218.05(14)(c)1.1. The division may investigate the business and examine the books, accounts and records of a licensee at any time. For that purpose, the division shall have free access to the offices and places of business and to the books, accounts and records of a licensee. The division may examine any person under oath or affirmation whose testimony the division requires relative to the licensee. An employe of the division may administer an oath or affirmation to a person called as a witness. An employe of the division may conduct the examination.
218.05(14)(c)2.
2. The division shall determine the cost of an examination. A licensee shall pay the cost of an examination within 30 days after the division demands payment.
MOBILE HOME DEALERS
218.10
218.10
Definitions. In this subchapter:
218.10(1)
(1) "Delivery date" means the date on which a mobile home is physically delivered to the site chosen by the mobile home owner.
218.10(1t)
(1t) "Licensor" means the administering department authorized under
s. 218.101 to administer this subchapter.
218.10(2)
(2) "Mobile home" means a vehicle designed to be towed as a single unit or in sections upon a highway by a motor vehicle and equipped and used, or intended to be used, primarily for human habitation, with walls of rigid uncollapsible construction. "Mobile home" includes the mobile home structure, including the plumbing, heating and electrical systems and all appliances and all other equipment carrying a manufacturer's warranty.
218.10(3)
(3) "Mobile home dealer" means a person who, for a commission or other thing of value, sells, exchanges, buys or rents, or offers or attempts to negotiate a sale or exchange of an interest in mobile homes or who is engaged wholly or in part in the business of selling mobile homes, whether or not the mobile homes are owned by the person, but does not include:
218.10(3)(a)
(a) A receiver, trustee, administrator, executor, guardian or other person appointed by or acting under the judgment or order of any court.
218.10(3)(b)
(b) Any public officer while performing that officer's official duty.
218.10(3)(e)
(e) A person transferring a mobile home registered in that person's name and used for that person's personal, family or household purposes, if the transfer is an occasional sale and is not part of the business of the transferor.
218.10(4)
(4) "Mobile home manufacturer" means any person within or without this state who manufactures or assembles mobile homes for sale in this state.
218.10(5)
(5) "Mobile home owner" means any person or lessee thereof who purchases a mobile home primarily for use for personal, family or household purposes.
218.10(6)
(6) "Mobile home salesperson" means any person who is employed by a mobile home manufacturer or dealer to sell or lease mobile homes.
218.10(7)
(7) "New mobile home" means a mobile home which has never been occupied, used or sold for personal or business use.
218.10(8)
(8) "Primary housing unit" means a mobile home exceeding the statutory size under
s. 348.07.
218.10(8m)
(8m) "Recreational vehicle" means a mobile home that does not exceed the statutory size under
s. 348.07.
218.10(9)
(9) "Used mobile home" means a mobile home which has previously been occupied, used or sold for personal or business use.
218.10 Annotation
The definition of "manufactured home" under s. 101.91 is inapplicable to determining whether a person is a mobile home dealer under this section. State v. Edlebeck, 196 W (2d) 744, 539 NW (2d) 469 (Ct. App. 1995).
218.101
218.101
Administering department. 218.101(1)
(1) The department of administration shall administer this subchapter as it relates to those mobile home dealers and mobile home salespersons engaged in the sale of primary housing units.
218.101(2)
(2) The department of transportation shall administer this subchapter as it relates to those mobile home dealers and mobile home salespersons engaged in the sale of recreational vehicles.
218.101 History
History: 1991 a. 269.
218.11
218.11
Mobile home dealers regulated. 218.11(1)
(1) No person may engage in the business of selling mobile homes to the ultimate consumer or to the retail market in this state unless first licensed to do so by the licensor as herein provided.
218.11(2)(a)(a) Application for license and renewal license shall be made to the licensor on forms prescribed and furnished by the licensor, accompanied by the license fee required under
par. (c) or
(d).
218.11(2)(am)1.1. In addition to any other information required under
par. (a), an application by an individual for the issuance or renewal of a license under this section shall include the individual's social security number and, if the application is made by a person who is not an individual for the issuance or renewal of a license under this section shall include the person's federal employer identification number.
218.11(2)(am)2.
2. The licensor shall deny an application for the issuance or renewal of a license if the information required under
subd. 1. is not included in the application.
218.11(2)(am)3.
3. The licensor may not disclose any information received under
subd. 1. to any person except to the department of industry, labor and job development [department of workforce development] for purposes of administering
s. 49.22 or to the department of revenue for the sole purpose of requesting certifications under
s. 73.0301.
218.11 Note
NOTE: The department of industry, labor and job development was changed to the department of workforce development by
1997 Wis. Act 3. Corrective legislation is pending.
218.11(2)(b)1.1. The licensor shall promulgate rules establishing the license period under this section.
218.11(2)(b)2.
2. The licensor may promulgate rules establishing a uniform expiration date for all licenses issued under this section.
218.11(2)(c)
(c) Except as provided in
par. (d), the fee for a license issued under this section equals $50 multiplied by the number of years in the license period. The fee shall be prorated if the license period is not evenly divisible into years.
218.11(2)(d)
(d) If the licensor issues a license under this section during the license period, the fee for the license shall equal $50 multiplied by the number of calendar years, including parts of calendar years, during which the license remains in effect. A fee determined under this paragraph may not exceed the license fee for the entire license period under
par. (c).
218.11(3)
(3) A license shall be issued only to persons whose character, fitness and financial ability, in the opinion of the licensor, is such as to justify the belief that they can and will deal with and serve the buying public fairly and honestly, will maintain a permanent office and place of business and an adequate service and parts department during the license year, and will abide by all the provisions of law and lawful orders of the licensor.
218.11(5)
(5) A licensee shall conduct the licensed business continuously during the license year.
218.11(5m)
(5m) Any person who shall violate any provision of this section shall be fined not less than $25 nor more than $100 for each offense.
218.11(6)
(6) The licensor may deny, suspend or revoke a license on the following grounds:
218.11(6)(b)
(b) Material misstatement in application for license.
218.11(6)(c)
(c) Filing a materially false or fraudulent income or franchise tax return as certified by the department of revenue.
218.11(6)(d)
(d) Wilful failure to comply with any provision of this section or any rule promulgated by the licensor under this section.
218.11(6)(e)
(e) Wilfully defrauding any retail buyer to the buyer's damage.
218.11(6)(f)
(f) Wilful failure to perform any written agreement with any retail buyer.
218.11(6)(g)
(g) Failure or refusal to furnish and keep in force any bond required.
218.11(6)(h)
(h) Having made a fraudulent sale, transaction or repossession.
218.11(6)(i)
(i) Fraudulent misrepresentation, circumvention or concealment through whatsoever subterfuge or device of any of the material particulars or the nature thereof required hereunder to be stated or furnished to the retail buyer.
218.11(6)(j)
(j) Employment of fraudulent devices, methods or practices in connection with compliance with the statutes with respect to the retaking of goods under retail instalment contracts and the redemption and resale of such goods.
218.11(6)(k)
(k) Having indulged in any unconscionable practice relating to said business.
218.11(6)(m)
(m) Having sold a retail instalment contract to a sales finance company not licensed hereunder.
218.11(6)(n)
(n) Having violated any law relating to the sale, distribution or financing of mobile homes.
218.11(6m)(a)(a) A license under this section shall be denied, restricted, limited or suspended if an applicant or licensee is an individual who is delinquent in making court-ordered payments of child or family support, maintenance, birth expenses, medical expenses or other expenses related to the support of a child or former spouse, or who fails to comply, after appropriate notice, with a subpoena or warrant issued by the department of workforce development or a county child support agency under
s. 59.53 (5) and related to paternity or child support proceedings, as provided in a memorandum of understanding entered into under
s. 49.857.
218.11(6m)(b)
(b) The licensor shall suspend or revoke a license if the department of revenue certifies under
s. 73.0301 that the licensee is liable for delinquent taxes. A licensee whose license is suspended or revoked under this paragraph for delinquent taxes is entitled to a notice under
s. 73.0301 (2) (b) 1. b. and a hearing under
s. 73.0301 (5) (a) but is not entitled to any other notice or hearing under this section.
218.11(7)(a)(a) The licensor may without notice deny the application for a license within 60 days after receipt thereof by written notice to the applicant, stating the grounds for such denial. Within 30 days after such notice, the applicant may petition the department of administration to conduct a hearing to review the denial, and a hearing shall be scheduled with reasonable promptness. If the licensor is the department of transportation, the division of hearings and appeals shall conduct the hearing. This paragraph does not apply to denials of applications for licenses under
sub. (6m).
218.11(7)(b)
(b) No license may be suspended or revoked except after a hearing thereon. The licensor shall give the licensee at least 5 days' notice of the time and place of such hearing. The order suspending or revoking such license shall not be effective until after 10 days' written notice thereof to the licensee, after such hearing has been had; except that the licensor, when in its opinion the best interest of the public or the trade demands it, may suspend a license upon not less than 24 hours' notice of hearing and with not less than 24 hours' notice of the suspension of the license. Matters involving suspensions and revocations brought before the licensor shall be heard and decided upon by the department of administration. If the licensor is the department of transportation, the division of hearings and appeals shall conduct the hearing. This paragraph does not apply to licenses that are suspended or revoked under
sub. (6m).
218.11(7)(c)
(c) The licensor may inspect the pertinent books, records, letters and contracts of a licensee. The actual cost of each such examination shall be paid by such licensee so examined within 30 days after demand therefor by the licensor, and the licensor may maintain an action for the recovery of such costs in any court of competent jurisdiction.
218.12
218.12
Mobile home dealer salespersons regulated. 218.12(1)(1) No person may engage in the business of selling mobile homes to the ultimate consumer or to the retail market in this state without a license therefor from the licensor. If a mobile home dealer acts as a mobile home salesperson the dealer shall secure a mobile home salesperson's license in addition to the license for engaging as a mobile home dealer.
218.12(2)(a)(a) Applications for mobile home salesperson's license and renewals thereof shall be made to the licensor on such forms as the licensor prescribes and furnishes and shall be accompanied by the license fee required under
par. (c) or
(d). The application shall include the applicant's social security number. In addition, the application shall require such pertinent information as the licensor requires.
218.12(2)(am)1.1. The licensor shall deny an application for the issuance or renewal of a license if an individual has not included his or her social security number in the application.
218.12(2)(am)2.
2. The licensor may not disclose a social security number obtained under
par. (a) to any person except to the department of workforce development for the sole purpose of administering
s. 49.22 or to the department of revenue for the sole purpose of requesting certifications under
s. 73.0301.
218.12(2)(b)1.1. The licensor shall promulgate rules establishing the license period under this section.
218.12(2)(b)2.
2. The licensor may promulgate rules establishing a uniform expiration date for all licenses issued under this section.
218.12(2)(c)
(c) Except as provided in
par. (d), the fee for a license issued under this section equals $4 multiplied by the number of years in the license period. The fee shall be prorated if the license period is not evenly divisible into years.
218.12(2)(d)
(d) If the licensor issues a license under this section during the license period, the fee for the license shall equal $4 multiplied by the number of calendar years, including parts of calendar years, during which the license remains in effect. A fee determined under this paragraph may not exceed the license fee for the entire license period under
par. (c).
218.12(3)
(3) Every licensee shall carry his or her license when engaged in his or her business and display the same upon request. The license shall name his or her employer, and in case of a change of employer, the salesperson shall immediately mail his or her license to the licensor who shall endorse such change on the license without charge.
218.12(3m)(a)(a) A license shall be denied, restricted, limited or suspended if the applicant or licensee is an individual who is delinquent in making court-ordered payments of child or family support, maintenance, birth expenses, medical expenses or other expenses related to the support of a child or former spouse, or who fails to comply, after appropriate notice, with a subpoena or warrant issued by the department of workforce development or a county child support agency under
s. 59.53 (5) and related to paternity or child support proceedings, as provided in a memorandum of understanding entered into under
s. 49.857.
218.12(3m)(b)
(b) The licensor shall suspend or revoke a license if the department of revenue certifies under
s. 73.0301 that the licensee is liable for delinquent taxes. A licensee whose license is suspended or revoked under this paragraph for delinquent taxes is entitled to a notice under
s. 73.0301 (2) (b) 1. b. and a hearing under
s. 73.0301 (5) (a) but is not entitled to any other notice or hearing under this section.
218.12(5)
(5) The provision of
s. 218.01 (3) relating to the denial, suspension and revocation of a motor vehicle salesperson's license shall apply to the denial, suspension and revocation of a mobile home salesperson's license so far as applicable, except that such provision does not apply to the denial, suspension or revocation of a license under
sub. (3m).
218.12(6)
(6) The provisions of
s. 218.01 (3) (g) and
(5) shall apply to this section, mobile home sales practices and the regulation of travel trailer or mobile home salespersons, as far as applicable.
218.14
218.14
Warranty and disclosure. 218.14(1)
(1) A one-year written warranty is required for every new primary housing unit sold or leased by a mobile home manufacturer, dealer or salesperson in this state, and for every new primary housing unit sold by any person who induces a resident of the state to enter into the transaction by personal solicitation in this state or by mail or telephone solicitation directed to the particular customer in this state. The warranty shall contain the following terms:
