There are a lot of matters that can come up between tenants and landlords. Finding productive ways to try to work through the disputes is imperative for mobile home park managers and landlords. Since many would like to avoid having to go through the litigation process, they look for alternative ways to handle these matters. Two options to consider are mediation and arbitration.
What is mediation?
Mediation involves both parties trying to negotiate a mutually agreeable outcome for a dispute. The mediator’s job is to keep negotiations on track, but they don’t make decisions about the outcome. If both parties can come to an agreement, it is put in writing. Mediation provides an opportunity to try to settle disputes before they expand to expensive litigation. It also allows you to keep control of your obligations through the process.
What is arbitration?
Arbitration involves putting together a case and presenting it to either a single arbitrator or a panel of arbitrators. Those individuals will listen to both sides of the case and decide the outcome. The decision by the arbitrator(s) is binding, so both parties will have to abide by it. Just as they would after a judgment in court.
The use of these alternative dispute resolution methods should be included in the rental agreement. This ensures that it will be used if the need arises. Many people don’t think that these methods are effective for some aspects of landlord-tenant law, but they can be used for just about anything, including non-payment of rent or evictions.
It’s best to consult your attorney to determine how to handle the need for alternative dispute resolution methods in the rental agreement for your mobile home park. You should also discuss any issues with your attorney to determine the possible methods for resolving them.