FL Mobile Home Residents in 55+ Community Allegedly Fear Eviction Over Assessment For Thousands

Photo byUser Morven on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

For some Floridians, living in a mobile home park offers a reasonably-priced retirement since many residents own their mobile homes but pay lot rent - which is sometimes less than renting an apartment.

However, sometimes unexpected expenses crop up and are then required. When this happens, it can be devasting to some senior citizens who have a very strict budget due to living on a fixed income.

Unfortunately, for some seniors in central Florida, an unexpected assessment of thousands of dollars means some of them could allegedly face eviction.

What Happened?: According to Bay News 9 reporting in late November of 2023, Legacy Communities purchased the 55+ mobile home park of The Highlands of Scotland Yard in early 2022.

In August of 2023, Legacy Communities reportedly sent notices to some tenants allegedly stating that the tenants had to pay $3,557 for “capital improvements” or face eviction.

81-year-old-tenant Ned Sponsler reportedly told the station:

“I’ve had women coming up to the house with tears in their eyes. They’re worried about sleeping in the street at night. They have nowhere to go. Their families are all gone. They’ve lived here 8 or 10 years and they can’t afford $3,500.”

Next Steps: According to The Tampa Bay Times, on November 8th, Legacy reportedly sent notice that residents who did not pay the assessment within 5 days would face eviction.

In response, some homeowners filed a lawsuit alleging in part "unreasonable and excessive" increasing rent and "unlawful legal disparity" because not all units received the assessment.

This is a developing story and I will provide an update if there are any new developments. The author is not affiliated with any mobile home parks or management companies.