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On Wednesday, April 15, your League provided testimony before the Judiciary Committee on two bills, taking different positions on both, and offering an amendment on one of the bills.
After offering a League amendment that was introduced by the bill's sponsor, Rep. Joyce Maker, your League testified in support of L.D. 891 - An Act to Help Municipalities Dispose of Certain Abandoned Property. Your League's Director of Governmental Affairs Elise Baldacci explained to the Committee, "LD 891 is intended to operate when there is no eviction proceeding, presumably because the mobile home is vacant. We have no issue with the problem the bill is seeking to fix. However, it does not contain any protections for a lien holder, such as notice. The Maine Credit Union League, after speaking with the sponsor of the bill, Representative Maker, drafted the amendment that is submitted with my testimony to provide notice to lienholders of the intent to dispose of a manufactured house. The amendment also applies the responsibilities and procedures provided in 10 M.R.S.A. §9097 (B) and (c) and subsection 2-B to the disposition of manufactured housing."
The solution proposed by your League came about as the result, in part, from working with Dick Bradstreet, Executive Director of the Manufactured Housing Association of Maine and a former credit union Board Member. Bradstreet and Baldacci discussed the issues with the bill, and he helped to contact the appropriate parties to gather more information and work towards a solution.
Your League also provided testimony on an issue that has been considered during the past three previous Legislatures, Condo Liens. Testifying in opposition to L.D. 994 - An Act to Create a Priority Lien Securing 6 Months of Assessments under the Maine Condominium Act, Baldacci explained to the Committee, " The Maine Credit Union League strongly opposed the legislation in previous sessions and opposes the legislation before you today because it will negatively impact the availability and terms of mortgage loans to acquire condominium units throughout the State and erode a credit union’s first mortgage on condominium units." Baldacci was also able to use the opportunity to mention the need to streamline the foreclosure process after multiple witnesses testifying on the bill spoke about long, drawn out foreclosures that end up amounting to thousands of dollars in condo assessments. "This was an opening to begin the discussion leading up to our testimony and amendment when the Committee takes up foreclosure bills next week," she said.
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