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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Wow , it seems to me that they’re just getting worse and worse for people on the registry.
Concerning those living in Highlands County and the county that I live in. I used to own 3 and a 1/2 acres, and I had a double. Wide mobile home on it was no tongue. No wheels. No tag and it was considered real property. I paid property taxes on it and the land and also. I had Homestead exception. I really feel for those folks that are dealing this.
Florida trailers are registered like cars. Registrations must be renewed once a year, just like cars. It’s been that way since the 1970s.
Unless they are permanently installed and part of the deed.
This might be the most Petty S×+t iv ever read from FDLE.
This is not from FDLE.
This is just plain retarded.
Basically they’re in violation, and not in violation. Yes it’s a trailer home, aka mobile home, but it’s also a permanent location, hence it has a physical address. Florida is so ridiculous, it’s not even funny.
Technically, every home is mobile. You see literally physical homes being moved if people have the time, money, and inclination to do so (especially historic homes). Is it often this happens? No. But it goes to show creativity does not stop with a foundation.
Readers of our forum need to be aware of what the statute says, not what common sense would otherwise dictate. “Mobile home” is defined in the statute as a structure, transportable in one or more sections, which is 8 body feet or more in width and which is built on an integral chassis and designed to be used as a dwelling when connected to the required utilities and includes the plumbing, heating, air-conditioning, and electrical systems contained therein.
Remind me not to go anywhere near highlands county. Why is the sheriff’s department just now enforcing a rule they didn’t enforce for years. Maybe this Halloween the sheriff got a broomstick stuck somewhere. Even if they made a new law saying these people who i assume haven’t violated any requirements would be grandfathered by the old laws having lived there for years with no complaints. If any one got violated it’s these people that are forced to live in very substandard housing for a crime they paid for with prion and probation and lifetime registration. And YES LIFETIME REGISTRATION IS A PUNISHMENT.
I guess they should all get property or tangible tax refunded and pay sales tax only.
In Florida, you do not pay annual personal property tax on a standard vehicle with wheels. Instead, vehicles are subject to a one-time sales tax at the time of purchase and annual license/registration fees.
The taxation of a mobile home depends on its classification:
Mobile Home as Real Property: If you own both the mobile home and the land it is permanently affixed to, the mobile home is taxed as real property. This means you pay annual real property taxes, similar to a traditional house, and you may be eligible for a homestead exemption. The owner is issued a permanent “RP” (Real Property) decal and does not pay the annual license tax.
Mobile Home as Personal Property: If the mobile home is not permanently affixed to land you own (e.g., it is in a mobile home park on leased land), it is considered personal property. In this case, you are required to pay an annual license tax by purchasing a current “MH” (Mobile Home) decal. If the owner fails to display a current decal, the mobile home is assessed by the county property appraiser and taxed annually as tangible personal property, which is often more costly.
Key Differences Summary:
Feature Mobile Home (Real Property) Mobile Home (Personal Property) Vehicle with Wheels
Tax Type Annual Real Property Tax Annual License Tax (MH decal) or Tangible Personal Property Tax Annual Registration/License Fees
Property Tax Yes (real property) Yes (tangible personal property if no decal) No (specifically exempt from annual personal property tax)
Permanently Affixed Yes, and owner owns land No (or on leased land)
You just summed up everything I was about to say. I bought a brand new manufactured home 4 years ago and .3 acres of land to put it on. My house is considered Real Property. It doesn’t have wheels nor a tongue to move it. I pay property taxes annually and it is considered a fixed residence.
Oh yea I forgot to mention this, I had a deputy come by one day questioning my house. I showed her there was no wheels, no tongue and all my paperwork concerning the purchase. Needless to say, she left me alone after that lol
Be careful they just said argue it in court lol think they are finding loop holes and not real crimes but looks good on the news