TAUNTON — Residents of Leisurewoods in Taunton say the manufactured home community is plagued by rent disparities and aging infrastructure — and they are calling on the city and state to do something about it.
On June 13, about 50 residents of the 55-and-older manufactured home community attended a forum in the clubhouse hosted by their homeowners association to vent these frustrations.
State Sen. Marc Pacheco spoke to the residents about the state of manufactured housing in Massachusetts, and what laws and safeguards exist for these communities.
“You've got to get politically active. Write emails. Go to Council. Think about all your needs,” and bother as many people about your issues as you can, the Taunton Democrat told them.
Residents pay different amounts for same size lots
Rent disparities are the residents' main complaint.
Mary Jane Cummings, a resident since 2017, said residents who moved into the park more recently are charged a higher base rent than residents who've lived there longer.
And resident Stuart Briggs said there are no differences between lot sizes and services rendered by the property owner, Hometown America, at Leisurewoods, which is located at 50 Highland Street and has 222 units.
“Everyone should be paying the same amount, for the same plot of land,” said Denise Waite, resident in Leisurewoods since 2020.
But that's not what happens, residents said. One resident, who moved in in 2007, has a base rent of $459. Another resident, from 2017, has a base rent of $629.
The base rent never changes, it just gets added onto for inflation each year, so the base should be the same regardless of how long someone has lived there, residents said.
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What does the law say?
According to the state’s Manufactured Housing Act , "any rule or change in rent which does not apply uniformly to all manufactured home residents of a similar class shall create a rebuttable presumption that such rule or change in rent is unfair."
The Attorney General’s Guide to Manufactured Housing Community Law mirrors the Manufactured Housing Act, saying, “Time of entry into an occupancy agreement with a community, however, does not create dissimilar classes. Therefore, owner/operators may not charge new residents entering the community a different rent than residents already living in the community where, for example, they have similar lot sizes and use similar amenities.”
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Allegations of being overcharged for rent
Briggs and Cummings also said rents are supposed to be determined by a formula of base rent adjusted for inflation each year. But, they said, there have been miscalculations, like using the wrong inflation percentage, or using the wrong base rent when calculating annual rent.
“I’ve taken it on blind faith the last 14 years. I assumed they were adding the numbers right. Shame on me for not checking,” said Briggs, who added that many residents made the same mistake.
Anne Hartley, president of Leisurewoods Homeowners Association, told the Gazette residents have approached management over the disparities and overcharges, but nothing is being done.
“They have very expensive attorneys. They’ll drag this on forever. We feel like little people fighting corporate greed here with no solution," said Cummings.
What does park owner say about rents?
The Gazette left messages for Hometown America’s media inquiries phone number but no one picked up when called.
The Gazette made contact with Seven Star Strategies, which handles communications and public relations for Hometown America. A representative said due to ongoing litigation, Hometown America will not be commenting on any questions regarding allegations of rent disparities or how they make their calculations for the 222 occupied homes presently in Leisurewoods.
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Complaints about power outages ... and surges
Residents we spoke to also expressed frustration and worry over the property’s electrical system, saying it's prone to numerous power outages during periods of extreme weather or heavy use, and power surges that damage homes’ appliances and systems.
“We’ve had several power outages since I moved here. I’ve replaced over $3,000 worth of appliances,” Waite said.
Waite said many residents are on fixed incomes and often can’t afford such costly replacements.
Briggs said much of the property’s electrical infrastructure was built underground when the park was established decades ago. Briggs said he believes the entire system is reaching its end of life, with damaged cables suffering short outs whenever rain or melted snow seeps underground and makes contact.
“Nobody wants to open up Pandora's box,” he said.
Response to electrical issues
A spokesperson for Hometown America at Seven Star Strategies told the Gazette the electrical problems started after a storm in December 2022, which brought TMLP in for initial repairs. In May 2023 they paid TMLP to replace nine electrical sectionalizing boxes on the property with newer, better insulated ones. But the boxes remain on backorder due to unforeseen delays, such as the original order getting lost, according to what TMLP told Hometown America. The spokesperson also said that in May 2023, Hometown America had all the electric meters for the property upgraded.
Regarding testing and possibly upgrading the underground power transmission lines, the spokesperson said, “we have engaged with a testing company to gain information on this process, but have not yet determined next steps.”
Park owner facing new lawsuit after losing previous one
Hometown America is currently fighting and lobbying against statutes in the state’s Manufactured Housing Act pertaining to uniform rent structures.
Hometown America is being sued over alleged rent disparities by residents of two of its other manufactured housing communities: Oak Point in Middleboro and Miller’s Woods and River Bend Manufactured Housing Community in Athol. That case, Bartok et al. v. Hometown America, LLC, et al , is currently before the U.S. District Court in Boston.
The lawsuit was spurred by a previous lawsuit against Hometown America, Blake vs. Hometown America Communities, Inc . , by residents of Oakhill Park in Attleboro over rent disparities. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled against Hometown America in that case in 2020, saying rents must be uniform for residents of these communities.
Have Leisurewoods residents sued?
Residents of Leisurewoods told the Gazette they have not sued the owner because they cannot afford to. They had wanted to join the class action suit against the company but since it has been going on for three years, it was too late to enter.
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Reaching out to the state
Briggs and Cummings told the Gazette they engaged in a letter and e-mail writing campaign to elected officials, including the attorney general and governor's offices.
The residents received a response dated July 1 from the state's Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities saying they'd asked the Attorney General's Office to "investigate the concerns you raised about your community's rent structure."
A representative from the Attorney General's Office said, since 2023, the office has received 13 complaints and two petitions from residents at Leisurewoods. They also said the AG's Office can't comment on any open complaints, but is in contact with both the residents of Leisurewoods and Hometown America.
Residents ask city for help
Colleen Ellis, secretary for the Homeowners Association at Leisurewoods, said in a June 25 letter to Mayor Shaunna O'Connell and the City Council they have been communicating with the mayor's office for months about the rent and infrastructure issues and "we are frustrated and concerned as to why, as of this date, we have neither seen nor heard of any results or action being taken."
Ellis' letter concluded with requesting a public meeting with the Council "to determine what can and cannot be done to assist the many voting seniors who live here at Leisurewoods."
'Private dispute between tenants and their landlord'
In a letter to the City Council dated June 28, O’ Connell said Leisurewoods is private property and “the city is hamstrung by the fact that this is a private dispute between tenants and their landlord.”
Despite that, her office and numerous other city departments have been in communication with residents at Leisurewoods, looking into their concerns and either relaying information to Hometown America or offering other recourse to the residents.
O’Connell said, “While it is understandable that the residents continue to be frustrated since they have not attained all the results they are seeking, the city has, and continues, to put in a substantial amount of time and effort to assist them.”
What next?
At the July 2 City Council, a motion was approved to refer the issue to Committee for the Council as a Whole for a future date and to invite residents of Leisurewoods to discuss matters further.
This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Taunton residents sound alarm over rents at manufactured home park. The allegations
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