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Federation of Manufactured Homeowners of Florida (FMO)

At the general meeting in October there were several references made to Chapter 723 of the Florida Statutes, "The Florida Mobile Home Act." Over 40 pages of laws protecting you and me, as manufactured homeowners. Having a watch-dog organization such as the FMO in Tallahassee lobbying for your rights is certainly worth your time and $20 of your money.

Everyone should have a copy of Chapter 723 and members may download them at 222. fmo.org at no charge. This chapter of the Florida Statutes may also be downloaded from the State of Florida.

Do you know what a Declaration of Domicile or a Designation of Homestead is? Join the FMO and find out. We all should give our support and become members of the FMO!!

There are applications at the clubhouse or sign on to www.fmo.org. If you have any questions please call James Schlisler, FMO Chairman at 386-756-7022 or email

Federation of Manufactured Homeowners of Florida (FMO)

NOAA Weather Radios

The wheels of government sure do move slowly. The latest word is that the Volusia County Council has authorized the solicitation of bids for the radios. When the award is made we should be receiving word as to how the radios will be distributed and residents will be notified.

Stormwater (Utility) Tax

In the 1980's, the FMO developed and got the Florida Legislature to approve State Statute 723, which, among other things, gave HOAs like ours, the right to establish a Statutory Committee. This committee has statutory status to review and negotiate with the community owners rent increases, taxes, pass through charges and rules and regulations.

Last year, the Statutory Committee gathered substantial information concerning rents charged by other manufactured home communities in Volusia County and the State of Florida. The Committee also investigated the non ad valorem tax the City of Port Orange charges as a Utility Tax for Stormwater Drainage. This investigation uncovered the fact that the City of Port Orange had made two major errors in the calculation of our Stormwater Utility Tax resulting in a reduction of the tax for not only for the year 2008 but also for 2006 and 2007.

Last year Crane Lakes residents paid $104.88 for the Utility Tax. This year, the tax has been reduced to $83.31, a reduction of $21.57 each resident or $17,299.14 for the entire community. This reduction includes corrections for overcharges in the years 2006 and 2007. So how this happen?

In 2005 and in previous years, the City charged residents and businesses a fee on their monthly Utility Bill to cover costs of various drainage projects and operation thereof within the City. The cost in 2005 for each residential dwelling was $6.25 per month ($75.00 per year) and businesses were charged a fee based on a formula that was based on several factors resulting in different fees being charged to businesses. In 2005, the City increased the residential fee from $6.25 to $8.25 per month ($99.00 per year) and decided to eliminate the fee as a charge on the Ulitity Bill and charge it as a Non-Ad Valorem tax. Properties other than single-family homes were to be charged $99.00 for each 3,050 square feet of impervious area. So what were the errors made by the City?

Error # 1 - The Utility Tax for the Crane Lakes Golf Course was erroneously charged to the Crane Lakes community. This has now been changed.

Error # 2 - In computing the impervious areas, the City erroneously included all the roads within Crane Lakes. This was not part of the formula and was corrected.

The lesson to be learned here is that we must be diligent in our dealings. Mistakes can be made. Please join the FMO

Membership applications are available at the Clubhouse mailroom or you can contact me:

FMO membership is $20.00 per year and continues for 12 months.

James Schlisler

FMO Community Representative

2130 Crane Lakes Blvd.

Tel # 756-7022

E-mail:

HOA and FMO

A Partnership Working for You

For more than 20 years after the Federation of Manufactured Home Owners of Florida was first organized, the FMO community units acted as the representatives of all the residents within their communities for various purposes including discussions or negotiations with park owners. The local FMO units informed the residents within the park about mobile/manufactured home issues and coordinated with the state organization to advance the rights of homeowners on a statewide basis. The incorporated homeowners association was not provided for in the law until 1984.

As a result of the efforts of the FMO, the Legislature established a study commission to review mobile home laws and the unique relationship between park residents and park owners within a rental park. As a direct result of the efforts of the FMO, Florida Statutes Chapter 723 was enacted and it provides for many of the protections that mobile home owners enjoy today. One portion of that legislation permitted tenants in rental mobile home parks to incorporate a homeowners association that could act as a representative of all of the residents within the park who are members of the association in purchasing the park, negotiating rent increases, and in other areas of importance to the residents.

Over the years, since that legislation was passed proving for homeowners associations, the various FMO community representatives throughout the state have worked together with HOA’s in the communities to represent home owners in various ways. The HOA has not taken the place of the FMO unit organization. They are both two separate organizations. Neither is superior to or has authority over the other.

Both of these organizations serve separate and distinct functions which, when taken together, can accomplish the most results for mobile/manufactured home residents. The purpose of the FMO is to promote the general welfare and protect the rights and interests of manufactured home owners in Florida by acting as a consumer advocacy association. The purpose of the HOA is to act as a united voice on behalf of the residents of the manufactured home community.

The FMO has its own set of bylaws that detail how the Federation conducts business. The Bylaws explain such areas as FMO dues, who can be a member, the various committees, the various officers on the state, district and local level, as well as the duties of the officers. The FMO Bylaws do not have any application to the homeowners association. The homeowners association has its own separate set of bylaws and is not governed by the FMO. The bylaws of the HOA govern only the association members, and has no authority over the FMO.

The FMO and HOA, while separate organizations, have a common goal - protect the rights of manufactured home owner. The FMO on the State level, and the HOA representing home owners on the community level provides a partnership that gives the Crane Lakes homeowners protection of their investment they have made in their homes.

Membership applications are available at the Clubhouse mailroom or you can contact me:

Tom Hroncich

FMO Community Representative

James Schisler Tel # 756-7022

E-mail:

FMO membership is $20.00 per year and continues for 12 months.