Arizona: Mohave County Officials Seek to Ban Sale Of Older Manufactured Homes, Public Fights Back!
In some politically shady corners of this country local housing jurisdictions attempt to discourage manufactured home placement within their communities via zoning restrictions. Ostensibly banning manufactured homes based on some ugly and unfounded myths, as well as the greedy self interests of developers seeking land for their pricey stick-built homes.
And while there are plenty of jurisdictions sprinkled around this freedom-loving country were manufactured homeowners are blindsided by local developers and politicians working in collusion for their own best interest – Mohave County, Arizona represents a rare example of local resistance to it.
Politicians, Know Your Demographics
Mohave County encompasses approximately 13,311 square miles in the middle of the Mojave Desert with a sparse and older population of about 200,000. Most residents reside near the Colorado River which flows across the width of the county… and of the majority of those Mohave County residents are manufactured homeowners.
Demonstrating their infinite lack of wisdom, two years ago the Mohave County Board of Supervisors began studying a proposed plan to drastically alter the areas housing dynamics. Mandating new terms and conditions on the resale and placement manufactured homes built before 2008!
Arizona: Mohave County Officials Seek to Ban Sale Of Older Manufactured Homes, Public Fights Back!
This was how the Lake Havasu News Herald viewed it…
Arizona: Mohave County Officials Seek to Ban Sale Of Older Manufactured Homes, Public Fights Back!
Continuing to point out the Board of Supervisors poor planning, the online report noted that;
Arizona: Mohave County Officials Seek to Ban Sale Of Older Manufactured Homes, Public Fights Back!
Noting the ordinance’s slow-moving evolution, Director Nick Hont of the Mohave County Development Services stated that after the recent Board of Supervisor’s meeting, he hopes to have a recommendation ready by March.
Arizona: Mohave County Officials Seek to Ban Sale Of Older Manufactured Homes, Public Fights Back!
Bad homeowners are indeed…
*Mohave County Supervisors got an earful on the manufactured housing ordinance at the well attended public hearing. Following the meeting an official says the commission most likely will no longer be supporting the new manufactured home ordinance.
This outcome appears to be a victory for Mohave County manufactured homeowners, however it was a battle that never should have required to be fought. Consider the folly of of the County’s undertaking:
Mohave county taxes from manufactured home properties represent a large portion of the total revenues. The proposed ordinance would have dramatically depreciated the value of manufactured homes upon which property taxes are based. Maybe even to zero with older homes.
Realtors in most areas of the country normally would be on board for any action that would discredit manufactured homes, not so in Mohave County. A preponderance of listings by realtors in all areas of the county are manufactured homes and mobile homes for sale. The realtors did not support the ordinance.
Unlike discriminatory zoning and regulations in many of the precincts across the country, the manufactured homeowners in Mohave County represent a large and influential voting block. Manufactured and mobile homeowner do exercise their right to vote at a higher rate that most homeowner groups. Obviously elected officials in Mohave County have not improved their chances for re-election.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Here is the contact information for the Mohave County Board of Supervisors. I suggest you reach out to them, and tell them how you feel… I’m sure they’d love to hear from you.
Mohave County Board of Supervisors Contact Information
