Is it legal to disallow children in a conventional RV park?

[Rumline]

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a federal law that prohibits discrimination by privately owned places of public accommodation on the basis of race, color, religion or national origin. "Places of public accommodation" include restaurants, hotels, bakeries, stores, etc, so RV parks would be included as well. Many states have additional laws that include prohibitions on discrimination for things like sexual orientation. However I have not been able to find a state or federal law prohibiting discrimination against customers of a business based on their age.

[Bobby F]

If you look to housing law - rentals, leases - federal law and many state laws now prohibit discrimination based on "familial status" - which means, among other things, the presence of children. (Here's a sample: https://mn.gov/mdhr/yourrights/what-...ected/housing/ )

Does RV lot rental fall under the laws of tenancy? I don't know - but I can see a viable argument for it, and the courts these days tend to be sympathetic to expansions of such protections. I wouldn't want to be on the defense side of such a case.

[Mr_D]

Originally Posted by DutchmenSpor

This was an interesting thread. The back-and-forth was good.

My take-away from all of this: Before staying at any campground, private, public, state, federal, or other, understand ALL the rules so there are no surprises.

We stayed 5 weeks at a private campground in Alabama January and February 2021. We made the reservation a month ahead before we arrived. Two days before we left home, I called the campground again to re-confirm the reservation and our arrival time. While on the call, I specifically asked about the rules .... specifically about COVID restrictions. I was given their standing on the issue, and when we arrived, I was fully aware of what the expectation was. We had no children with us, but we did have 2 dogs and a cat. We wanted perfect clarity on what to expect.

If traveling with pets or kids, those things need to be disclosed to the campground at time of reservation. This way, there are no excuses, you didn't know the rules.

Even State Park reservation sites have check boxes for length and type of RV, 30 or 50 amp hook up, how many adults, how many kids, and how many pets.

I travel with my 4 cats, if the park doesn't ask about pets I don't feel the need to disclose it. And, since my cats are only out on a leash and the park advertises "dog friendly" I don't worry about it.

[TXTiger]

Originally Posted by Rumline

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a federal law that prohibits discrimination by privately owned places of public accommodation on the basis of race, color, religion or national origin. "Places of public accommodation" include restaurants, hotels, bakeries, stores, etc, so RV parks would be included as well. Many states have additional laws that include prohibitions on discrimination for things like sexual orientation. However I have not been able to find a state or federal law prohibiting discrimination against customers of a business based on their age.

Race, color, religion, national origin, and sexual orientation are all a suspect class and are protected by the CRA, but age is not.
There are many 55+ RV resorts, as well as apartment complex’s etc. but they still have certain conditions they must follow. If children are allowed they must still behave and so do adults. If they do not after being warned (notice of due process) they can be evicted.

[FL420]

Originally Posted by larliebler

Just curious if it is legal to refuse to allow family's with children to stay at a Florida RV park? I'm not talking about an over 55 park, just your ordinary run of the mill RV park with no obvious age requirements. My son and his wife initially were told they could stay at the RV park for 6 months, but later the RV park limited their stay to just 2 months.

It may be that the park owners or managers received complaints from other campers that made them change their minds about allowing them to stay the previously stated 6 months. I have no idea if that's the case or not but a recent case I am familiar with brings the possibility to mind.
Due to several unplanned surgeries and the COVID-19 fallout we have been stuck all winter in a small municipal campground with 24 spaces spread out on both sides of a loop on a dirt road. We are in a pull through on the inside of the loop with a back in and a short pull through between us and the apex of the curve where the dumpster and a road to the rodeo arena is located.
A 30ish couple with a young teenage son, a little preschooler boy, a cat, a dog and two small puppies living in a small 5er are (er, were) right in front of us. The husband and the preschooler were sociable. The wife and teenager were not.
The husband drove a diesel pickup with a loud aftermarket exhaust which he would start up, often early in the morning, and let it idle for 20-40 minutes before driving off in it. It usually woke us up but after awhile we got used to it enough to be able to go back to sleep until he drove off waking us up again.
It soon became apparent that the parents were not very attentive to where and what their preschooler and their dog were doing at any particular time. They frequently let them out of the coach and then would get distracted by something else they felt they needed to do and would disappear inside the trailer. Several times I had to stop what I was doing and rescue the child from the middle or the far side of the road.
Once I was backing my car into my parking spot in front of my coach when I noticed the kid was running from their campsite right at the driver's side of my car. It looked like he was going to beat me to my parking spot so I hit the brakes and stopped just before he got to my door. He was so short he disappeared from view right next to the door. I had to open the door very carefully leaving my car half in and out of the road while I led him back to his trailer.
Another time I was returning in my toad when I passed the whole family visiting with friends on the other side of the road several sites prior to ours. The preschooler was standing behind a parked pickup invisible to the four adults talking near to the door of the trailer. I passed by very slowly watching the kid like a hawk until I got to our coach. As I was backing in I noticed the kid was again running at my car. He was halfway there in the middle of the road closer to me than his mother who was chasing him was to him. Again, I hit the brakes stopped halfway in the road as he disappeared from my view right next to the passenger door. When the mother got to him she snatched him up off the ground, glared at me for several seconds then spun around and carried him back to where they had been talking.
I have developed a very good relationship with the Parks and Recs folks and the Campground Host. I wrote a strong Ltr. of Rec. for him to get the job. I talk with them all fairly often so I had to tell them about these incidents. They had already received some complaints from others.
The dog was another matter. She was a lot like the little boy but much faster and could get from one end of the campground to the other in a flash. It was only a matter of time before she got hit or caused a wreck. Again, I told the P&R people and the CH about my concerns. Again, I wasn't the first.
A few weeks ago I realized I hadn't seen the big dog for more than a week. The DW and I were wondering if perhaps something had happened to her. Then, about a week ago, we noticed them piling stuff in a U Haul box truck. Soon they were gone leaving a bunch of trash on their site which was blowing into our site. A few days later I was talking to the CH and he mentioned that the dog had been run over and killed in the campground.
When the people were asked to leave they dumped their grey tank on the road. Fortunately, it wasn't the black tank. The CH was happy to see them go even at the cost of a trashed out campsite and a muddy stinky road.[emoji34][emoji16]
[emoji40]

[Billett Bee]

We have full timed for 5 yrs now and most of the places we stay at have a full pg of rules and disclosures. We like these places because in theory, lots of rules to follow mean's a low stress level for us so we will book months in advance or up too a yr out. some parks we go to we even have to pay for a $75 background check. Most of our stays, it will say in plain language that this is private property and you can be asked to leave for any and or no reason at all without any reimbursement , on the rules paperwork that we sign during check in.
Cgs and resorts are not Like they used to be when we old folks grew up, there are millions of us now living life to it's fullest doing just this. We all know the kid friendly places were kids are welcomed with all the things kids love to do, and we avoid them unless we're just traveling doing day trips and n were just passing through. If folks want to take there kids for a good time to be about the children as they should, its very easy to find yippy Skippy fun places like jellystone, jolly Rogers, koas, and most state parks that advertise all the fun things that Will keep kids busy and out of trouble.
To many folks just think when they go to a place with a pg of rules that there not for real are they, or ill do that anyway I'm sure everybody does it, what's the worst that could happen from washing your rv or truck . Ughhh get told to leave. There are thousands oif child friendly places across this great land as well as thousands of places with rules , for everyone that stays. Lots of choices out there. Renter beware

[arcaguy]

The folks saying that campgrounds are private property and the owner can do what they want should probably read this: https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclope...l%20student%29.


Families with children are a protected class under federal housing law. Whether they are a protected class for RV parks may be open to interpretation as it the law does not specifically define what a "structure" is. That said, I'm with one of the other posters, I would not want to be the defendant in that suit.

[twinboat]

Camp grounds are regulated by the municipilaties they are in.

In many cases, they can't have residents living in them.

If a family decide to take up residence and enroll kids in school, the CG is now non-conforming and subject to violations.

Unless they drag in a park model, they are not in a structure.

[Billett Bee]

Fl420
Good story, shame about the dog, glad it wasn't the kid. Good riddance I say. Your better than me, that's child neglect, not knowing your toddler is playing chicken in the rd with a car, ohhhhhhh boy.
Is the worst een folks think there on there own property and must turn there cats and dogs loose and have no intention of cleaning up after them even though there is a rule for that that says you can be charged and asked to leave, hmmmmm, entitlement . I had this neighbor lady who let her cat out every night. We have a little storage shed on our rv on rear bike rack. One night I'm sleeping next to the window and thud thud thud, what the heck but not heck, open the blind , cats on my shed. I go out there and shoo it away and let the neighbor lady know the next day and the last thing I want is for it to get on my truck then we really got a problem. Ughhh yes sir no problem. 2 nights later thud thud , open curtain , cat, smack the window to try and scare it away and take a deep breath to not over react. Few minutes later, smack smack smack, open the curtain, the lady is hitting my shed with a ful size broom trying to get het cat off. I grab my phone, go out there. Look at her and say where's the cat as I'm turning phone on record, she tells me how mean I am and the cat comes flying off my rv roof and lands on my truck roof. Ohhhhh heck no, without the heck. She goes to swat, I grab broom and tell her to get away from my truck and don't shoo the cat because once its claws come out and scratch my truck, the police are being called and were filling a claim to boot. After a minute, it gently comes down onto my tonnue cover and off truck. By that point my wife had been out there recording getting all the action documented. Next day , bye bye neighbor, good riddance. Bad enough to get on my 90k truck, if I'd a had my 200+k luxe fiver , i dont know what id a done. The husband was not very happy to have to pack up everything the next day and find a new place to go. No one ever understands what they did wrong as there getting told to leave.

[nicky8668]

Originally Posted by larliebler

Just curious if it is legal to refuse to allow family's with children to stay at a Florida RV park? I'm not talking about an over 55 park, just your ordinary run of the mill RV park with no obvious age requirements. My son and his wife initially were told they could stay at the RV park for 6 months, but later the RV park limited their stay to just 2 months.

I know it’s very upsetting, especially after you are already there. Sadly, it’s private and they have every right to choose who to serve as long as it’s not some crazy discrimination stuff. But at the same time, they are still under township/county/state regulation. It’s basically the same as grocery store only serve people 60 years and up at certain time during COVID.
What I was taught when I was a kid is that when people ask you to leave while you are on their property, don’t argue and just leave, even you are right or being discriminated. If you think it worth the time/money, meet them in the court for unexpected expense incurred. No matter what, you are at a disadvantageous position when arguing with people on their property.

Edit: They have the ultimate weapon called trespassing. And if you are right and they can’t win the argument, they will certainly use this against you. Why give them the chance to say “F off” to you when you are right. Life is so much better when you throw the negativity behind you.

[Billett Bee]

Originally Posted by nicky8668

I know it’s very upsetting, especially after you are already there. Sadly, it’s private and they have every right to choose who to serve as long as it’s not some crazy discrimination stuff. But at the same time, they are still under township/county/state regulation. It’s basically the same as grocery store only serve people 60 years and up at certain time during COVID.
What I was taught when I was a kid is that when people ask you to leave while you are on their property, don’t argue and just leave, even you are right or being discriminated. If you think it worth the time/money, meet them in the court for unexpected expense incurred. No matter what, you are at a disadvantageous position when arguing with people on their property.

...

[southernlady]

I know of one RV park that did not allow anyone under the age of 18 (legal drinking age for beer/wine). They were very upfront as to why. No one got upset with it.

[Spdracr39]

If it's a private park and there is no contract line item that discusses it then the park can do pretty much whatever they want.

[Old-Biscuit]

CG didn't know about the KID until the OPs son/family arrived

Is that correct OP??

When did CG shorted the stay from 6 months to 2 months....
Upon arrival/check in
OR after 2 months being there??????

Tenancy Laws can apply.....depends on State Rental/Housing Laws
CA..stays more then 30 Days requires a Landlord/Tenant signed agreement (at least that was our experience in Southern Cal private CG)