Wash. Rev. Code § 59.21 § 59.21.006
Declaration -- Intent -- Purpose -- 1995 c 122.
Operative Text
The legislature recognizes that, in the decision of Guimont et al. v. Clarke , 121 Wn.2d (1993), the Washington supreme court held the mobile home relocation assistance program of chapter 59.21 RCW invalid for its monetary burden on mobile home park-owners. However, during the program's operation, substantial funds were validly collected from mobile home owners and accumulated in the mobile home park relocation fund, created under the program. The legislature intends to utilize those funds for the purposes for which they were collected. The legislature also recognizes that, for a period of almost three years since this state's courts invalidated the program, no such assistance was available. The most needy tenants may have been forced to sell or abandon rather than relocate their homes in the face of park closures. Because the purpose of the program was to assist relocation, those persons should be compensated in a like manner to those who could afford to pay for relocation without assistance. To that end, the legislature has: (1) Repealed RCW 59.21.020 , 59.21.035 , 59.21.080 , 59.21.085 , 59.21.095 , 59.21.900 , 59.21.901 , 59.21.902 , and 59.21.903 ; (2) amended RCW 59.21.010 , 59.21.030 , 59.21.040 , 59.21.050 , 59.21.070 , * 59.21.100 , 59.21.110 , and 43.84.092 ; (3) reenacted without amendment RCW 59.21.005 and ** 59.21.105 ; and (4) added new sections to chapter 59.21 RCW.
Washington Revised Code § 59.21.006 sets out the legislative history and intent behind the 1995 overhaul of the state's mobile home relocation assistance program. After the Washington Supreme Court struck down the original program in Guimont v. Clarke (1993) because it improperly burdened park owners financially, the legislature acknowledged that funds already lawfully collected from mobile home owners sat unused for nearly three years. This provision explains that the 1995 legislature restructured the program—repealing, amending, and adding sections to chapter 59.21 RCW—so that accumulated funds could still be used to help the most vulnerable tenants who were displaced during the gap period when no assistance was available.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Mobile home park owners should be aware that § 59.21.006 documents the legislative backdrop that shaped the current version of chapter 59.21 RCW, including the repeal of provisions that were previously found to impose unconstitutional monetary burdens on park owners. The 1995 restructuring was designed to eliminate those burdens while preserving a relocation assistance framework funded by previously collected mobile home owner contributions rather than ongoing park-owner fees. Operators managing parks subject to closure notices should review the amended sections of chapter 59.21 RCW to understand what obligations, if any, now apply under the revised program.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under § 59.21.006, the Washington legislature specifically acknowledged that mobile home tenants who were forced to sell or abandon their homes during the roughly three-year gap (1993–1995) when no relocation assistance was available may be entitled to compensation from funds that were lawfully collected before the program was invalidated. This declaration of intent underlies the broader protections and assistance mechanisms found throughout chapter 59.21 RCW, which governs relocation assistance for displaced mobile home residents. Tenants who believe they may have been affected during that gap period, or who face current park closures, may wish to consult a tenant-rights organization or legal aid provider familiar with chapter 59.21 RCW to understand what remedies or assistance might be available.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 7, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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