Section 385-890-A-V - Definitions The definitions contained in this section apply to the terms used in these installation standards.Where terms are not included, common usage of the terms applies.The definitions are as follows:
A. "Act" means the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974, 42 U.S.C. 5401-5426.B. "Alteration" means the replacement, addition, and modification, or removal of any equipment or installation after sale by a manufacturer to a dealer but prior to sale by a dealer to a purchaser which may affect the construction, fire safety, occupancy, plumbing, heat-producing or electrical system.It includes any modification made in the manufactured home which may affect the compliance of the home with the standards, but it does not include the repair or replacement of a component or appliance requiring plug-in to an electrical receptacle where the replaced item is of the same configuration and rating as the one being replaced.It also does not include the addition of an appliance requiring plug-in to an electrical receptacle, which appliance was not provided with the manufactured home by the manufacturer, if the rating of the appliance does not exceed the rating of the receptacle to which it is connected.C. "Anchor assembly" means any device or other means designed to transfer home anchoring loads to the ground.D. "Anchoring equipment" means ties, straps, cables, turnbuckles, chains, and other approved components, including tensioning devices that are used to secure a manufactured home to anchor assemblies.E. "Anchoring system" means a combination of anchoring equipment and anchor assemblies that will, when properly designed and installed, resist the uplift, overturning, and lateral forces on the manufactured home and on its support and foundation system.F. "Approved" means complying with the requirements of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (when used in connection with any material, appliance or construction).G. "Arid region" means an area subject to 15 inches or less of annual rainfall.H. "Base flood" means the flood having a one percent chance of being equaled or exceededin any given year.I. "Base flood elevation (BFE)" means the elevation of the base flood, including wave height, relative to the datum specified on a LAHJ's flood hazard map.J. "Comfort cooling certificate" means a certificate permanently affixed to an interior surface of the home specifying the factory design and preparations for air conditioning the manufactured home.K. "Crossovers" means the utility interconnections in multi-section homes that are located where the sections are joined.Crossover connections include heating and coolingducts, electrical circuits, water pipes, drain plumbing, and gas lines.L. "Design Approval Primary Inspection Agency (DAPIA)" means a state or private organization that has been accepted by the Secretary in accordance with the requirements of Part 3282, Subchapter H, which evaluates and approves or disapproves manufactured home designs and quality control procedures.M. "Diagonal tie" means a tie intended to resist horizontal or shear forces, but which may resist vertical, uplift, and overturning forces.N. "Flood hazard area" means the greater of either: The special flood hazard area shown on the flood insurance rate map; or the area subject to flooding during the design flood and shown on a LAHJ's flood hazard map, or otherwise legally designated.O. "Flood hazard map" means a map delineating the flood hazard area and adopted by a LAHJ.P. "Footing" means that portion of the support system that transmits loads directly to the soil.Q. "Foundation" means a site-built or site assembled system of stabilizing devices which are capable of transferring design dead loads and live loads required by Federal Regulations and other design loads unique to local home sites due to wind and water conditions, that are imposed by or upon the structure into the underlying soil bedrock without failure.R. "Ground anchor" means a specific anchoring assembly device designed to transfer home anchoring loads to the ground.S. "Installation" means the placing of manufactured housing on a foundation or supports at a building site and the assembly and fastening of structural components of manufactured housing, including the completed roof system, as specified by the manufacturer's installation instructions and in accordance with the rules of the Board. Installation also includes the connection to existing services, including but not limited to electrical, oil, water, sewage and similar systems that are necessary for the use of the manufactured housing for dwelling purposes.T. "Installation instructions" means DAPIA-approved instructions provided by the home manufacturer that accompany each new manufactured home and detail the home manufacturer requirements for support and anchoring systems, and other work completed at the installation site to comply with these Model Installation Standards and the MHCSS in 24 CFR Part 3280.U. "Installation standards" means reasonable specifications for the installation of a new manufactured home, at the place of occupancy, to ensure proper siting, the joining of all sections of the home, and the installation of stabilization, support or anchoring systems.V. "Installer" means any licensed manufacturer or dealer or an employee of a licensed manufacturer or dealer, or a person licensed as a mechanic, who engages in the process of affixing, assembling or setting up of manufactured housing on foundations or supports at a building site.W. "Labeled" means a label, symbol, or other identifying mark of a nationally recognized testing laboratory, inspection agency, or other organization concerned with product evaluation that maintains periodic inspection of production of labeled equipment or materials, and by whose labeling is indicated compliance with nationally recognized standards or tests to determine suitable usage in a specified manner.X. "Listed or certified" means included in a list published by a nationally recognized testing laboratory, inspection agency, or other organization concerned with product evaluation that maintains periodic inspection of production of listed equipment or materials, and by whose listing states either that the equipment or material meets nationally recognized standards or has been tested and found suitable for use in a specified manner.Y. "Local authority having jurisdiction (LAHJ)" means the municipalityt hat has local responsibilities that must be complied with during the installation of a manufactured home and those local responsibilities are outside the jurisdiction of the Maine Manufactured Housing Board.Z. "Lowest floor" means the floor of the lowest enclosed area of a manufactured home. An unfinished or flood resistant enclosure, used solely for vehicle parking, home access, or limited storage, must not be considered the lowest floor, provided the enclosed area is not constructed so as to render the home in violation of the flood-related provision of this Standard.AA. "Manufactured home" means a structure, transportable in one or more sections, which in the traveling mode, is 8 body feet or more in width or 40 body 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 in the structure.The term includes all structures that meet the above requirements, except the size requirements and with respect to which the manufacturer voluntarily files a certification pursuant to part 3282.13 and complies with the MHCSS set forth in part 3280.This term does not include any self-propelled recreational vehicle.Calculations used to determine the number of square feet in a structure will include the total of square feet for each transportable section comprising the completed structure and will be based on the structure's exterior dimensions measured at the largest horizontal projections when erected on-site.These dimensions will include all expandable rooms, cabinets, and other projections containing interior space, but do not include bay windows.Nothing in this definition should be interpreted to mean that a manufactured home necessarily meets the requirements of HUD's Minimum Property Standards (HUD Handbook 4900.1) or that it is automatically eligible for financing under 12 U.S.C. 1709(b) certification.BB. MHCSS or "part 3280" means the Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards established in part 3280, pursuant to section 604 of the Act, 42 U.S.C. § 5403.CC. "Manufactured Home Installation Program or "part 3286" means the Manufactured Home Installation Program established in 24 CFR part 3286.DD. MHPER or "part 3282" means the Manufactured Home Procedural and Enforcement Regulations established in 24 CFR part 3282.EE. "Manufactured home gas supply connector" means a listed connector designed for connecting the manufactured home to the gas supply source.FF. "Manufactured home site" means a designated parcel of land designed for the installation of one manufactured home for the exclusive use of the occupants of the home.GG. "Board" means the State of Maine Manufactured Housing Board.HH. "Manufactured Housing Consensus Committee or MHCC" means the consensus committee established pursuant to section 604(a)(3) of the Act, 42 U.S.C. § 5403(a)(3).II. "Model Installation Standards" means the installation standards established pursuant to section 605 of the Act, 42 U.S.C. § 5404.JJ. "Pad" means that area which has been established for the placement of a home.KK. "Penetrometer" means an instrument for determining the consistency or hardness of a substance by measuring the depth or rate of penetration of a rod or needle driven into it by a known force.LL. "Pier" means that portion of the support system between the footing and the manufactured home, exclusive of caps and shims.MM. "Ramada" means any freestanding roof or shade structure, installed or erected above a manufactured home or any portion thereof.NN. "Secretary" means the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, or an official of HUD delegated the authority of the Secretary with respect to the Act.OO. "Set-up" means the work performed and operations involved in the placement and securing of a manufactured home or any portion thereof and includes the connection of existing electrical, oil,gas, water, sewage, and similar systems.PP. "Shall" indicates a mandatory requirement.QQ. "Should" indicates a recommendation which is advised but not required.RR. "Skirting" means weather-resistant material used to enclose the perimeter, under the living area of the home, from the bottom of the manufactured home to grade.SS. "Stabilizing devices" means all components of the anchoring and support systems, such as piers, footings, ties, anchoring equipment, anchoring assemblies, or any other equipment, materials and methods of construction, that support and secure the manufactured home to the ground.TT. "State" means each of the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands and American Samoa.UU. "Support system" means pilings, columns, footings, piers, foundation walls, shims, and any combination thereof that, when properly installed, support the manufactured home.VV. "Tie" means straps, cable, or securing devices used to connect the manufactured home to anchoring assemblies.WW. "Ultimate load" means the absolute maximum magnitude of load that a component or system can sustain, limited only by failure.XX. "Uncontrolled fill" means fill materials that are placed without control of the content of the fill materials or without adequate compaction to assure a bearing capacity without undue settlement.For purposes of these standards, uncontrolled fill shall mean fill materials containing organic matter or fills which are placed without compaction necessary to provide a uniform bearing capacity of 1000 lbs./ft.YY. "Utility connection" means the connection of the manufactured home to utilities that include, but are not limited to, electricity, water, sewer, gas, or fuel oil.ZZ. "Vertical tie" means a tie intended to resist uplifting and overturning forces.AAA. "Wind zone" means the areas designated on the Basic Wind Zone Map, as further defined in Appendix A to this chapter.BBB. "Working load" means the maximum recommended load that may be exerted on a component or system determined by dividing the ultimate load of a component or system by an appropriate factor of safety.02-385 C.M.R. ch. 890, § A-V