(1) The Florida Mobile Home Relocation Trust Fund is established within the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. The trust fund is to be used to fund the administration and operations of the Florida Mobile Home Relocation Corporation. All interest earned from the investment or deposit of moneys in the trust fund shall be deposited in the trust fund. The trust fund shall be funded from moneys collected by the corporation from mobile home park owners under s. 723.06116, the surcharge collected by the department under s. 723.007(2), the surcharge collected by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, and from other appropriated funds.

(2) Moneys in the Florida Mobile Home Relocation Trust Fund may be expended only:

(a) To pay the administration costs of the Florida Mobile Home Relocation Corporation; and

(b) To carry out the purposes and objectives of the corporation by making payments to mobile home owners under the relocation program.

(3) The department shall distribute moneys in the Florida Mobile Home Relocation Trust Fund to the Florida Mobile Home Relocation Corporation in accordance with the following:

(a) Before the beginning of each fiscal year, the corporation shall submit its annual operating budget, as approved by the corporation board, for the fiscal year and set forth that amount to the department in writing. One-fourth of the operating budget shall be transferred to the corporation each quarter. The department shall make the first one-fourth quarter transfer on the first business day of the fiscal year and make the remaining one-fourth quarter transfers before the second business day of the second, third, and fourth quarters. The corporation board may approve changes to the operational budget for a fiscal year by providing written notification of such changes to the department. The written notification must indicate the changes to the operational budget and the conditions that were unforeseen at the time the corporation developed the operational budget and why the changes are essential in order to continue operation of the corporation.

(b) The corporation shall periodically submit requests to the department for the transfer of funds to the corporation needed to make payments to mobile home owners under the relocation program. Requests must include documentation indicating the amount of funds needed, the name and location of the mobile home park, the number of approved applications for moving expenses or abandonment allowance, and summary information specifying the number and type, single-section or multisection, of homes moved or abandoned. The department shall process requests that include such documentation, subject to the availability of sufficient funds within the trust fund, within 5 business days after receipt of the request. Transfer requests may be submitted electronically.

(c) Funds transferred from the trust fund to the corporation shall be transferred electronically and shall be transferred to and maintained in a qualified public depository as defined in s. 280.02 which is specified by the corporation.

(4) Other than the requirements specified under this section, neither the corporation nor the department is required to take any other action as a prerequisite to accomplishing the provisions of this section.

(5) This section does not preclude department inspection of corporation records 5 business days after receipt of written notice.

History.—ss. 1, 2, ch. 2001-231; s. 2, ch. 2003-249; s. 9, ch. 2003-263; s. 22, ch. 2005-3; s. 2, ch. 2013-158.