Florida Mobile Home Park Owner Bans Food/Meal Deliveries To Occupants

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WhatInThe

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A new Florida mobile home park owner bans food & meal deliveries from a local church food bank with the owner/property manager saying they shouldn't need assistance. One tenant was threatened with eviction for getting a delivery. The occupants are paying rent for space and many are elderly owning their home.The literature says assistance will be provided if needed(something about if people are destitute they will get assistance for them).

http://www.bradenton.com/2015/07/18/5900854_palmetto-mobile-home-park-bans.html?rh=1

The new owner/company is Glucklich LLC. Sounds like someone has plans for the land and not the tenants. Forced gentrification 101. Disgusting.
 

Here some information on the new owner as pointed out in article.

http://www.businessobserverfl.com/print/california-investor-buys-carlyn-estates-mobile-home-park/

Buyer is Glucklich LLC from Sunset Beach California. With the principal being a Tonia Sonju. Purchased for 5.2 million dollars. Looks like it was remortgaged already.

Apparently the new owner started in Compton California in 1977 as an Apartment Building Operator.

http://www.corporationwiki.com/California/Compton/compton-afcom-inc/40227495.aspx
 

Well there's probably more than one side to this story so I'll refrain from comment ...but I do have to make a comment about the woman who seemed to think that everyone has a family who can afford to feed them if their going hungry...and of course we all know that just isn't so...
 
hollydolly said:
Well there's probably more than one side to this story so I'll refrain from comment ...but I do have to make a comment about the woman who seemed to think that everyone has a family who can afford to feed them if their going hungry...and of course we all know that just isn't so...
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Apparently the new owner did clean up the place a bit and got rid of or reduced some of the drug problems. But I'm not sure if the existing tenants signed a new lease since the new owners took over. It is a month to month arrangement meaning the tenant probably has fewer rights than someone who has a yearly lease. The article says the prospectus not lease says no food deliveries without permission.

The women in the video is just as bad as the owner. No matter all of the 'story' or details this is still basically the gentrification of that park, every time a tenant moves out they can raise rent or not re rent until they have enough space for building/s.
 
There are plenty of people that do not need free food but take advantage of that service when they can.

We do need to have services for those unfortunate folks and also to keep the unneeded from ripping off the truly poor folks. I knew of some in Boulder Colorado that did that pretend starvation stuff. That was years back and I hope they have cleaned up that mess there.
 
BobF said:
There are plenty of people that do not need free food but take advantage of that service when they can.

We do need to have services for those unfortunate folks and also to keep the unneeded from ripping off the truly poor folks. I knew of some in Boulder Colorado that did that pretend starvation stuff. That was years back and I hope they have cleaned up that mess there.
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The food bank says it's not just about being poor many seniors simply can't prepare their own food. I heard many food banks are tougher to deal with than the government when it comes to their food let alone delivery as far as qualifiers. Just to go into a food bank and get food off a shelf requires full financial disclosure with many organizations.
 
Mobile homes are an oft-targeted demographic. Their leases are nothing like regular homes, their residents tend to be easily-intimidated elderly and right now there is a hurricane of activity urging investors to buy parks and increase rents.
 
One of the reasons it's so easy to take advantage of mobile home residents is mobile homes are not real property, they cannot be mortgaged. The people who put out the money to own the mobile do not own the land, so they are stuck if they can't get a buyer for their coach and become easy prey for greedy owners. I know when in California you cannot mortgage a Mobile but I am not sure about other locations.
 
WhatInThe said:
The food bank says it's not just about being poor many seniors simply can't prepare their own food. I heard many food banks are tougher to deal with than the government when it comes to their food let alone delivery as far as qualifiers. Just to go into a food bank and get food off a shelf requires full financial disclosure with many organizations.
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And that is why they are hungry. Those are the conditions I was referring to for getting food handouts. All this needs to be designated and enforced. Those phoneys I spoke of in Boulder are the ones that cause problems for those really on the list of eligible for help.

Food banks and charities like the Salvation Army kitchens are not the same but have the same goals for the hungry. Feed those that deserve it and need it.
 
SifuPhil said:
Mobile homes are an oft-targeted demographic. Their leases are nothing like regular homes, their residents tend to be easily-intimidated elderly and right now there is a hurricane of activity urging investors to buy parks and increase rents.
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Phil...Just curious, but why do you think that is? I own a beautiful condo down there, but haven't been down since March. I will be going down shortly, just before I leave for Europe. I have friends that live in a mobile home parks, which one was a co-op and they sold it three years ago. The new owners have raised the rent that last three years 4%, which is the maximum allowed by Florida law. This year, they were also assessed another $15.00 per month to help pay the rise in real estate taxes. Many of these old-timers, like me, just cannot afford to pay these ridiculous fees. My friend called me the other day after he got his notice of the impending raise in rates and was hurting emotionally. It's just him now. His wife died last year. He is 91 and does not get enough SS to survive on now, has no assets, like an IRA and really just lives month to month. I met him while fishing about 7 or 8 years ago and we became good friends. He's an old codger with a wonderful sense of humor and gets around like he's 60 and not 91.

After talking it over with my wife, I invited him to come live with us, telling him that he would only be responsible for his own food and laundry. He has a daughter in Minnesota and she invited him to go live with her, but he refuses because of their winters. He also turned me down. He said that he will have about $60.00 left over each month after he pays his bills and buys his food. It's like he said, after the raise next year, he will be down to even at the end of the month and that just isn't going to work. I think he pays about $700.00 a month in lot rent. I pay $330.00 a month in maintenance fees for the condo.
 
AZ Jim said:
One of the reasons it's so easy to take advantage of mobile home residents is mobile homes are not real property, they cannot be mortgaged. The people who put out the money to own the mobile do not own the land, so they are stuck if they can't get a buyer for their coach and become easy prey for greedy owners. I know when in California you cannot mortgage a Mobile but I am not sure about other locations.
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In Florida, if you own a mobile home and it is situated in a co-op, then yes, you can get a mortgage because it is considered real property. However, you can only mortgage the price of the share in the co-op, but not the home. (Or, something like that.)
 
The main reason I bought our mobile home, in a community, is that we bought the home and the lot. Even though it is a over 55 park, the city owns the streets and maintains them. We borrowed on our place just like buying a regular home. We pay taxes on the lot, very little amount, and can do almost anything to our place without restrictions. We also have a HOA which is not mandatory to join, although to belong, we can use the clubhouse with other members,
We did not want to rent the lot as one is at the mercy of the owners or association. It is happening all around us. The rent is getting so high that folks are selling their homes for half what they paid for them. Luckily, ours holds its value and has increased in value a bit.
 
Pappy...I don't know how much you paid for your lot, but my friend said he originally paid $40,000.00 per share in the co-op. His lot rent fluctuated between a low of $175.00 to a high of $305.00. This included, water, trash pickup and lawn maintenance. When the co-op decided to sell, all they saw were dollar signs. Each co-op member received $73,000.00, which meant they paid capital gains on $33,000.00. When I decided to buy in Florida, I was really considering a mobile home because I could have bought a really big luxurious home for less than I paid for my condo, but decided that I wanted something more permanently structured.

The owners in the co-op were so willing to sell because they could not find anyone to buy their home. The average used double wide home sells for about $30,000.00 and then you have to add the $40,000.00 for the share. It is hard to find a buyer at $70,000.00 for a used mobile home. I paid $88,000.00 for my condo and pay $330.00 per month maintenance fee, which covers, water, trash pick up, lawn maintenance and outside building repair. I do pay taxes and insurance, so yes, it does cost me a pretty penny to maintain that home that I use maybe 3-4 months a year, but the kids also use it, so we get about 5-6 months a year use out of it. However, my $88,000.00 condo is now selling for over $100,000.00, so I am doing OK.
 
Lots are small, but we have great neighbors. No one behind us adds to privacy. Home is 24x53, 2bd, 2 bath. Enclosed Florida room and attached laundry room and workshop. Taxes about $300 per year and insurance is high, hurricanes, $1200 a year. Value, last time I checked, 75,000 to $78,000. We purchased in 2000 at a much lower price. We love it here and such a nice park.
 

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I can relate to that lady's situation. Looked into selling my home and buying a small park model mobile home, in Florida. Even with paying cash for the mobile home....the lowest lot rents would have taken most of my income. With not enough money left for all normal expenses...much less food. And I am sure many seniors are in the same situation that I am.
 
ndynt said:
I can relate to that lady's situation. Looked into selling my home and buying a small park model mobile home, in Florida. Even with paying cash for the mobile home....the lowest lot rents would have taken most of my income. With not enough money left for all normal expenses...much less food. And I am sure many seniors are in the same situation that I am.
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Rents are an issue everywhere. Saw several stories over the last month on renters losing the economic battle. The housing crash actually caused rent increases because fewer can buy/get a mortgage. Many landlords use the rule of thumb that if your monthly salary is less four times the monthly rent they don't want to rent to you. In other words rent should be no more than 1/4 of ones income. Many are above that and have a stagnant income unable to keep up with inflation period.

People forget but a large chunk of Florida's economy is based on retirees with fixed or limited incomes. Throw in a huge immigrant population there is fierce competition for lower cost housing/rents. I knew people who purchased beach front condos for 200Kish right around the time of beginning of the boom(2000ish) with a maintenance fee of 300 a month, by 2005 it was over 700 a month with many in the complex relying on a buyout or pension. Many were told to sell but in a boom that means the next place you go will be high priced as well. Heard many in Florida retreated to Georgia.,
 
ndynt said:
I can relate to that lady's situation. Looked into selling my home and buying a small park model mobile home, in Florida. Even with paying cash for the mobile home....the lowest lot rents would have taken most of my income. With not enough money left for all normal expenses...much less food. And I am sure many seniors are in the same situation that I am.
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Nona, I can relate too, they keep raising my rent by outrages proportions to keep up with market value as they claim, it's what they can fetch, so take it or leave it doesn't matter how long of or good of a tenant you've been. I've seen tenants who were here some ten years evicted after they got fed up and protested their last raise, literally had to carry one guy out he was so fed up, I felt so sorry for him, but, he's doing fine elsewhere, a number of old timers have moved out in the past few years, they were long time residents here there's only a handful of people who were here when I first moved in now most people seem to move in and only stay, these days, for just one year, it's becoming a revolving door living situation here. But thinking I'll stay put one more year, just too much trouble and expense to move this year, but for sure moving next year. I know, I know, I said that twice before, but, I mean it this time.


AZ Jim said:
A local TV station went out and here is the video.

http://wfla.com/2015/07/14/8-on-your-side-are-seniors-starving-at-palmetto-mobile-home-park/
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The story sickens me the Bradenton/Palmetto, mobile move isn't more than some 30 minutes from where I live


Click first story under local stories on the top right Palmetto mobile home:

http://www.mysuncoast.com/videos/
 
So many are just stuck. They own their coaches and can't afford to move them, or have a place to move them, yet can't afford the outrageous space rents.
 
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