To amend sections 319.54, 1923.01, 1923.02, 1923.04, 1923.06, 1923.09, 1923.11, 1923.12, 1923.13, 1923.14, and 4503.0611 of the Revised Code related to abandoned manufactured homes.
SB435 revises Ohio law governing abandoned manufactured homes, mobile homes, and, in several places, recreational vehicles located in manufactured home parks. The bill updates the forcible entry and detainer (eviction) statutes to define and treat the titled owner of a home in a manufactured home park as a separate party from the park resident, and it adds procedures for eviction notices, service of process, and court orders when the resident has died or when the home has been left unoccupied. It also expands the circumstances under which a park operator may seek restitution of the premises and then remove, store, sell, destroy, or obtain title to an abandoned home or vehicle.
A major feature of the bill is a new framework for handling abandoned homes after eviction. For homes valued at $10,000 or less, the bill allows a park operator, after required notice and county auditor certification of value, to obtain a court order and ultimately a certificate of title without a public auction if the home is not removed or sold. For homes valued above $10,000, the bill requires a public auction process, with notice to lienholders and other interested parties, and sets out how sale proceeds are distributed. The bill also requires county auditors to certify or dispute the operator’s stated value, provides for publication notice in certain deceased-owner cases, and authorizes title transfer when no bidders appear after repeated sale attempts. It further amends the tax code to coordinate removal of delinquent manufactured home taxes and to exempt certain title transfers from conveyance fees.
The bill’s impact on state law is substantial because it rewrites multiple sections of Chapter 1923 and related tax provisions to create a more detailed, home-specific abandonment and disposition process. It changes notice requirements, court forms, timelines, and the roles of sheriffs, bailiffs, clerks, county auditors, and park operators. It also adds or clarifies definitions such as “titled owner” and modifies how manufactured homes are treated in eviction proceedings, including special rules for deceased residents, outstanding lienholders, and personal property left on the premises. In practice, the bill would give manufactured home park operators clearer and faster tools to clear abandoned units while also imposing procedural safeguards for owners and other interest holders.
There is no recorded committee testimony or vote history in the provided materials, so the overall sentiment cannot be measured from debate or roll calls. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears to be a technical and administrative cleanup bill aimed at addressing a recurring problem in manufactured home parks: abandoned units that remain on lots after eviction or death of the owner. The structure of the bill suggests a policy preference for giving park operators and courts more workable procedures, while preserving notice and limited due-process protections for titled owners and other interested parties.
The main points of contention likely concern the balance between property rights and park management efficiency. Park operators would benefit from shorter timelines, clearer authority to dispose of abandoned homes, and the ability to obtain title in some cases without a sale, while titled owners, heirs, lienholders, and other interest holders may be concerned about loss of property through accelerated procedures, especially where value is disputed or the owner is deceased. Potentially sensitive issues also include the bill’s treatment of tax liens, the reduced role of appraisals, and the extent to which the county auditor’s certification controls value determinations for title transfer and sale.
SB435 would amend Ohio’s eviction, manufactured-home disposition, and property-tax statutes to create a specialized legal process for abandoned manufactured homes, mobile homes, and some recreational vehicles in manufactured home parks. It would revise Chapter 1923 to add definitions, notice rules, service requirements, and post-eviction procedures, and it would amend section 4503.0611 and related tax provisions to coordinate tax-lien removal, title transfer, and notice to county officials. The bill would directly affect park operators, titled owners, heirs, lienholders, county auditors, clerks of court, sheriffs, and bailiffs by establishing new deadlines and authority for removal, sale, destruction, or transfer of abandoned units.
No committee transcript or vote record was provided, so there is no documented floor or committee sentiment to summarize. From the bill text, the measure appears generally pro-administration and pro-park-operator, with an emphasis on resolving abandoned manufactured-home cases more efficiently. At the same time, it preserves notice and hearing procedures, suggesting an attempt to balance efficiency with property-owner protections.
The likely areas of contention are the speed and finality of the new abandonment process, the reduced need for appraisal in some cases, and the ability of park operators to obtain title or dispose of a home after notice periods expire. Owners, heirs, and lienholders may object to the risk of losing property interests if they miss deadlines or if the home is treated as abandoned while interests remain unresolved. County auditors may also be drawn into disputes over valuation, since the bill gives them a certification role that can determine whether a home is sold at auction or transferred by court order.