(1) The attorney general shall administer a manufactured/mobile home dispute resolution program.

     (2) The purpose of the manufactured/mobile home dispute resolution program is to provide manufactured/mobile home community landlords and tenants with a cost-effective and time-efficient process to resolve disputes regarding alleged violations of the manufactured/mobile home landlord-tenant act.

     (3) The attorney general under the manufactured/mobile home dispute resolution program shall:

     (a) Produce educational materials regarding chapter 59.20 RCW and the manufactured/mobile home dispute resolution program, including a notice in a format that a landlord can reasonably post in a manufactured/mobile home community that summarizes tenant rights and responsibilities, includes information on how to file a complaint with the attorney general, and includes a toll-free telephone number and web site address that landlords and tenants can use to seek additional information and communicate complaints;

     (b) Distribute the educational materials described in (a) of this subsection to all known landlords and information alerting landlords that:

     (i) All landlords must post the notice provided by the attorney general that summarizes tenant rights and responsibilities and includes information on how to file complaints, in a clearly visible location in all common areas of manufactured/mobile home communities, including in each clubhouse;

     (ii) The attorney general may visually confirm that the notice is appropriately posted; and

     (iii) The attorney general may issue a fine or other penalty if the attorney general discovers that the landlord has not appropriately posted the notice or that the landlord has not maintained the posted notice so that it is clearly visible to tenants;

     (c) Distribute the educational materials described in (a) of this subsection to any complainants and respondents, as requested;

     (d) Perform dispute resolution activities, including investigations, negotiations, determinations of violations, and imposition of fines or other penalties as described in RCW 59.30.040;

     (e) Create and maintain a database of manufactured/mobile home communities that have had complaints filed against them. For each manufactured/mobile home community in the database, the following information must be contained, at a minimum:

     (i) The number of complaints received;

     (ii) The nature and extent of the complaints received;

     (iii) The violation of law complained of; and

     (iv) The manufactured/mobile home dispute resolution program outcomes for each complaint;

     (f) Provide an annual report to the appropriate committees of the legislature on the data collected under this section, including program performance measures and recommendations regarding how the manufactured/mobile home dispute resolution program may be improved, by December 31st, beginning in 2007.

     (4) The manufactured/mobile home dispute resolution program, including all of the duties of the attorney general under the program as described in this section, shall be funded by the collection of fines, other penalties, and fees deposited into the manufactured/mobile home dispute resolution program account created in RCW 59.30.070, and all other sources directed to the manufactured/mobile home dispute resolution program.

[2007 c 431 § 3.]

NOTES:

     Implementation -- 2007 c 431: See note following RCW 59.30.010.