320.8232  Establishment of uniform standards for used recreational vehicles and repair and remodeling code for mobile homes.--

(1)  Each used recreational vehicle manufactured after January 1, 1968, and sold or offered for sale in this state by a dealer or manufacturer shall meet the standards of the Used Recreational Vehicle Code. The provisions of said code shall ensure safe and livable housing and shall not be more stringent than those standards required to be met in the manufacture of recreational vehicles. Such provisions shall include, but not be limited to, standards for structural adequacy, plumbing, heating, electrical systems, and fire and life safety.

(2)  The provisions of the repair and remodeling code shall ensure safe and livable housing and shall not be more stringent than those standards required to be met in the manufacture of mobile homes. Such provisions shall include, but not be limited to, standards for structural adequacy, plumbing, heating, electrical systems, and fire and life safety.

History.--s. 36, ch. 77-357; s. 2, ch. 81-318; s. 11, ch. 85-343; ss. 19, 20, ch. 88-147; s. 4, ch. 91-429.

320.824  Changes and modifications of standards.--

(1)  The department may adopt by rule changes in, or additions to, the standards adopted in s. 320.823 or s. 320.8231, which are approved and officially published by the institute or promulgated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development subsequent to the effective date of this act.

(2)  The department or its authorized agent may enter any place or establishment where mobile homes are manufactured, sold, or offered for sale, for the purpose of ascertaining whether the requirements of the code and the rules adopted by the department have been met.

History.--s. 5, ch. 67-350; ss. 24, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 37, ch. 77-357; s. 67, ch. 79-164; s. 2, ch. 81-318; ss. 19, 20, ch. 88-147; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 67, ch. 94-306; s. 2, ch. 96-358; s. 64, ch. 98-200.

320.8245  Limitation of alteration or modification to mobile homes or recreational vehicles.--

(1)  LIMITATION OF ALTERATIONS OR MODIFICATIONS.--No alteration or modification shall be made to a mobile home or recreational vehicle by a licensed dealer after shipment from the manufacturer's plant unless such alteration or modification is authorized in this section.

(2)  EFFECT ON MOBILE HOME WARRANTY.--Unless an alteration or modification is performed by a qualified person as defined in subsection (4), the warranty responsibility of the manufacturer as to the altered or modified item shall be void.

(a)  An alteration or modification performed by a mobile home or recreational vehicle dealer or his or her agent or employee shall place warranty responsibility for the altered or modified item upon the dealer. If the manufacturer fulfills, or is required to fulfill, the warranty on the altered or modified item, he or she shall be entitled to recover damages in the amount of his or her costs and attorneys' fees from the dealer.

(b)  An alteration or modification performed by a mobile home or recreational vehicle owner or his or her agent shall render the manufacturer's warranty as to that item void. A statement shall be displayed clearly and conspicuously on the face of the warranty that the warranty is void as to the altered or modified item if the alteration or modification is performed by other than a qualified person. Failure to display such statement shall result in warranty responsibility on the manufacturer.

(3)  AUTHORITY OF THE DEPARTMENT.--The department is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations pursuant to chapter 120 which define the alterations or modifications which must be made by qualified personnel. The department may regulate only those alterations and modifications which substantially impair the structural integrity or safety of the mobile home.

(4)  DESIGNATION AS A QUALIFIED PERSON.--

(a)  In order to be designated as a person qualified to alter or modify a mobile home or recreational vehicle, a person must comply with local or county licensing or competency requirements in skills relevant to performing alterations or modifications on mobile homes or recreational vehicles.

(b)  When no local or county licensing or competency requirements exist, the department may certify persons to perform mobile home alterations or modifications. The department shall by rule or regulation determine what skills and competency requirements are requisite to the issuance of a certification. A fee sufficient to cover the costs of issuing certifications may be charged by the department. The certification shall be valid for a period which terminates when the county or other local governmental unit enacts relevant competency or licensing requirements. The certification shall be valid only in counties or localities without licensing or competency requirements.

(c)  The department shall determine which counties and localities have licensing or competency requirements adequate to eliminate the requirement of certification. This determination shall be based on a review of the relevant county or local standards for adequacy in regulating persons who perform alterations or modifications to mobile homes. The department shall find local or county standards adequate when minimal licensing or competency standards are provided.

History.--s. 4, ch. 74-169; s. 38, ch. 77-357; s. 2, ch. 81-318; ss. 19, 20, ch. 88-147; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 378, ch. 95-148.

320.8249  Mobile home installers license.--

(1)  Any person who installs a mobile home shall obtain a mobile home installers license from the Bureau of Mobile Home and Recreational Vehicle Construction of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles pursuant to this section. Said license shall be renewed annually, and each licensee shall pay a fee of $150.

(2)  The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shall issue a license as a mobile home installer to any person who applies to the department, pays the appropriate application fee, not to exceed $100, as set by department rule, and complies with subsection (3).

(3)  In order to obtain licensure as a mobile home installer, the applicant must be at least 18 years old, must hold a valid performance bond in an amount set by department rule, not to exceed $5,000, conditioned upon proper performance of mobile home installation and weather-sealing duties for a period of 1 year, must carry liability insurance in an amount determined by department rule, not to exceed $100,000, must complete a minimum 8-hour training course approved by the department, and must pass a department-approved examination designed to test the skills necessary to properly and competently perform mobile home installation and to ascertain that the applicant has adequate knowledge of federal, state, and local laws applicable to mobile home installation contracting. The department may charge an examination fee sufficient to defray the costs of developing or obtaining and providing the examination, not to exceed $100. Any licensed dealer or licensed manufacturer who has subcontracted with an installer for installation and who remedies any faulty installation performed by said installer shall have recourse against said installer's performance bond.

(4)  Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (3), any person who can show that he or she had been engaged in the business of mobile home installation on October 1, 1996, shall be exempted until October 1, 1997, from the requirement for completing training and for passing an examination in order to be licensed by the department as a mobile home installer and shall be licensed upon application, provided he or she has complied with all requirements of subsection (3), other than the training and examination requirements. No person shall be licensed or remain licensed as a mobile home installer subsequent to October 1, 1997, who has not taken and passed the department-approved mobile home installer examination.

(5)  A direct employee of a licensed mobile home installer working under the supervision of the licensee and within the job scope of the licensee is not required to be licensed as a mobile home installer. The licensed mobile home installer is responsible for supervising all such employees and for the proper and competent performance of all employees working under his or her supervision.

(6)  "Installation," as used herein, is synonymous with "setup" as defined in s. 320.822(14).

(7)  No person shall:

(a)  Falsely hold himself or herself or a business organization out as a licensed mobile home installer;

(b)  Falsely impersonate a licensed mobile home installer;

(c)  Present as his or her own the mobile home installers license of another;

(d)  Knowingly give false or forged evidence to the department;

(e)  Use or attempt to use a mobile home installers license which has been suspended or revoked; or

(f)  Engage in the business or act in the capacity of a licensed mobile home installer or advertise himself or herself or a business organization as available to engage in the business or act in the capacity of a mobile home installer without being duly licensed.

(8)  Any unlicensed person who violates any of the provisions of subsection (7) is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

(9)  A licensed person or licensed applicant may not:

(a)  Obtain a mobile home installers license by fraud or misrepresentation.

(b)  Be convicted or found guilty of, or enter a plea of nolo contendere to, regardless of adjudication, a crime in any jurisdiction which directly relates to the practice of mobile home installation or the ability to practice.

(c)  Violate any law or rule relating to installing, repairing, or dealing in mobile homes or any lawful order of the department.

(d)  Commit fraud or deceit in the practice of contracting.

(e)  Commit incompetence or misconduct in the practice of contracting.

(f)  Commit gross negligence, repeated negligence, or negligence resulting in a significant danger to life or property.

(10)  Any licensed person or license applicant who violates subsection (7) or subsection (9) may have any of the following disciplinary penalties imposed by the department, at its discretion:

(a)  License revocation;

(b)  License suspension;

(c)  A fine not to exceed $1,000 per violation involving a single installation and not to exceed $5,000 for a violation involving the total setup;

(d)  A requirement to take and pass, or retake and pass, the department-approved examination;

(e)  Probation;

(f)  Probation subject to such restriction of practice as the department chooses to impose;

(g)  A notice of noncompliance; or

(h)  Refusal of licensure application.

(11)  The regulation of manufactured home installers or mobile home installers is preempted to the state, and no person may perform mobile home installation unless licensed pursuant to this section, regardless of whether that person holds a local license.

(12)  A county, municipality, or other unit of local government may not require additional licensing, bonding, or insurance of a duly licensed installer who performs setup operations as defined in s. 320.822. However, a county, municipality, or other unit of local government may require an installer to obtain a local occupational license, which license shall not require for its issuance any conditions other than those required by this chapter and payment of the appropriate occupational license fee.

(13)  All installers, dealers, and manufacturers shall purchase installation decals from the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles for a fee not to exceed $10 per decal. An installation decal shall be affixed to the manufactured home or mobile home prior to installation. This decal shall denote the date of installation, the name of the installer, and the number of the installer's license or the dealer or manufacturer license number. Such decal shall be positioned immediately next to the HUD decal.

(14)  Each installer shall maintain a location log for each decal for 2 years. This requirement must not take effect until the department develops an acceptable format for the log and provides a sample of the acceptable format to each licensed installer.

(15)  In performing the installation, installers shall not perform plumbing or electrical activities prohibited by department rules related to setup operations pursuant to s. 320.822.

(16)  Funds received by the department pursuant to this section shall be deposited in the Highway Safety Operating Trust Fund.

(17)  There are hereby appropriated five positions and $219,295 from the Highway Safety Operating Trust Fund in the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to implement the provisions of this section.

History.--s. 5, ch. 96-394; s. 37, ch. 99-248; s. 4, ch. 2004-283.

320.8251  Mobile home installation products; product approval.--

(1)  Each person or entity that engages in the manufacture of mobile home installation components, products, or systems must obtain a certification from the department which affirms that such component, product, or system is approved for use in the installation of mobile homes in this state.

(2)  The department shall certify for use in this state any mobile home installation component, product, or system for which a person or entity applies to the department and which complies with subsection (3).

(3)  In order to obtain the certification set forth in this section, a manufacturer must submit to the department a report certifying that the mobile home installation component, product, or system meets the mobile home installation standards set forth in this section and in department rules. The report must be signed and sealed by a professional engineer registered in this state. In accordance with chapter 120, the department shall review the report and approve or deny the certification of the installation component, product, or system for use in the installation of mobile homes in this state.

(4)  The certification set forth in this subsection is subject to suspension or revocation, and the person or entity that obtained the certification is subject to a fine set by department rules upon a finding by the department that the person or entity has obtained the certification by misrepresentation or fraud or that the product, component, or system does not meet the mobile home installation standards set forth in this chapter or in department rules.

(5)  Any product, component, or system subject to this section which is currently being used in the installation of mobile homes in this state is not required to be certified in accordance with this section until July 1, 2009.

History.--s. 5, ch. 2004-283.

320.8255  Mobile home inspection.--

(1)  In order to ensure the highest degree of quality control in the construction of new mobile homes, each new mobile home sold in the state shall be inspected by the department pursuant to procedures developed by the department which assure compliance with code provisions. The department may adopt reasonable rules and regulations pursuant to chapter 120 for the implementation and enforcement of this inspection.

(2)  Department inspectors shall make unannounced visits to manufacturing plants or take any other appropriate action which assures compliance with the code.

(3)  Mobile home manufacturers and dealers shall be charged a fee for special inspections, including, but not limited to, plant approvals, 100 percent plant inspections, increased frequency inspections, reinspections, and special consumer complaint investigations as requested by a manufacturer or dealer or as may be deemed necessary by the department.

(4)  The department shall determine fees for special inspections and for the label authorized under s. 320.827 which are sufficient to cover the cost of inspection and administration under this section. Fees collected shall be deposited into the General Revenue Fund.

History.--s. 5, ch. 74-169; s. 39, ch. 77-357; s. 10, ch. 80-217; s. 200, ch. 81-259; s. 2, ch. 81-318; s. 10, ch. 82-66; ss. 6, 19, 20, ch. 88-147; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 275, ch. 99-248.