24 C.F.R. § 3282.415 – Correction of homes before sale to purchaser.

(a) Sale or lease prohibited. Manufacturers, retailers, and distributors must not sell, lease, or offer for sale or lease any manufactured home that they have reason to know, in the exercise of due care, contains a noncompliance, defect, serious defect, or imminent safety hazard. The sale of a home to a purchaser is complete when all contractual obligations of the manufacturer, retailer, and distributor to the purchaser and conditions specified in § 3282.252 have been met.
(b) Retailer/distributor notification to manufacturer. When a retailer, acting as a reasonable retailer, or a distributor, acting as a reasonable distributor, believes that a manufactured home that has been sold to the retailer or distributor, but for which there is no completed sale to a purchaser, likely contains a noncompliance, defect, serious defect, or imminent safety hazard, the retailer or distributor must notify the manufacturer of the home in a timely manner.
(c) Manufacturer's remedial responsibilities. Upon a Final Determination pursuant to § 3282.412(f) by the Secretary or an SAA, a determination by a court of appropriate jurisdiction, or a manufacturer's own determination that a manufactured home that has been sold to a retailer but for which there is no completed sale to a purchaser contains a noncompliance, defect, serious defect, or imminent safety hazard, the manufacturer must do one of the following:
1. (1) Immediately repurchase such manufactured home from the retailer or distributor at the price paid by the retailer or distributor, plus pay all transportation charges involved, if any, and a reasonable reimbursement of not less than one percent per month of such price paid, prorated from the date the manufacturer receives notice by certified mail of the noncompliance, defect, serious defect, or imminent safety hazard; or
2. (2) At its expense, immediately furnish to the retailer or distributor all required parts or equipment for installation in the home by the retailer or distributor, and the manufacturer must reimburse the retailer or distributor for the reasonable value of the retailer's or distributor's work, plus a reasonable reimbursement of not less than one percent per month of the manufacturer's or distributor's selling price, prorated from the date the manufacturer receives notice by certified mail to the date the noncompliance, defect, serious defect, or imminent safety hazard is corrected, so long as the retailer or distributor proceeds with reasonable diligence with the required work; or
3. (3) Carry out all needed corrections to the home.
(d) Establishing costs. The value of reasonable reimbursements as specified in paragraph (c) of this section will be fixed by either:
1. (1) Mutual agreement of the manufacturer and retailer or distributor; or
2. (2) A court in an action brought under section 613(b) of the Act (42 U.S.C. 5412(b)).
(e) Records required. The manufacturer and the retailer or distributor must maintain records of their actions taken under this section in accordance with § 3282.417.
(f) Exception for leased homes. This section does not apply to any manufactured home purchased by a retailer or distributor that has been leased by such retailer or distributor to a tenant for purposes other than resale. Other remedies that may be available to a retailer or distributor under subpart I of this part continue to be applicable.
(g) Indemnification. A manufacturer may indemnify itself through agreements or contracts with retailers, distributors, transporters, installers, or others for the costs of repurchase, parts, equipment, and corrective work incurred by the manufacturer pursuant to paragraph (c).