A. It shall be unlawful and constitute the commission of a Class 1 misdemeanor for any manufactured home manufacturer, dealer, broker, or salesperson to be engaged in business as such in this Commonwealth without first obtaining a license from the Board, as provided in this chapter.

Attorney's Note

Under the Virginia Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
Class 1 misdemeanorup to 12 monthsup to $2,500
For details, see Va. Code § 18.2-11

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Terms Used In Virginia Code 36-85.19

  • Board: means the Virginia Manufactured Housing Board. See Virginia Code 36-85.16
  • broker: means any person, partnership, association or corporation, resident or nonresident, who, for compensation or valuable consideration, sells or offers for sale, buys or offers to buy, negotiates the purchase or sale or exchange, or leases or offers to lease used manufactured homes that are owned by a party other than the broker. See Virginia Code 36-85.16
  • dealer: means any person, resident or nonresident, engaged in the business of buying, selling or dealing in manufactured homes or offering or displaying manufactured homes for sale in Virginia. See Virginia Code 36-85.16
  • Department: means the Department of Housing and Community Development. See Virginia Code 36-85.16
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Manufactured home: means a structure constructed to federal standards, transportable in one or more sections, which, in the traveling mode, is 8 feet or more in width and is 40 feet or more in length, or when erected on site, is 320 or more square feet, and which is built on a permanent chassis and designed to be used as a dwelling with or without a permanent foundation when connected to the required utilities, and includes the plumbing, heating, air conditioning, and electrical systems contained therein. See Virginia Code 36-85.16
  • manufacturer: means any persons, resident or nonresident, who manufacture or assemble manufactured homes for sale in Virginia. See Virginia Code 36-85.16
  • Process: includes subpoenas, the summons and complaint in a civil action, and process in statutory actions. See Virginia Code 1-237
  • Regulant: means any person, firm, corporation, association, partnership, joint venture, or any other legal entity required by this chapter to be licensed by the Board. See Virginia Code 36-85.16
  • salesperson: means any person who for compensation or valuable consideration is employed either directly or indirectly by, or affiliated as an independent contractor with, a manufactured home dealer, broker or manufacturer to sell or offer to sell, or to buy or offer to buy, or to negotiate the purchase, sale or exchange, or to lease or offer to lease new or used manufactured homes. See Virginia Code 36-85.16

Application for such license shall be made to the Board at such time, in such form, and contain such information as the Board shall require, and shall be accompanied by required fees established by the Board by regulation in accordance with the Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000 et seq.). The Board shall levy and collect fees that are sufficient to cover the expenses for the administration of this chapter by the Board and the Department. Such fees may be levied and collected on a per unit sold basis, a percentage basis, an annual per dealer basis, or a combination thereof.

In such application, the Board shall require information relating to the matters set forth in § 36-85.20 as grounds for refusal of a license, and information relating to other pertinent matters consistent with safeguarding the public interest. All such information shall be considered by the Board in determining the fitness of the applicant to engage in the business for which the license is sought.

All licenses that are granted shall expire, unless revoked or suspended, on the annual anniversary of the date of issuance.

Every regulant under this chapter shall obtain a renewal of a license for the ensuing year, by application, accompanied by the required fee. Upon failure to renew, the license shall automatically expire. Such license may be renewed upon payment of the prescribed renewal fee and upon evidence satisfactory to the Board that the applicant has not engaged in business as a manufactured home manufacturer, dealer, broker, or salesperson after expiration of the license and is otherwise eligible for a license under the provisions of this chapter.

Special licenses, not to exceed ten days in duration, may be issued for each temporary place of business, operated or proposed by the regulant, that is not contiguous to other premises for which a license is issued. The fee for a special license shall be established by the Board, provided that no such license shall be required for a place of business operated by a regulant that is used exclusively for storage.

B. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, the Board may provide by regulation that a manufactured home salesperson will be allowed to engage in business during the time period after applying for a license but before such license is granted.

1991, c. 555; 1992, c. 223; 1994, c. 671.