Michigan Senate OKs mobile home park oversight bill

LANSING – The Michigan Senate tonight unanimously approved a bill that would give local governments more oversight of troubled mobile home parks within their borders.

The bill passed 38-0 without discussion during lame-duck legislative session. It now returns to the state House for concurrence on the Senate version before it heads to Gov. Rick Snyder for his signature.

State Rep. Andy Schor, D-Lansing, introduced the bill after the February condemnation of Life O'Riley Mobile Home Park & Campground in Lansing. The Ingham County Health Department shut down the park due to unsanitary conditions, forcing the evacuation of more than 200 people in 10 days.

Schor's bill passed unanimously in the House last month. It would require municipalities to be notified when the state inspects parks, require park operators to set aside money for future repairs and raise the maximum civil fine for problem park owners from $10,000 to $50,000.

The Senate version of the bill strikes provisions to allow local health departments to perform inspections in lieu of the state and permit courts to appoint receivers to monitor repairs, due to cost, Schor said. He said he expects the House to concur with the Senate version.