Maryland law allows for mobile home parks to obtain a lien against mobile home owners for unpaid ground rent. Unfortunately, the recent practice of the Harford County Sheriff’s Department in conducting evictions made it difficult, if not impossible, to perfect that lien.
Under Maryland law, mobile home park owners can obtain a judgment against tenants for unpaid ground rent and then proceed to perfect a lien with the Motor Vehicle Administration allowing them to obtain title to the mobile home and resell it. In order to perfect the lien, the mobile home park owner had to demonstrate that the Warrant of Restitution had been served and the eviction conducted. Unfortunately, the Harford County Sheriff was taking the position that, because the mobile home in question was the property of the tenant, it had to be removed from the foundation and relocated off the mobile home property, or to some other location on the property, in order to complete the eviction. This is contrary to procedures employed in other counties and was resulting in enormous costs to mobile home parks for the physical relocation of the mobile home, as well as impairing the ability of the park to resell the mobile home once the lien had been perfected.
In cooperation with the District Court, the Harford County Law Department and the Harford County Sheriff’s Department, Kevin Mahoney was able to negotiate the implementation of a new procedure which will allow mobile homes to remain on site in certain circumstances.
SMLH attorneys are experienced in all aspects of landlord/tenant law and available to assist commercial property owners, mobile home park owners and property owners with rental mobile homes, in protecting their interests in the event of a lease default.