specific facts" (§37-15-6(e)). Retaliatory eviction is barred by §37-15-7, and mass evictions are limited by §37-15-6a: a landlord may not evict "more than twenty-five tenants ... within a single eighteen-month period" without every tenant's agreement, "six months' notice," or a tenant breach — with treble damages for a violation.

How it works in general

A West Virginia park can't quickly force out a newly placed home — a single-section home is protected for 12 months and a multisection home for 5 years, unless the landlord has good cause like unpaid rent or a serious lease breach. After that, ending a tenancy requires three months' written notice that states the specific reason. The park can never shut off utilities, haul the home off, or use any other self-help to force a resident out — it has to go to court. Retaliatory evictions are barred, and a park can't carry out a mass eviction of more than 25 tenants without six months' notice (or every tenant's agreement).

Common scenarios

General examples West Virginia park residents commonly encounter:

A new resident's tenancy is threatened. A single-section home is protected for 12 months (5 years multisection) absent good cause (§37-15-6(a)).
A park threatens to cut utilities or move the home. That's barred self-help (§37-15-6(d)).
A park plans a large redevelopment eviction. Evicting more than 25 tenants needs six months' notice (§37-15-6a).

Other authorities that may apply

The eviction process runs through magistrate or circuit court; the good-cause, notice, anti-self-help, and mass-eviction rules are in §§37-15-6, 37-15-6a, and 37-15-7. After a no-cause termination, the resident keeps the right to sell the home in place to a qualifying buyer (§37-15-6(f)). Federal protections such as the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act and the Fair Housing Act can also apply.