Highlands County Rounds up Dozens for Mobile/Manufactured Home FTRs
Highlands County Detective and Sergent are at it again. This time, dozens of registrants were arrested within the past couple of weeks for registration violations relating to mobile homes and manufactured homes. Many registrants live in trailer parks because of affordability and because they are generally located in rural areas which are farther from schools. They live in mobile homes or manufactured homes that have been in the same spot for years. They properly registered the homes as their permanent address, but not as “vehicles owned”.
One member who was violated wrote, “I do not think of the place I live as a trailer it has been in the same place for at least 35 years . It has no tongue for a vin. It has no wheels can’t be pulled down the road no lights no tag.”. One would think that such a structure would not be considered registrable under “vehicles owned” and instead registered the home as their permanent residence. Common sense would dictate that if this is where you reside, where the permanent structure has been affixed for decades, this would satisfy the requirement.
The Highlands County Sheriffs Office and prosecutors don’t think so. Even though dozens of people have been registering for years and this is the first time it comes up, the past couple of weeks it became an issue for the Sheriffs office and they did a mass round up.
Although many of you have reached out to FAC for guidance, since this is a criminal matter, the only person you should be taking guidance from is your criminal defense attorney. The violation is a felony and registrants are being charged with a separate count for each time they went in to re-register and didn’t register the mobile home as a “vehicle”, some of our members are facing serious prison time for an unknowing violation of the law.
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I have been trying to tell people for years that you must MUST register the VIN number(s) on your mobile home. I own the double wide mobile home where I currently live in Orlando. I read the law when I was buying it and realized I would have to register the VIN numbers.
For some reason, no matter how many people I have warned about this – including at Meet & Greets – people never seem to believe me. They say, oh my PO or sheriff’s deputy never told me I have to do that so I never did and I don’t want to now and and …
Do you believe me now? Go register your MH VIN number NOW no matter what county you’re in!
PS – I know nobody’s gonna believe this either – but – you also must register your PO Box! I had to!
Make sure you register your P.O box because you could be hiding in there waiting to pounce on someone 😂😂 this is unbelievable 🤦
I hate to say it but at least with Highlands County you know that the registry is enforced to the strictest intent. In other Counties they change the detective in charge like people change their underwear and you never know what is required or not required. Hernando County uses civilian workers to take registrations and some of them are looking for ways to violate the registrant while others say, “you don’t have to register that”.
I had one that demanded I register a homemade cart that I use to move stuff around the property and to lift what I cannot. Since it has 4 wheels and an engine one person said it would have to be registered as a vehicle ( it is exempt due to the legal description. the crane on it makes it an farm implement).
The reason I state this is that many people have golf carts, ATV’s and riding lawn mowers. If you are in Highlands County you should register these things. I would go as far as registering my kids power wheels electric car.
Also be careful with trailers. There is no “legal” difference in the definitions for lawn trailers that are to be towed behind lawnmowers and are not street legal or the road worthy one that requires a license plate. Which means that you can be in violation of the sex offender registry if you have one that you have not declared.
When in doubt report to the Sheriffs office and insist that they register it. If it even resembles something that is required make them write it down. Flood them with extra paperwork to protect yourself.