Are Mobile Homes Covered under the Lemon Law?
In some states YES but may be filed under a different heading.
In fact there are a lot of things covered by the fraud and lemon laws in our states that you may not know about. Starting with Cars, Trucks, Mobil Homes, Boats, ATV’s and Computers are the ones I am involved in.
Note: Big Tractor Trucks are covered under the Lemon Law see ” Seeman – V – Freightliner. I just did two Big Tractor trucks for a law firm in Arizona and the cases were filed as a Lemon law claim. If you own a Tractor Truck and it is giving you problems there is still help out there and worth the time it takes to investigate. Your filing would have to be done by an attorney if you want good results. If you just want the satisfaction of letting the sellers know you are not going to take any more lies Small Claim Court is the way but not recommended because of the low amount you can file for, a small claims law suit can be done.
Sounds like everything we buy are covered, but what are the chances of you getting help with your case. The chance is very good when you have attorneys who care more about you and your concerns than the selling dealership does.
I have inspected several Big Rig Trucks and the ones I have done were for engine leaking coolant, oil or just not running properly. I have also done several Mobile Homes and the most of them are falling apart from trim not fitting correct, stoves and sinks not mounted properly, floors that are rotted and sagging down. I have seen rotted floors where the dealership had patched the floor together and then painted it to look new, this was a bad repair, water shooting back up out of the toilet when you flush it. That’s right when one of the owners finished the toilet, water or whatever was in the toilet just shot back up out of the toilet like a water hose. If you were like this person you would have got a big surprise when you flush just like he did, he said it was disgusting and all over the floor as well as him.
I got this one on photo, it was pretty amazing, the person said the first time it happened he said the mess was unbelievable and told me to not stand over the toilet when he flushed it to show me what happens.
I have found electrical issues, hydraulic issues, slide outs getting stuck in the out position, water leaking inside when it rains. Over heating when you go up a small hill, in fact I have seen them that have had a new engine installed when they were on the way to be delivered to the buyer.
Another thing to watch out for is if you buy outside of your state and take delivery of the vehicle the warranty coverage is not what you might expect. I had a lady who had purchase a Used Mobile Home in California but had to take delivery in Nevada, I could not understand that purchase. When she needed repairs she ran into a real problem using the warranty they gave her, after she spent over $14,000 trying to fix the home she went to small claims court. She won $3,000 back along with free oil and filter service for the next five services needed. This person would have been better off getting a good attorney and filing a lemon law suit but she said she did not want to get an attorney involved. I actually went to small claims court with her as well as help her prepare her case and negotiated the settlement for her, she told me after it was over before she filed they only offered her $1,000. She said the outcome of her case was very satisfying even if it was far less than she had spent, she got the $3,000 and five oil and filter changes amounting to another $1,000 in service.
If you purchased a Big Rig or a Mobile Home and you are having an unacceptable amount of repairs or breakdowns then you may be entitled to a refund or compensation for all those problem, keep in mind it will take a good Lemon Law attorney to help you. The process for Mobile Home lemon law is the same as for a lemon car or truck, including new or used as long as it is purchased from a dealership.
In order to get prepared for you case to present to an attorney you need to do this.
1) Have a clear copy of the original purchase contract.
2) Have a clear copy of all your work repair orders and they must be readable when faxed.
3) Have photo or videos if you can of all broken or damaged parts including dash warning lights.
4) Have maintenance records in order, if you do your own maintenance then have the receipts for the fluids and filters you purchased, including fuel and air filter.
5) Make sure all the papers are in order, this will help your attorney see quickly if you have a case, most attorney law firm will call you back within 72 hours (exclude holidays it may take a few days longer) Try to keep and updated file for fast finding facts.
Good luck and God bless you all and if you needed an attorney I have listed several of the best attorneys in California on my web site at lemonprotection.com.
If you are in another state the law firms listed on my web site also have offices in other states, call me 800-700-0109 or e-mail me at lemonprotection.com if you live out of the state of Ca. and I can tell you the names of law firms my customers have used in that state.
Also for those interested, I have just published another new book on how to go about inspecting a Mobile Home. You can purchase a copy for $15.00. Send me a check or MO for $15, this will include P&H and will be sent by the US Postoffice Priority mail. I hope this little bit of information will help you
Thank you, GOd bless you and good luck with your Mobile Home.
Jackie
Disclaimer; Please keep in mind I am not an attorney and cannot give legal advice but am only a certified mechanic and inspector of new and used vehicles and was established in 1984 and issued a United Stated trademark for Lemon Protection.
Investors are welcome.