25 Del. C. ch. 70 § 7035

Right of first offer; auction

In Force
Verified 10/21/2026 · Next check 10/28/2026
effective 10/21/2026DelawareRelocation Assistance & Buyouts

Operative Text

25 Del. C. ch. 70 § 7035
(a) If the Authority has sent the required annual notice to a community owner and the community owner then decides to sell, transfer, or convey all or part of the manufactured home community at auction, the community owner shall notify the homeowner association directly of its intention if the Authority has informed the community owner of a registered homeowner association in that community. The community owner’s notice must also be sent to DMHOA or its successor, to the Authority. A copy must be sent under § 7015 of this title to each homeowner in the affected community. If the Authority has not informed the community owner that a registered homeowner association exists in the community, the community owner must send the notice of the intent to convey the community at auction directly to the Authority. The notice shall include a list of the known names and mailing addresses of all homeowners in the community. The Authority shall, within 5 business days of the receipt of the notice from the community owner, send the notice to all homeowners on the list.

(b) The notice of a community owner’s intention to sell, transfer, or convey all or part of the manufactured home community at auction must be sent within 10 days after a date for the auction has been established and at least 60 days prior to the date of the auction. The notice must be sent by overnight service with signature receipt. The notice must state all of the following:

(1) The intention to sell the community at auction.

(2) The date, time, and place of the auction.

(3) The terms of the auction, which must be similar to other auction practices and standards in the area.

(c) At least 60 days prior to a scheduled auction, the community owner shall provide all pertinent information directly to the homeowner association if the Authority has informed the community owner of a registered homeowner association in the community. Copies of the pertinent information must also be sent to DMHOA or its successor, to the Authority. A community owner may not be held liable for misinformation provided by a third-party professional. Pertinent information from third-party professionals, if already available, including any of the following:

(1) Descriptions of topography.

(2) Soils, including a Phase I environmental soil study and a Phase II study, if required.

(3) Flood plain study.

(4) Wetlands study.

(5) Water system.

(6) Water quality.

(7) Distribution system.

(8) Sanitary survey.

(9) Wastewater disposal.

(10) Access, egress, and interior community roads.

(11) Storm water drainage.

(12) Electrical, telephone, and cable utility services.

(13) Boundary survey, home lot plan, if available.

(14) A USGS plan.

(15) Aerial photo.

(16) Tax map.

(17) Flood zone map.

(18) Soils map.

(19) Site photographs.

(20) A future repair and capital improvement analysis.

(d) Within 30 days of receiving the notice of the auction, a homeowner association in the affected community may make an offer to purchase the community. If the homeowner association makes an offer, and the community owner accepts the offer, the parties shall negotiate in good faith for the sale, transfer, or conveyance of the community to the homeowner association. If the community owner accepts the offer, a contract shall be formalized and ownership shall be transferred as under § 7033 of this title.

(e) If the homeowner association makes an offer to purchase the community within 30 days after receiving the notice of the auction sale, but the community owner does not accept the offer, the community owner may proceed to auction the community. The homeowner association’s offer must be the minimum bid at the auction and the community owner may not accept a bid of less than the homeowner association’s offer.

(f) If a homeowner association participates in the auction process by providing deposit moneys, if required, the homeowner association has the right to purchase the community within 7 days after the date of the auction for 1% higher than the winning bid with the same terms and conditions. If a homeowner association decides to purchase the community for 1% higher than the winning bid under the same terms and conditions, a contract of sale must be formalized within 20 calendar days, and the change of ownership must be completed within 90 days. However, if the homeowner association does not participate in the auction process, or if the homeowner association fails to respond within 7 business days and to formalize a contract within 20 calendar days, or to complete the change of ownership within 90 calendar days, the community owner has no further obligation to the homeowner association.

(g) If the winning bidder does not complete the transaction, and if the association still does not have the next highest bid, and if the community owner still intends to sell the community to the next highest bidder, the community owner must repeat the procedure under subsection (f) of this section.

(h) A community owner has the right to accept or reject any auction bids.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Under 25 Del. C. ch. 70 § 7035, when a manufactured home community owner in Delaware decides to sell the community through an auction, the law establishes a structured right-of-first-offer process for the registered homeowner association. The community owner must provide advance written notice—at least 60 days before the auction and within 10 days of setting an auction date—along with extensive property information to the homeowner association, DMHOA, and the Delaware Authority. The homeowner association then has 30 days to submit a purchase offer, and if it participates in the auction by providing a deposit, it retains the right to purchase the community within 7 days after the auction for 1% above the winning bid under the same terms and conditions.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on October 22, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Community owners subject to 25 Del. C. ch. 70 § 7035 generally ensure that auction notices are sent by overnight service with signature receipt to the homeowner association (if registered), DMHOA, the Authority, and each individual homeowner at least 60 days before the auction and within 10 days of establishing an auction date. Compliant operators also compile and transmit the extensive list of pertinent property information—covering environmental studies, utility systems, surveys, and more—at least 60 days before the scheduled auction. Operators are not held liable for misinformation originating from third-party professionals, but they are responsible for distributing whatever third-party information is already available and for honoring the homeowner association's right to submit an offer and, if applicable, to exercise its post-auction purchase right.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Under 25 Del. C. ch. 70 § 7035, homeowners in a Delaware manufactured home community have the right, through a registered homeowner association, to receive advance notice and detailed property information before any auction sale of their community. The homeowner association has 30 days after receiving the auction notice to submit a purchase offer, and if it participates in the auction by providing a required deposit, it may purchase the community within 7 days after the auction for 1% above the winning bid. Homeowners who believe these notice or offer rights have not been honored may wish to contact DMHOA, the Delaware Authority, or a tenant-rights or housing organization familiar with manufactured home community law for information about available options.

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 22, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

Effective Timeline

Current
Oct 21, 2026
Click on timeline segments to view historical versions.

References Out

Rules and statutes cited by this regulation

References In

Rules and statutes that cite this regulation

25 Del. C. ch. 70
25 Del. C. § 7013
25 Del. C. § 7003
25 Del. C. § 7020
25 Del. C. § 7018
25 Del. C. § 7007
25 Del. C. § 7015
25 Del. C. § 7013
25 Del. C. § 7024
25 Del. C. § 7007
25 Del. C. § 7014
25 Del. C. § 7020
25 Del. C. § 7009
25 Del. C. § 7021
25 Del. C. § 7016
25 Del. C. § 7008
25 Del. C. § 7013
25 Del. C. § 7022B
25 Del. C. § 7051
25 Del. C. § 7015
25 Del. C. § 7022
25 Del. C. § 7013
25 Del. C. § 7024
25 Del. C. § 7016
25 Del. C. § 7015
25 Del. C. § 7051A
25 Del. C. § 7052B
25 Del. C. § 7052A
25 Del. C. § 7051
25 Del. C. § 7053
25 Del. C. § 7066
25 Del. C. § 7061
25 Del. C. § 7065
25 Del. C. § 7014
25 Del. C. § 7032
25 Del. C. § 7036
25 Del. C. § 7030
25 Del. C. § 7027
25 Del. C. § 7030
25 Del. C. § 7033
25 Del. C. § 7033
25 Del. C. § 7029
25 Del. C. § 7030
25 Del. C. § 7033
25 Del. C. § 7015
25 Del. C. § 7033
25 Del. C. § 7026
25 Del. C. § 7042
25 Del. C. § 7053
25 Del. C. § 7046
25 Del. C. § 7024
25 Del. C. § 7016
25 Del. C. § 7015
25 Del. C. § 7024
25 Del. C. § 7044
25 Del. C. § 7042
25 Del. C. § 7042
25 Del. C. § 7052
25 Del. C. § 7043
25 Del. C. § 7051
25 Del. C. § 7052B
25 Del. C. § 7022
25 Del. C. § 7003

Related Rules

§ 574.630
§ 574.630 Displacement, relocation and real property acquisition.
§ 2
Notice requirements for termination of affordability restriction
§ 290
Tenant protections in inhabited basement dwelling units and inhabited cellar dwelling units

Source Information

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Fetched:Oct 21, 2026, 05:25 PM UTC