Photo by Whitehorse Star
Kate White and Currie Dixon
NDP MLA welcomes survey on mobile homes
It’s taken years, but NDP MLA Kate White says she’s “pumped” that the Yukon government is finally moving ahead with a survey of those who own homes in mobile home parks and park owners.
It’s taken years, but NDP MLA Kate White says she’s “pumped” that the Yukon government is finally moving ahead with a survey of those who own homes in mobile home parks and park owners.
The survey was launched today and will continue until June 6.
It will explore the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act around mobile home tenancies in parks where tenants typically own their home but rent the land (referred to as pad rent) the unit is on.
“It’s taken a long time to get government on-side,” White, who represents Takhini-Kopper King, said in an interview this morning.
For years, White has been advocating for changes that would see the landlord/tenant relationship at mobile home parks recognized as unique to other landlord/tenant situations.
This morning, she said major issues include the substantial increase to pad rents (for the land) in recent years, and the impact of a provision in the act enabling the eviction of tenants without cause can have on home owners
Along with White advocating for changes to the act, a number of her constituents living in mobile home parks have signed petitions and sent letters to the government voicing their concerns.
“They never let go (of the issue),” White said.
She has worked on the issue through two ministers – first, Brad Cathers prior to Currie Dixon taking on the Community Services portfolio. She is please there will be now consultation on the matter.
“We recognize that mobile home pad rentals present unique challenges when compared to conventional types of residential tenancies,” Dixon said in a statement.
“We want to hear from mobile home owners, tenants and mobile home park owners on how mobile home tenancy works and whether the legislation can be improved.”
In an interview this morning, Dixon gave White credit for continuing to advocate on the issue.
The consultation will consider the ability of a park owner to evict mobile home owners without cause and whether there should be controls on how the park owner can raise pad rents.
White cited Nova Scotia as an example of one jurisdiction with legislation specific to mobile home parks.
Controls are in place that tie rent hikes to inflation. An exception allows for further increases only when the park owner makes a major investment to upgrade the park.
Legislation there also prevents park owners from evicting tenants without cause and provides a timeline for homeowners to make improvements to their dwellings if required.
“That makes it far more balanced,” she said.
White credited Dixon for working on the issue and including the 60-day consultation rather than a shorter 30-day period that’s more typical for government surveys.
She had requested the additional timeline to help ensure everyone involved has ample time to consider the issues and fill out the survey.
She also plans to make the rounds to mobile home parks to let residents know the survey is underway.
As for how quickly change could happen, Dixon said the government will first have to look at the survey results and decide if it wants to move forward with legislative changes, which would likely happen over the course of a year.
With an election that has to be called this year, any potential changes “would be in the lap of the next government,” White said before making the NDP’s plug in support of legislation around mobile home tenancies.
Paper copies of the survey are available the residential tenancies office at 307 Black St.
It’s expected an online survey will posted shortly on the government’s website: www.gov.yk.ca
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Comments (29)
Up 17 Down 50
andy odel on Apr 11, 2016 at 4:04 pm
To agree to disagree------where do you think the money comes from to pay all the expenses including the managers wages, the equipment and all the other charges that are all a part of being in business.
If the Million plus of revenue the park is taking in was all going into the park owners pocket, I would agree that the pad rent is exorbitant.
You should go into business yourself if its so easy to make gobs of money.
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agree to disagree on Apr 11, 2016 at 10:07 am
Some people just want to live within their means and don't need $500k houses that they can't afford to look good to others. Trailer park people are not all trash.
Plus, if you think about it, the items that are paid for in the pad fees do not line up with the annual tax increases. We all understand the water/sewage, trash, road clearing, etc, needs to be paid for but the increases happening every year do not equal the same increases that someone who owns their land pays. Approximately 220 trailers in Northland at $420/month (if you pay on time) x 12 months ($1,108,800 annually)...you can't possibly tell me it costs that much for everything. The people clearing the roads are already being paid to manage the park (likely making less than $100k/year). And I believe they own the equipment already.
I will say though that Northland has gotten better as far as the road maintenance in the past couple of years but do not think it warrants the increases that have happened in the pad fees -- over $100/month in 5 years is a lot.
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andy odel on Apr 10, 2016 at 7:23 pm
Smurf---- You obviously don't understand the way the tax structure works. If one owns a home on a lot they pay taxes based on two things. The home owners tax assessment is based on the value of the lot their home is on as well as the value of their home.
In a trailer park the home owner only pays taxes on the value of their home (trailer). The park owner pays taxes on the land.
They could include the taxes in the pad rent but every owner would pay different amounts still based on their trailer assessment. This would create a bookkeeping nightmare for the owner which would of course increase his costs and this would then be charged back to the home owner in increased pad rent.
This is the way the tax system works and should not be reflected back upon the park owner.
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andy odel on Apr 10, 2016 at 7:08 pm
Politico----- Last I knew the city doesn't "YET" (and hopefully never) pick up the recyclables anywhere in town. Not everything applies to all operators or businesses. As far as your power problems why would you think the power fluctuations have anything to do with the park operator. Yukon electric is responsible for supplying the power.
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Politico on Apr 9, 2016 at 8:18 pm
@andy odel You should check more of your facts before you go on your anti tenant/ landlords are generous gods rants. When I lived in Baranov the garbage and the recycling was picked up by the city. Have you every checked the above ground electrical wiring for the 3rd row of trailers there, temporary poles from when the place was built. Every time someone turned something on the power bounced up and down. I'm out of there now.
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Smurf on Apr 9, 2016 at 3:37 pm
@ andy odel: " The taxes are probably more than most people can even imagine and once again the city has made sure they get their annual increase."
OK - why does the owner of the trailer (mobile home) have to pay taxes as well???
Example: 2014 home in Northland approx. $900 property taxes before the home owners grant...
Seems not right to me - why aren't the taxes included in the pad rent in other parks down south? (Don't know if in all of them.)
Do they do some "double taxing" up here or is it just "The Yukon Bonus"?
Up 1 Down 11
BnR on Apr 9, 2016 at 7:33 am
LOL!!!
Like I said in my comment below. Apparently, some people don't have anything better to do with their time.
The comments are a source of endless amusement.
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andy odel on Apr 8, 2016 at 6:50 pm
Now we have the trailer park issue. This all started with the "affordable housing" topic of the last few years. All the noise on that issue has slowed down to a trickle so now it appears that another nasty subject needs to be brought to the forefront.
Trailers are "affordable", that's why so many people live in them. It now seems that the park owners are the bad guys and the landlord s are being given a break (for now).
Do all you people who are objecting to the pad rent have any idea what it takes to be in business. I don't think so.
The costs associated with any business do not seem to enter into the minds of the complainers.
Can you even imagine what the owners are paying for water and sewer. the city is not giving these services to them for free, and these costs go up every year for the owners as they do for all homeowners. The taxes are probably more than most people can even imagine and once again the city has made sure they get their annual increase. They also require liability insurance and insurance companies are not in the business to lose money, so they charge through the nose for this.
Do you ever see who picks up your garbage. It ain't the city and the companies who do this, again, are doing it to make revenue so they can pay the guy who drives the truck that the company just paid at least a quarter million bucks for.
When your roads get graded, which may not be up to how many times a year you think it should be done, stop and think about it for a bit. that grader and operator don't come free
The land on which your trailer sits and all the development costs when the park was built was most likely mortgaged over many years and the banks want their money back as well.
These park owners have put everything they had into these parks and most probably still are. Do you not think they are entitled to make a living for the work they do? Also they went into business a long time ago with the intention of making a profit, not to give the trailer owners a free ride. In case you missed it this is the way that business is done.
Why not go down to Canadian Tire or Home Hardware or Super Store or even MacDonald"s and complain that their prices are too high. Then look at the price of their stocks. There's a whole lot more money there than your trailer park owners are making but that seems to be OK.
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Trailer Park Treasure on Apr 8, 2016 at 1:32 pm
I'm happy the survey is available. Thanks for your work Kate. Just making it known though that perhaps most people who live in trailer parks are not poor. We work full time, whether it be the private sector or for the government. Some of us have beautiful 'homes' with gorgeous decks, triple pane windows and quality flooring. We even have large savings accounts and large RRSP accounts. Our new vehicles are paid off, as are our 'homes. Don't stereotype people who live in trailer parks.
Up 17 Down 0
Trevor Martin on Apr 7, 2016 at 10:17 pm
Langford, BC has a very good law in place covering mobile homes, which were once a major proportion of homes. Specific protection is provided in the event a park owner orders the removal of all the mobile homes, a process to object to the proposed development, good length of notice, assistance to find new site and assistance to relocation. I have no personal experience with the new law and have not heard anything bad back from mobile home owners in its two or more years in effect, so I assume it has had the desired effect .. new costs on developers makes financing development more difficult, resulting land values dropping with the reduction of potential economic uses .. not even planned and approved redevelopment proposals, none have gone ahead .. economy probably, but much less redevelopment likely, at least in our sort of market and economy for at least a few years to come
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Not shill jc but on Apr 7, 2016 at 8:17 pm
NDP and liberals have done nothing on social project issues since Yukon party has been in government. Yukon party is socially conscience for Yukon and creates jobs. NDP and liberals only negative. New budget will create housing for homeless. Opposition have built nothing for us. I know about creating housing for Yukoners.
Thank you
Up 35 Down 2
June Jackson on Apr 7, 2016 at 5:47 pm
So it starts.. justification of pad rents... and the ever popular...if you don't like it get out...
It is unfortunate that Kate White is NDP.. she is probably the most sincere, most honest person to be elected. She isn't a 'politician... yet...
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BnR on Apr 7, 2016 at 4:58 pm
Man, I hope that when I'm "retired" I have better things to do with my time than sit around all day, disabling my cookies, and voting endless thumbs up on inane comments.
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political noise on Apr 7, 2016 at 3:43 pm
This is all political posturing by Kate White to target a certain demographic. As for the tenants of these parks maybe you should consider the costs associated in running these businesses. After all your water, sewer, roads, garbage collection, street lights are paid by the park owner not to mention infrastructure maintenance costs and taxes! You should be thankful you don't have metered water and you're not taking your own garbage to the dump!
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Just Say'in on Apr 7, 2016 at 2:42 pm
I don't get it. All we hear is that we need more affordable housing and now we are going to do our best to shut down trailer parks.
When I moved to Whitehorse in 1973 I lived for one year in the Mackenzie Trailer Court. It wasn't great but it was a great start and helped me build a down payment for something better. That is the way it is supposed to be. You don't start in a brand new home. What do people expect these days.
Just be glad there are places to get an inexpensive start these days. I fear they will soon all be gone.
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Jonathan Colby on Apr 7, 2016 at 1:34 pm
Uh oh, Wilf. Your comment is receiving negative feedback. You better upvote like crazy to make sure you're still right!
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Lost in the Yukon where in the house did on Apr 7, 2016 at 1:14 pm
the NDP make any solid solutions on housing issues and home to solve them? Provide the evidence please.
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Lawrence on Apr 7, 2016 at 1:07 pm
Aren't the trailer parks located on private land? If someone takes on the responsibility and risk of paying for all the taxes, water, sewer, staff, mortgage and repairs on that infrastructure, they should be allowed to charge pad rent for those costs. There is nothing stopping tenants from selling their home and move somewhere else if they are not happy with their business arrangement/lease.
Living in a mobile home is a trade off: you don't own the land but you do own your home. So you can spend 20-100k on a trailer and have a nice home, but you have to pay pad rent. Or you can spend 200-400k or more and own the land as well. That's a trade off you made when you buy a trailer.
Mobile home parks offer the cheapest way to live in the CoW, so I don't understand why they are being targeted. Renting a room in a house can cost twice as much.
Up 56 Down 27
BB on Apr 7, 2016 at 12:35 pm
I think it's sad that the poorest people in the Yukon were drawn in by the promise of home ownership only to realize they are still renters, but renters with 80 thousand dollar mortgages and unable to move on. They have little to no bargaining power.
The trailer parks are a bonanza for owners who bought a long time ago and who live off the massive income stream their land generates through the serfs who pay them pad rent. It's all above board but I do wonder how the owners live with themselves sometimes and I am actually aware of how much money they are making, and how they themselves live as a result. It doesn't seem to bother them at all.
There is no equitable balance in the current situation and I do think some balance needs to be attained through legislation. People enter into bad agreements, but it strikes me that there should be some standards in place to protect people from entering into enormous mistakes such as we see in the disparity of power which exists in trailer parks. Pretty bad economic consequences for the less advantaged socio economically, and an economic bonanza for the wealthy and well educated who own the parks.
It ain't a fair game the way it is.
Up 21 Down 1
YukonMax on Apr 7, 2016 at 9:09 am
So, if the Yukon Government is involved, it means all trailer parks in the YUKON are affected. So what does it mean for municipalities (in the communities) who owns the trailer park? I know of one where the bylaws were neglected for years. The town let the tenants use one or two more pads for their own dumps. While others are sandwiched between two occupied pads and can't get the same area to expand themselves. Yet they are all paying the same rental fees.
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Lost in the Yukon on Apr 7, 2016 at 12:41 am
Dearest NDP ... or should we say "Wilfie" ... did you not read the article? The NDP has been caring about this issue for years. Check Hansards (you seem to have nothing better to do than lobby the Pharmacist for a job).
What is disappointing is the Currie did have the courtesy or maturity to acknowledg the work of the NDP on this issue and particularly Kate White. So little class on his part.
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June Jackson on Apr 6, 2016 at 10:10 pm
The people who live in trailer parks are some of the poorest of the low income workers. Park owners know their tenants are over a barrel with unreasonable increases every single year. Northland is mentioned... about 200 trailers at 450 a month, roughly 90K a month income, over 1 million dollars a year..what kind of income are they looking for? When is enough enough? To give credit where credit is due, Northland does offer a senior discount and have many seniors living in the park, and they keep the streets pretty clear in winter.
The park owners want their money tree's.. they are going to threaten to evict everyone if the government does anything to impair their ability to sock it to their tenants... years ago at a public meeting at the Westmark rent control was the topic.. and an apartment owner from Riverdale said, if you even look at that, I'll tear that building down and build condo's. Well.. government backed off and ya' know what? He did it anyway. His land, his building his right.
The government is afraid of threats, they are thinking, so, Northland evicts everyone..what are we going to do with 200 families suddenly losing their homes? or what? 600 families? If the major parks get together and decide to teach government a lesson and issue mass eviction notices?
Every place in Canada has rent controls in place except the Yukon...https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rent_regulation_in_Canada
I agree that landlords need rent increases from time to time to cover the cost of rising expenses and maintain their profit level...but.. that's not what is happening in the trailer parks..they jack those prices yearly for no other reason than that they can.
These folks love their money and the park owners are not going to let this go without a fight.
Up 27 Down 89
Francis Pillman on Apr 6, 2016 at 9:41 pm
People who complain about pad rent are funny. You moved there. You knew the deal. Now, it's poor poor me. Plus, how about Kate work for everyone? You are not special because you live in a trailer park.
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Iwannabesmarter on Apr 6, 2016 at 7:11 pm
Too bad most trailer parks roads and services are owned by the park, not the government, and are the responsibility of the park owner to build and maintain. What do they do with the pad rent they collect anyway?
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Whitey Katie on Apr 6, 2016 at 6:03 pm
Hmmm, Mrs. White advocating for mobile home owners, nice bit of grandstanding! Her suggestion that Mobile Park Owners mimic Nova Scotia rules for Mobile Parks is out of touch with housing reality in The Yukon. It basically says pad fees can go up around 7 bucks per year.....7 freaking bucks. Maybe Mrs. White should go back there and live and run a park. Ha! I live in Whitehorse and my property taxes have gone up 70 % in 10 years. Mobile Park owners are not exempt from all the increases over the years. I don't see the COW subsidizing my expenses. As far as evicting without cause, this clause is rarely used because....Mrs. White...Mobile home owners are an asset! Simple rules apply...1- Pay your pad fee on time...2-Abide by the rules of the park...and 3-Take care of your home. Simple rules for a simple NDP MLA.
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Jonathan Colby on Apr 6, 2016 at 5:46 pm
Really Wilf? Kate has been working since elected to ensure that the way renters' pad rent is used is subject to some scrutiny in the face of constant increases. Kate is always acting in the best interest of the people in her riding (wherin are 3(ish) mobile home parks), and of people with limited income and limited options in general. She is one of the most positive individuals in the whole farce that is Yukon politics.
And yet, here comes Wilf Carter with the same spiel about negative this and NDP that. You are just repeating yourself, without a thought in your head. But you're out of your element on this one. The whole article was inspired by where the NDP are on an invisible yet significant housing issue. But, who needs facts when you're an unpaid YP shill? Give it a rest.
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Max Mack on Apr 6, 2016 at 5:23 pm
@yahoo
From day one, Northland was supposed to have paved streets, street lighting, and well-equipped playgrounds. I know some of the first tenants who were suckered by those early promises - promises that were never kept.
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NDP not caring on Apr 6, 2016 at 4:55 pm
NDP always negative does nothing to help. Yukon party cares for all Yukoners and housing issues. I have worked on housing issues in Yukon and Alberta and have experience. Where are liberals and NDP on this issue?
Thank you
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yahoo on Apr 6, 2016 at 3:27 pm
So maybe we'll get paved roads for all the increases that have happened in the past few years?! I haven't seen much extra for the annual increases in Northland over the last 5 years.