Ala. Code §§ 35-12A-1 to 35-12A-15 § 35-12A-14
Abandonment of Dwelling by Death of Tenant.
Operative Text
If the manufactured dwelling or personal property is considered abandoned as a result of the death of the only tenant, Sections 35-12A-1 to 35-12A-13, inclusive, and this section shall apply, except as follows: (1) The provisions of this chapter regarding the rights and responsibilities of a tenant to the abandoned manufactured dwelling and personal property shall apply to any personal representative named in a will or appointed by a court to act for the deceased tenant or any person designated in writing by the tenant to be contacted by the manufactured dwelling community owner in the event of the tenant’s death. (2) The notice required by Section 35-12A-3 shall be personally delivered or sent by first class mail to any personal representative named in a will or appointed by a court to act for the deceased tenant. (3) The notice described in Section 35-12A-5 shall refer to any personal representative or designated person, instead of the deceased tenant, and shall incorporate the provisions of this section. (4) If a personal representative, designated person, or other person entitled to possession of the property, such as an heir or devisee, responds by actual notice to a manufactured dwelling community owner within the 30-day period provided by Section 35-12A-5, and so requests, the manufactured dwelling community owner shall enter into a written agreement with the representative or person providing that the manufactured dwelling shall not be sold or disposed of by the manufactured dwelling community owner until conclusion of any probate proceedings, so long as the representative or person makes timely periodic payment of all storage charges and maintains the property and the rented space on which it is stored. During the agreement, the representative or person shall have the right to remove or sell the property, including a sale to a purchaser or a transfer to an heir or devisee where the purchaser, heir, or devisee wishes to leave the property on the rented space and become a tenant. The manufactured dwelling community owner also may condition approval for occupancy of any purchaser, heir, or devisee of the property upon payment of all storage charges and maintenance costs. If the representative or person violates the agreement, the manufactured dwelling community owner may terminate it upon 30 days’ written notice stating facts sufficient to notify the representative or person of the reason for the termination. Unless the representative or person corrects the violation within the notice period, the agreement shall terminate as provided and the manufactured dwelling community owner may sell the property as provided for in this chapter.
Alabama Code §§ 35-12A-1 to 35-12A-15, § 35-12A-14 addresses what happens when a manufactured dwelling is considered abandoned because the sole tenant has died. Under this provision, the rights and responsibilities that would normally fall to a living tenant are instead transferred to whoever is authorized to act on behalf of the deceased — such as a court-appointed personal representative, an executor named in a will, or a person the tenant designated in writing. The community owner must send required notices to those authorized parties, and if one of them responds within 30 days, they may enter a written agreement to keep the dwelling in place during probate, provided they keep up with storage charges and property maintenance.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators of manufactured dwelling communities in Alabama should be aware that § 35-12A-14 shifts the notice and agreement obligations from the deceased tenant to their authorized representatives. Compliant community owners generally identify any personal representative, will-named executor, or tenant-designated contact and direct all required notices — including those under §§ 35-12A-3 and 35-12A-5 — to those parties by personal delivery or first-class mail. When an authorized representative responds within the 30-day window and requests a hold on disposition, community owners typically enter a written agreement preserving that arrangement through probate, and may condition any new occupancy on payment of outstanding storage charges and maintenance costs.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
If you are a family member, heir, or personal representative dealing with the death of a manufactured dwelling tenant in Alabama, § 35-12A-14 gives authorized parties meaningful rights during the probate process. An heir, devisee, or court-appointed representative who responds to the community owner's notice within 30 days may request a written agreement preventing the dwelling from being sold or disposed of while probate is pending, as long as storage charges and maintenance obligations are kept current. Those in this situation may wish to consult a tenant-rights organization or an estate attorney familiar with Alabama manufactured housing law to understand which response options are available under this provision.
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 16, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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