New Mexico Legislature Fails Senior Citizens, Again!

An ever growing population of New Mexico senior citizens reside in manufactured home communities. They own their homes and rent the lots which the homes sit on. Many invest their life savings into purchasing the homes in hopes of living out their senior years enjoying safety and financial security.
Unfortunately, the dream of financial security is rapidly escaping due to the national trend of corporations and private equity buying manufactured home communities, making significant ongoing lot rent increases, eliminating services, and failing to properly maintain the communities roads, utilities, and general conditions.

Since 2010 numerous bills have been introduced in the New Mexico legislature to offer better safeguards for residents against these predatory business practices being utilized by the corporations and private equity owners. All have failed to pass the legislature. In fact, most have failed to make it through the initial committees reviewing the bills. These bills would have increased protections and strengthened the financial security of community residents by protecting property values, preventing illegal acts of threatened evictions, and providing oversight and enforcement of New Mexico laws pertaining to manufactured home communities.

One of the most significant legislative bills was the Offer to Purchase (OTP) bill. This bill would require the community owner to provide notification to the residents of the intent to sell the community, and guarantee the residents the opportunity to make an offer to purchase the community. Similar legislation has passed in several other states and financing is available through different sources to allow residents to purchase their manufactured home communities, operate and govern them. Thus, allowing them to continue to enjoy the safety aspects, and offer long-term financial stability against corporations and private equity rent price gouging.

Offer to Purchase (OTP) was again introduced in the January 2026 legislative session. The Speaker of the House, Javier Martinez, ruled the bill not germane, effectively killing it.

How could a bill that would require notice of sale and provide homeowners a fair opportunity to purchase be considered not germane?

In 2015 two manufactured home communities in Alamogordo were sold to a California investor, Amber Skies Community and Desert Palms Community. Residents weren't aware of the sale until the owner showed up for a residents meeting and announced he was the new owner, and oh by the way, lot rents will be increasing, and they are still increasing, while services have declined.

Under current New Mexico law the owner(s) of manufactured home communities can sell the property with no notice to homeowners. If the owner decides to sell to a developer who wants to do something different with the property, the new owner (developer) is only required to give 6-months notice for homeowners to move their homes off the property. Many senior citizen homeowners are struggling to deal with the ever increasing lot rents. Can you imagine them having to deal with the stress and expense of trying to move their home. In some states this action by developers has caused some to simply abandon their homes.

All of the issues (no notice property sales, illegal actions, failure to properly maintain communities, lot rent price gouging) have threatened residents of manufactured home communities in New Mexico for years. Yet, the New Mexico legislature continually fails to pass legislation to better protect the safety and financial interest of manufactured home community residents. It's easy to follow the money and see the names of lobbyists, groups, and individuals who oppose these bills, making campaign contributions to legislative Representatives and Senators.
Otero Representative John Block who voted "NO" on previous bills introduced to strengthen protections for residents has received campaign contributions from many "hard working donors" as he says. It just so happens that one of his donors owns a manufactured home community in Alamogordo. 

This is not just a New Mexico problem. It is nationwide. U.S. Representative Gabe Vazquez has become acutely aware of the issues and has introduced legislation on a national level in an effort to protect New Mexico citizens from greedy landlords and make housing more affordable.
How long will the New Mexico legislature allow these issues to continue? Issues that threaten the safety and financial security of many New Mexico senior citizens while corporations and private equity investors, many located outside of New Mexico, fatten their bank accounts at the expense of New Mexico seniors.

Yes, the New Mexico legislature has failed senior citizens, AGAIN!

- Gary Perry, Citizen Advocate

Note: Gary Perry is a local advocate for senior citizens rights and fair housing. His series of articles on Mobile Home Park rights can be found via the links below...

New Mexico Mobile Home Act Special Educational Series Introduction

New Mexico Mobile Home Act Special Educational Series: Tenancy Termination

New Mexico Mobile Home Act Special Educational Series: Part 3

Mobile Home Park Act Educational Series Part 4 by Gary Perry

New Mexico Mobile Home Park Act Summary and Needed Changes Part 5