When a service agreement exists between or among a manufacturer, dealer, and supplier to provide warranty service, the agreement shall specify which such responsible party is to remedy warranty defects. Every such service agreement shall be in writing. Nothing contained in such an agreement shall relieve the responsible party, as provided in this chapter, of responsibility to perform warranty service. However, any responsible party undertaking such an agreement to perform the warranty service obligations of another shall thereby become responsible both to that other responsible party and to the buyer for his failure to adequately perform as agreed.

When no service agreement exists for warranty service, the responsible party as designated by the provisions of this chapter is responsible for remedying the warranty defects.

A defect shall be remedied within forty-five days of receipt of the written notification of the warranty claim, unless the claim is unreasonable or a bona fide reason exists for not remedying the defect within the forty-five-day period. The responsible party shall respond to the claimant in writing with a copy to the Board stating what further action is contemplated by the responsible party. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, defects which constitute an imminent safety hazard to life and health shall be remedied within three days of receipt of the written notification of the warranty claim. An imminent safety hazard to life and health shall include but not be limited to (i) inadequate heating in freezing weather; (ii) failure of sanitary facilities; (iii) electrical shock or leaking gas; or (iv) major structural failure. The Board may suspend this three-day time period in the event of widespread defects or damage resulting from adverse weather conditions or other natural catastrophes.

When the person remedying the defect is not the responsible party as designated by the provisions of this chapter, he shall be entitled to reasonable compensation paid to him by the responsible party. Conduct which coerces or requires a nonresponsible party to perform warranty service is a violation of this chapter.

Warranty service shall be performed at the site at which the manufactured home is initially delivered to the buyer, except for components which can be removed for service without undue inconvenience to the buyer.

Any responsible party shall have the right to complain to the Board when warranty service obligations under this chapter are not being enforced.

1991, c. 555; 1992, c. 223.