Advice for Removing or Selling an Old Mobile Home

[Obie Gutierrez]

Hello!

My family has a mobile home that is in bad shape and has issues with mold and a caving floor (water leak) and roof (tree damage) in certain areas. The mold got to a point where anyone that was in there for any amount of time would start feeling ill. Ever since we left years ago, the home has been vacant. If we sell it, it is not suitable for someone to live in. I don't know if there is an issue legally speaking with selling the house in this condition. At this point, we are looking to remove the home from the two and a half lots it sits on and either lease the lots or sell them. We had briefly considered trying to see if the home could be repaired and have mold remediation to rent it out, but the neighborhood has gone down in quality over the years and we are hesitant to have responsibility over upkeep of the home. With this information in mind, I have a few questions:

1) Does anyone have experience removing and disposing of an old mobile home? What types of companies do this? I tried to look up something like this on google, but I wasn't very successful.

2) The mobile home park is not connected to city utilities, so it has well water and a septic system. If we remove the home and have someone lease the lots, we are responsible for the upkeep of these, correct? Are there any issues that we should be aware of if this is the case?

3) Is it possible to sell the home and lots as is? I imagine that the sell price would be greatly reduced with the home in its current state, but are there any issues with selling a home with damage and mold even if we told all of the issues we are aware of to potential buyers?

I'd appreciate any advice! Thank you!

[Frank Rolfe]

Demolish it on-site. It will cost you about $2,000. Any other direction you go you will have liability exposure -- if you try to pull it out it may break apart in transport and if you sell it you may get sued for it being tainted with mold. You can never remediate the mold enough to satisfy a personal injury lawyer, and in most states you can't sell a mobile home "as is" with the problems you are describing due to the "habitability warranty". You can find someone to demolish it if you Google up "demolition company" in your area, or just call your local mobile home park retailers.

As for the lots, yes, if you rent them out you will be responsible for the water, sewer and any other utilities. Personally, if there is any market at all, I would sell the lots off as it sounds like a lot or risk (well or septic failure) for not a lot of money.