SB177 Alabama 2014 Session

Updated Feb 24, 2026

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Gerald H. AllenSenator
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2014
Title: Manufactured homes, abandoned, storage and sale of further provided for, notice to tenants and lienholders, Sec. 35-12A-9 repealed; Secs. 35-12A-1, 35-12A-2, 35-12A-3, 35-12A-4, 35-12A-5, 35-12A-6, 35-12A-7, 35-12A-8, 35-12A-10, 35-12A-11, 35-12A-12, 35-12A-13, 35-12A-14 am'd.
Summary: SB177 updates Alabama's rules for abandoned manufactured dwellings, changing when they are considered abandoned, how owners must notify tenants and lienholders, how the sale and storage of dwellings and tenant property are handled, and repealing an older provision.
What This Bill Does
It defines when a manufactured dwelling is abandoned, requires owners to notify tenants and lienholders (and to notify lienholders by certified mail) before sale, and shortens the time tenants have to respond. It allows owners to store the dwelling and tenant personal property and charge storage costs, and it sets how sale proceeds can be used to cover unpaid rent, storage, and other costs. It also updates how notices must be published, outlines lienholder protections (including a possible 12-month hold if they respond), and adds death-related rules and a purchaser-qualification option, while repealing the old abandonment disposal rule.

Who It Affects
Tenants in manufactured dwelling communities: defined as abandoned after certain absences and face shorter response times and potential sale of their dwelling.
Lienholders with security interests in the dwelling: must be mailed copies of notices, have rights to storage charges, and may require hold periods or removal/sale rights if they respond.
Manufactured dwelling community owners: must follow new notice, storage, and sale procedures and may condition occupancy of purchaser on rental qualification.
Personal representatives or heirs of deceased tenants: receive special notice and probate-related options to hold or transfer the property until probate concludes.

Key Provisions
Defines abandoned manufactured dwelling as a tenant absent 30 days after lease expiration or after a court order to vacate.
Requires written notice to tenants and copies to lienholders by certified/registered mail before disposal; specifies how notices must be delivered.
Reduces the response window for tenants to contact the owner to 30 days and requires details to be included in notices.
Requires the owner to store the dwelling and tenant personal property, with storage charges up to the last monthly rent and applicable disposal costs.
Allows the owner to sell the dwelling after notice if there is no timely response, subject to lienholder priority rules; preserves the lienholder's rights if there is a priority lien.
Specifies how sale notices must be published and what sale information must be included; requires a 30-day lead time before sale to lienholders.
Allows deduction from sale proceeds for notice, storage, unpaid rent (to the extent of lien priority), and attorneys' fees; distributes remaining proceeds to lienholders and then to the tenant or owner.
Creates a 12-month protective period for lienholders who timely respond to abandonment notices and may require ongoing storage charges during that period.
Repeals Section 35-12A-9 and adds new rules for sale/disposal; adds death-related provisions for personal representatives and probate.
Effective date: becomes law on the first day of the third month after governor's approval.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Mobile Homes