18070.3
. (a) When any person (1) who has purchased a manufactured
home for a personal or family residential or investment purpose or
(2) who has sold a manufactured home for a personal or family
residential or investment purpose, obtains a final judgment against
any manufactured home manufacturer, manufactured home dealer or
salesperson, or other seller or purchaser, and the judgment is based
on the grounds of (1) failure to honor warranties or guarantees, (2)
fraud or willful misrepresentation related to any financial
provision, (3) fraud or willful misrepresentation of the kind or
quality of the product sold or purchased, (4) conversion, (5) any
willful violation of any other provision of this part, including the
provisions regulating escrow accounts, or regulations adopted
pursuant to this part, or (6) violation of Chapter 3 (commencing with
Section 1797) of Title 1.7 of Part 4 of Division 3 of the Civil
Code, resulting in an actual and direct loss directly arising out of
any transaction that occurs on or after January 1, 1985, the person,
upon termination of all proceedings, including appeals, may file a
claim with the department for an order directing payment out of the
fund for the amount of actual and direct loss in the transaction.
(b) If any person either purchases a manufactured home used for a
personal or family residential or investment purpose from, or sells a
manufactured home used for a personal or family residential or
investment purpose to, a person or entity who is or has been the
subject of a bankruptcy proceeding, the person may file a claim with
the department for an order directing payment out of the fund for the
actual and direct loss in the transaction based on (1) the failure
to honor warranties or guarantees, (2) fraud or willful
misrepresentation related to any financial provision, (3) fraud or
willful misrepresentation of the kind or quality of product purchased
or sold, (4) conversion, (5) willful violation of any other
provision in this part, including the provisions regulating escrow
accounts, or (6) violation of Chapter 3 (commencing with Section
1797) of Title 1.7 of Part 4 of Division 3 of the Civil Code,
resulting in an actual and direct loss directly arising out of any
transaction that occurs on or after January 1, 1985.
(c) (1) The total amount of the claim shall not exceed the amount
of actual and direct loss that remains unreimbursed from any source.
(2) The maximum payment ordered under this section, with respect
to any one sales transaction on a new or used manufactured home,
shall be the amount of the actual and direct loss, as determined by
the department based on information in the possession of the
department and information provided by the claimant or claimants. In
no event shall the actual payment relating to a single transaction
exceed seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000).
(3) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, a person
who purchases or sells a manufactured home for an investment purpose
may receive payment from the fund for that purpose only once. A
person who has received payment from the fund for the purchase or
sale of a manufactured home for an investment purpose shall
henceforth be ineligible to make a claim under this chapter, either
as a natural person or as a member of a partnership, as an officer or
director of a corporation, as a member of a marital community, or in
any other capacity.
(d) Prior to payment of any claim against the fund, the claimant
or claimants shall have first:
(1) If the claim is based on a final judgment, diligently pursued
collection efforts against all the assets of the judgment debtor, or
presented evidence satisfactory to the department that the debtor is
judgment proof, or demonstrated evidence satisfactory to the
department that the costs of collection are likely to be in excess of
the amounts that could be collected. This evidence may include, but
is not limited to, a description of the searches and inquiries
conducted by or on behalf of the claimant with respect to the
judgment debtor's assets liable to be sold or applied to the
satisfaction of the judgment, an itemized valuation of the assets
discovered, and the results of actions by the claimant to have assets
applied to satisfy the judgment.
(2) If the claim is not based on a final judgment, presented
evidence satisfactory to the department of either of the following:
(A) That the person or entity is or has been the subject of
bankruptcy proceedings and, for purposes of any civil litigation or
claims in bankruptcy proceedings, has assigned to the department any
interest in the actual and direct loss described in subdivision (c)
in the amount that the claimant or claimants recover from the fund.
(B) That the claimant's claim is consistent with this chapter and
the claimant had presented evidence satisfactory to the department
that the debtor is judgment proof, or demonstrated evidence
satisfactory to the department that the costs of collection are
likely to be in excess of the amounts that could be collected. This
evidence may include, but not be limited to, a description of
searches and inquiries conducted by or on behalf of the claimant with
respect to the judgment debtor's assets eligible to be sold or
applied to the satisfaction of the judgment, an itemized valuation of
the assets discovered, and the results of actions by the claimant to
have the assets applied to satisfaction of the judgment.
(3) If the claim is based upon a violation of a provision within a
warranty provided pursuant to Chapter 3 (commencing with Section
1797) of Title 1.7 of Part 4 of Division 3 of the Civil Code,
demonstrated evidence satisfactory to the department that the
claimant has been denied full compensation or correction under the
warranty after the claimant has attempted to exercise his or her
rights pursuant to the warranty.
(e) A claim against the fund shall be filed with the department
within the following time periods:
(1) If the claim is based on a final judgment, within two years
from the date of the judgment.
(2) If the claim is not based on a final judgment, within two
years from the termination of bankruptcy proceedings or two years
from the date of sale as determined by subdivision (a) of Section
18070.2, or within two years of discovery of the violations causing
actual and direct losses pursuant to this article but no longer than
five years after the date of sale as determined by subdivision (a) of
Section 18070.2, whichever event occurs later.
(f) When any person files a claim for an order directing payment
from the fund, the claimant shall mail, by first-class mail, a copy
of that claim to the last known address of the judgment debtor. The
department shall conduct a review of the application and other
pertinent information in its possession, and it may issue an order
directing payment out of the fund as provided in subdivisions (a) to
(e), inclusive, subject to the limitations of subdivisions (a) to
(e), inclusive, if the claimant or claimants show all of the
following:
(1) That he or she is not a spouse of the judgment debtor, the
bankrupt person or entity, or a person representing the spouse.
(2) That he or she is making an application within the time
specified in subdivision (e).
(3) That the claimant has satisfied the applicable requirements of
subdivision (d).
(4) That, if the claimant is a seller of a manufactured home used
by the seller for personal, family, or household purposes, the
claimant made a good faith effort to adequately secure the debt
resulting from the sale of the manufactured home and with respect to
which the claim is made. For purposes of this paragraph, a good faith
effort to secure the debt may be demonstrated by, but shall not be
limited to, providing the department with a promissory note signed by
the debtor and which, pursuant to the terms thereof, is secured by
collateral with a reasonable value at least equal to the debt
evidenced by the promissory note.
(g) Upon an order of the department directing that payment be made
out of the fund, the Controller is authorized to draw a warrant for
the payment of the amount of the claim approved by the department
pursuant to this section.
(h) In dispersing moneys from the fund, the department is
authorized to give priority to claimants who have attempted to
purchase or sell a manufactured home for a personal or family
residential purpose.
(i) All claims to the fund that are received on or after January
1, 1993, shall be processed, and a determination made, within one
year of submission of a properly completed application.
(j) The department, upon request by a Member of the Legislature,
shall provide the following information: the number of claims to the
fund, number of claims processed and decided within one year of their
application date and submission of a properly completed application,
the amount of fund money paid to claimants, and the amount of fund
money allocated for the department's costs.