Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill makes numerous changes to laws governing mobile homes,
manufactured homes, and the mobile and manufactured housing industry. The
changes primarily include the following:
Use of terms "mobile home," "manufactured home," and "modular home"
Under current law, there are several different definitions of the term "mobile
home" and of the term "manufactured home." Also, under current law, "mobile home"
is often used as a general term that includes "manufactured home." Because of
changes in the mid-1970s in federal laws that define and regulate mobile and
manufactured homes, only manufactured homes as defined under current federal
law are being constructed today. This bill creates a single definition for "mobile
home" and a single definition for "manufactured home" that apply more generally
throughout the statutes by doing the following:
1. The bill establishes the definition of "mobile home" that is used in the
subchapter of the statutes regulating the mobile and manufactured housing
industry as the general definition of "mobile home" in the statutes. Thus, under the
bill, a mobile home generally means a vehicle manufactured or assembled before
June 15, 1976, that has an overall length of more than 45 feet, that is designed to be
towed as a single unit or in sections on a highway by a motor vehicle, that has walls
of rigid noncollapsible construction, and that is equipped and used, or intended to be
used, primarily for human habitation. Under the bill, "mobile home" includes the
mobile home structure, its plumbing, heating, air conditioning, and electrical
systems, and all appliances and all other equipment carrying a manufacturer's
warranty.
2. The bill establishes the definition of "manufactured home" that is used in the
subchapter of the statutes regulating the mobile and manufactured housing
industry as the general definition of "manufactured home" in the statutes. Thus,
under the bill, a manufactured home generally means either a mobile home or a
structure designed to be used as a dwelling, either with or without a permanent
foundation, that complies with the federal standards established for manufactured
homes.
In addition, the bill makes the use of these terms more consistent with their
definitions by doing the following:
1. The bill inserts references to "manufactured home" in certain places in
current law that refer only to "mobile home" if the use of mobile home under current
law is general and meant to include manufactured homes. The bill also inserts
references to "manufactured home" in the statutes governing the treatment, for
property and other tax purposes, of mobile and manufactured homes as either
improvements to real property or as personal property.

2. The bill changes references to "mobile home" to be references to
"manufactured home" in certain statutes that pertain only to structures that are
newly constructed, since under federal law only manufactured homes are now being
constructed.
The bill also changes references in the statutes to "manufactured buildings" to
be references to "modular homes." Under current law, such buildings are those that
are intended for use as a dwelling, are of closed construction, and are fabricated or
assembled in manufacturing facilities for installation at the building site or they are
of open construction and are made or assembled in manufacturing facilities away
from the building site for installation on the building site for which certification is
sought by the manufacturer.
Monthly fees
Current law requires each city, town, or village (municipality) in which a mobile
home park is located to collect from each mobile home occupying space in the park
a monthly parking permit fee. The fee is calculated based on the value of the home
multiplied by the general property gross tax rate, less certain credits. The total is
divided by 12 to represent the monthly mobile home parking permit fee. Current law
provides that the municipality may require the mobile home park operator to collect
the fee from the mobile home owner.
The bill replaces the term "parking" wherever it appears in the phrase "monthly
parking permit fee" in the statutes with the term "municipal," so that the fee is called
a "monthly municipal permit fee."
Regulation of recreational vehicles
The bill makes minor modifications to the definition of "recreational vehicle,"
and generally clarifies the applicability of certain vehicle regulations to recreational
vehicles. The bill also uses the term "recreational vehicle" in place of "mobile home"
where "mobile home" is used to refer to temporary living quarters.
Regulation of manufactured home communities
Under current law manufactured home communities and mobile home parks
are regulated by the Department of Commerce (Commerce) and by the municipality
in which the community or park is located. Generally, under current law, the terms
"manufactured home community" and "mobile home park" are used in the statutes
to describe similar places.
For purposes of regulation by Commerce, current law provides that a
manufactured home community is any plot of ground upon which three or more
manufactured homes that are occupied for dwelling or sleeping purposes are located.
For purposes of regulation by the local municipality, current law provides that a
mobile home park means any plot of ground upon which two or more units, occupied
for dwelling or sleeping purposes are located. Consistent with regulation by
Commerce, this bill increases from two to three the number of mobile or
manufactured homes that must be located on a plot of ground before the ground is
subject to regulation by the municipality in which the ground is located.

This bill also replaces the term "park" with "community" throughout the
statutes where the term is used in reference to mobile home or manufactured home
parks.
For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be
printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB7, s. 1 1Section 1. 30.40 (6) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB7,5,52 30.40 (6) "Mobile home" means a prefabricated unit with walls of rigid
3construction that is designed to be towed as a single unit or in sections upon a
4highway by a motor vehicle and that is used or is intended to be used for human
5habitation
has the meaning given in s. 101.91 (10).
SB7, s. 2 6Section 2. 45.31 (12) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB7,5,97 45.31 (12) "Manufactured home" means a structure, as defined by the Federal
8Home Loan Mortgage Corporation
manufactured home, as defined in s. 101.91 (2),
9which meets or exceeds the statutory size under s. 348.07 (2).
SB7, s. 3 10Section 3. 49.47 (4) (b) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB7,5,1311 49.47 (4) (b) 1. A home and the land used and operated in connection therewith
12or in lieu thereof a manufactured home or mobile home, if the home or, manufactured
13home, or
mobile home is used as the person's or his or her family's place of abode.
SB7, s. 4 14Section 4. 59.69 (4) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB7,5,1615 59.69 (4) (d) Trailer camps, or tourist camps and, motels or both , and
16manufactured and mobile home parks communities.
SB7, s. 5 17Section 5. 66.0435 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB7,5,19 1866.0435 (title) Mobile Manufactured and mobile home parks
19communities.
SB7, s. 6
1Section 6. 66.0435 (1) (a) of the statutes is repealed.
SB7, s. 7 2Section 7. 66.0435 (1) (b) and (c) of the statutes are amended to read:
SB7,6,43 66.0435 (1) (b) "Licensee" means any person licensed to operate and maintain
4a manufactured and mobile home park community under this section.
SB7,6,65 (c) "Licensing authority" means the city, town or village wherein a
6manufactured and mobile home park community is located.
SB7, s. 8 7Section 8. 66.0435 (1) (cm) of the statutes is created to read:
SB7,6,88 66.0435 (1) (cm) "Manufactured home" has the meaning given in s. 101.91 (2).
SB7, s. 9 9Section 9. 66.0435 (1) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB7,6,1410 66.0435 (1) (d) "Mobile home" is that which is, or was as originally constructed,
11designed to be transported by any motor vehicle upon a public highway and designed,
12equipped and used primarily for sleeping, eating and living quarters, or is intended
13to be so used; and includes any additions, attachments, annexes, foundations and
14appurtenances
has the meaning given in s. 101.91 (10).
SB7, s. 10 15Section 10. 66.0435 (1) (e) of the statutes is renumbered 66.0435 (1) (cg) and
16amended to read:
SB7,6,2017 66.0435 (1) (cg) "Mobile Manufactured and mobile home park community"
18means any plot or plots of ground upon which 2 3 or more units manufactured homes
19or mobile homes
, occupied for dwelling or sleeping purposes, are located, regardless
20of whether a charge is made for the accommodation.
SB7, s. 11 21Section 11. 66.0435 (1) (f) of the statutes is repealed.
SB7, s. 12 22Section 12. 66.0435 (1) (g) of the statutes is renumbered 66.0435 (1) (am) and
23amended to read:
SB7,6,2524 66.0435 (1) (am) "Park Community" means a manufactured and mobile home
25park community.
SB7, s. 13
1Section 13. 66.0435 (1) (i) and (j) of the statutes are amended to read:
SB7,7,42 66.0435 (1) (i) "Space" means a plot of ground within a manufactured and
3mobile home park community, designed for the accommodation of one manufactured
4or
mobile home unit.
SB7,7,55 (j) "Unit" means a single manufactured or mobile home unit.
SB7, s. 14 6Section 14. 66.0435 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB7,7,97 66.0435 (2) (a) It is unlawful for any person to maintain or operate a mobile
8home park
community within the limits of a city, town or village, unless the person
9has received a license from the city, town or village.
SB7, s. 15 10Section 15. 66.0435 (2) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB7,7,1511 66.0435 (2) (b) In order to protect and promote the public health, morals and
12welfare and to equitably defray the cost of municipal and educational services
13required by persons and families using or occupying trailers, mobile homes, trailer
14camps or mobile home parks
communities for living, dwelling or sleeping purposes,
15a city council, village board and town board may do any of the following:
SB7,7,1816 1. Establish and enforce by ordinance reasonable standards and regulations
17for every trailer and trailer camp and every mobile home and mobile home park
18community.
SB7,7,2219 2. Require an annual license fee to operate a trailer and trailer camp or mobile
20home and mobile home park
community and levy and collect special assessments to
21defray the cost of municipal and educational services furnished to the trailer and
22trailer camp, or mobile home and mobile home park
a community.
SB7,7,2423 3. Limit the number of units, trailers or mobile homes that may be parked or
24kept
located in any one camp or park community.
SB7,8,5
14. Limit the number of licenses for trailer camps or parks communities in any
2common school district, if the mobile housing development of a community would
3cause the school costs to increase above the state average or if an exceedingly difficult
4or impossible situation exists with regard to providing adequate and proper sewage
5disposal in the particular area.
SB7, s. 16 6Section 16. 66.0435 (2) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB7,8,117 66.0435 (2) (c) In a town in which the town board enacts an ordinance
8regulating trailers manufactured and mobile homes under this section and has also
9enacted and approved a county zoning ordinance under the provisions of s. 59.69, the
10provisions of the ordinance which is most restrictive apply with respect to the
11establishment and operation of a trailer camp community in the town.
SB7, s. 17 12Section 17. 66.0435 (2) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB7,9,213 66.0435 (2) (d) A license granted under this section is subject to revocation or
14suspension for cause by the licensing authority that issued the license upon
15complaint filed with the clerk of the licensing authority, if the complaint is signed by
16a law enforcement officer, local health officer, as defined in s. 250.01 (5), or building
17inspector, after a public hearing upon the complaint. The holder of the license shall
18be given 10 days' written notice of the hearing, and is entitled to appear and be heard
19as to why the license should not be revoked. A holder of a license that is revoked or
20suspended by the licensing authority may within 20 days of the date of the revocation
21or suspension appeal the decision to the circuit court of the county in which the trailer
22camp or mobile home park
community is located by filing a written notice of appeal
23with the clerk of the licensing authority, together with a bond executed to the
24licensing authority, in the sum of $500 with 2 sureties or a bonding company

1approved by the clerk, conditioned for the faithful prosecution of the appeal and the
2payment of costs adjudged against the license holder.
SB7, s. 18 3Section 18. 66.0435 (3) (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB7,9,54 66.0435 (3) (title) License and monthly mobile home monthly municipal permit
5fee
; review.
SB7, s. 19 6Section 19. 66.0435 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB7,9,137 66.0435 (3) (a) The licensing authority shall collect from the licensee an annual
8license fee of not less than $25 nor more than $100 for each 50 spaces or fraction of
950 spaces within each mobile home park community within its limits. If the park
10community lies in more than one municipality the amount of the license fee shall be
11determined by multiplying the gross fee by a fraction the numerator of which is the
12number of spaces in the park community in a municipality and the denominator of
13which is the entire number of spaces in the park community.
SB7, s. 20 14Section 20. 66.0435 (3) (c) 1. (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB7,9,2215 66.0435 (3) (c) 1. (intro.) In addition to the license fee provided in pars. (a) and
16(b), each licensing authority shall collect from each mobile home unit occupying space
17or lots in a park community in the licensing authority, except from recreational
18mobile homes as provided under par. (cm), from manufactured and mobile homes
19that constitute improvements to real property under s. 70.043 (1), and from
20recreational vehicles as defined in s. 340.01 (48r), and from
camping trailers as
21defined in s. 340.01 (6m), a monthly parking municipal permit fee computed as
22follows:
SB7, s. 21 23Section 21. 66.0435 (3) (c) 1. a. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB7,10,3
166.0435 (3) (c) 1. a. On January 1, the assessor shall determine the total fair
2market value of each mobile home unit in the taxation district subject to the monthly
3parking municipal permit fee.
SB7, s. 22 4Section 22. 66.0435 (3) (c) 1. c. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB7,10,85 66.0435 (3) (c) 1. c. The value of each mobile home unit, determined under subd.
61. b., shall be multiplied by the general property gross tax rate, less any credit rate
7for the property tax relief credit, established on the preceding year's assessment of
8general property.
SB7, s. 23 9Section 23. 66.0435 (3) (c) 1. d. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB7,10,1210 66.0435 (3) (c) 1. d. The total annual parking permit fee, computed under subd.
111. c., shall be divided by 12 and shall represent the monthly mobile home parking
12municipal permit fee.
SB7, s. 24 13Section 24. 66.0435 (3) (c) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB7,11,214 66.0435 (3) (c) 2. The monthly parking municipal permit fee is applicable to
15mobile homes units moving into the tax district any time during the year. The park
16community operator shall furnish information to the tax district clerk and the
17assessor on mobile homes units added to the park community within 5 days after
18their arrival, on forms prescribed by the department of revenue. As soon as the
19assessor receives the notice of an addition of a mobile home unit to a park community,
20the assessor shall determine its fair market value and notify the clerk of that
21determination. The clerk shall equate the fair market value established by the
22assessor and shall apply the appropriate tax rate, divide the annual parking permit
23fee thus determined by 12 and notify the mobile home unit owner of the monthly fee
24to be collected from the mobile home unit owner. Liability for payment of the fee

1begins on the first day of the next succeeding month and continues for the months
2in which the mobile home unit remains in the tax district.
SB7, s. 25 3Section 25. 66.0435 (3) (c) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB7,11,64 66.0435 (3) (c) 3. A new monthly parking municipal permit fee and a new
5valuation shall be established each January and shall continue for that calendar
6year.
SB7, s. 26 7Section 26. 66.0435 (3) (c) 5. and 6. of the statutes are amended to read:
SB7,11,118 66.0435 (3) (c) 5. The monthly parking municipal permit fee shall be paid by
9the mobile home unit owner to the local taxing authority on or before the 10th of the
10month following the month for which the parking monthly municipal permit fee is
11due.
SB7,11,1912 6. The licensee of a park community is liable for the monthly parking municipal
13permit fee for any mobile home unit occupying space in the park community as well
14as the owner and occupant of the mobile home occupying space each such unit, except
15that the licensee is not liable until the licensing authority has failed, in an action
16under ch. 799, to collect the fee from the owner and occupant of the unit
. A
17municipality, by ordinance, may require the mobile home park community operator
18to collect the monthly parking municipal permit fee from the mobile home unit
19owner.
SB7, s. 27 20Section 27. 66.0435 (3) (c) 7. of the statutes is repealed.
SB7, s. 28 21Section 28. 66.0435 (3) (c) 8. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB7,12,622 66.0435 (3) (c) 8. The credit under s. 79.10 (9) (bm), as it applies to the principal
23dwelling on a parcel of taxable property, applies to the estimated fair market value
24of a mobile home unit that is the principal dwelling of the owner. The owner of the
25mobile home unit shall file a claim for the credit with the treasurer of the

1municipality in which the property is located. To obtain the credit under s. 79.10 (9)
2(bm), the owner shall attest on the claim that the mobile home unit is the owner's
3principal dwelling. The treasurer shall reduce the owner's parking monthly
4municipal
permit fee by the amount of any allowable credit. The treasurer shall
5furnish notice of all claims for credits filed under this subdivision to the department
6of revenue as provided under s. 79.10 (1m).
SB7, s. 29 7Section 29. 66.0435 (3) (c) 9. of the statutes is created to read:
SB7,12,108 66.0435 (3) (c) 9. No monthly municipal permit fee may be imposed on a
9financial institution, as defined in s. 69.30 (1) (b), that relates to a vacant unit that
10has been repossessed by the financial institution.
SB7, s. 30 11Section 30. 66.0435 (3) (cm) to (f) of the statutes are amended to read:
SB7,12,1612 66.0435 (3) (cm) Recreational mobile homes are exempt from the monthly
13parking municipal permit fee under par. (c). The exemption under this paragraph
14also applies to steps and a platform, not exceeding 50 square feet, that lead to a
15recreational mobile home, but does not apply to any other addition, attachment,
16patio, or deck.
SB7,12,1817 (d) This section does not apply to a mobile home park community that is owned
18and operated by any county under the provisions of s. 59.52 (16) (b).
SB7,13,219 (e) If a mobile home unit is permitted by local ordinance to be located outside
20of a licensed park community, the monthly parking municipal permit fee shall be
21paid by the owner of the land on which it stands, and the owner of the land shall
22comply with the reporting requirements of par. (c). The owner of the land may collect
23the fee from the owner of the mobile home unit and, on or before January 10 and on
24or before July 10, shall transmit to the taxation district all fees owed for the 6 months

1ending on the last day of the month preceding the month when the transmission is
2required.
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