Social media lit up with comments from factory-built housing professionals.
They were commenting on what local media claimed was a nearly completed modular home that was being forced out off its home site and out of a reportedly hostile neighborhood.
“A new home erected in an Allendale Township neighborhood less than a month ago will be removed following complaints by neighbors, according to developer Merwyn Koster,” wrote Sherry Kuyt for MLive.
Bill Sheffer, with the Michigan Manufactured Housing Association, told MHProNews that he believes that Kuyt seemed to understands the terminology, and meant “modular” home, per the report.
“The 1,387-square-foot ranch is located at 5367 Crestfield Lane in the Springfields III development, north of Pierce Street and east of 56th Avenue,” Kuyt stated.
“I believe from my read, that he seems to understand what a modular home is,“ Sheffer told the Daily Business 
The Modular Building Institute’s Executive Director, Tom Hardiman, told MHProNews that, “Hard to say from looking at it. If it has a HUD label, its HUD. If it has a Michigan state industrialized building label its mod. Its either built to the IRC or not.”
NIMBY…
What seems certain is that regardless of the code, neighbors raised such a ruckus that the “nearly completed” home would be removed.
“We have received complaints … it is apparent that the neighbors do not want to see a non-traditional home go up in the neighborhood,” said Allendale Township Supervisor Adam Elenbaas.
That angle drew complaints on LinkedIn from industry professionals, who said it was a clear case of “NIMBY,” Not in My Back Yard.
Elenbaas “said the foundation had been constructed with an appropriate permit, but the permit request for the building was not submitted until the day the sections were brought in. The township issued a stop work order while the situation was being investigated, but a few days later, a permit was issued.”
“Elenbaas said the township has no restrictions against modular homes, as long as they meet building codes,” stated Kuyt’s narrative.
“I had to issue a permit … it met all the criteria,” Scharphorn said.
Krolewski told the Daily Business News, “…but if the home meets the building requirements of the township and the community standards of the developer there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be allowed in the neighborhood. It looks comparable to the other homes and the people complaining about it would probably find that it’s built better than their own site-built home at a lower cost.”
Per MLive, the developer reportedly had a say, and decided belatedly against the placement.
Scharphorn said a newer modular home is typically of high quality construction, built in a controlled environment. “They make modulars now that are really, really nice,” he said.
“It’s not a mobile home [sic],” he said. “They’re built to exceed minimum code … people driving by them would never know (it’s a modular),” MLive reported.
Therein Lies The Rub…
Scharphorn added, “It just looks different when they roll them in on a trailer.”
Publisher L. A. “Tony” Kovach posted this comment on LinkedIn, “…Can the builders of MODs and HUDs get along?…this story, if it truly was a modular home, and not a HUD Code home, at least suggests the problem both have in the mind of many in the public. MOD, prefab, and HUD Code manufactured home builders would be wise to collaborate…Part of that collaboration needs to be educational in nature.” ## (News, analysis.)
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