Saturday, May 21, 2016
Mobile home residents wary of future
It's not easy to move a mobile home. Or cheap. Which leaves residents of Amberlite Mobile Home Park in Bloomingburg adopting a "wait and see" attitude toward the news that the park is to be sold in July, and the future owner doesn't intend to keep it a mobile home park.
Amberlite mobile home owners received a letter dated March 29 informing them the park is being sold for $960,000 on July 29 to a buyer identified as Amberlite LLC. County tax records indicate the Amberlite property had a full market value of $929,957 in 2015.
“The proposed purchaser has certified to us that it intends either upon closing or within 60 months thereafter, to use the land upon which the manufactured home park is located for a purpose other than manufactured home lot rentals, which will require you to secure other accommodations as a result of such proposed change of use,” said the letter, signed by current park owners Everett and Regina Saunders.
The letter advised mobile home owners that they could form a home owners association and purchase the park themselves for the $960,000 asking price, and that was all the information given. Almost two months later, residents still don’t know if they may be evicted come July 29. Residents who rent homes in the park have not received any notice of the sale at all, which adds to the general sense of confusion.
“They want to disrupt your whole life,” said Pat Barnett, who has been devastated by the situation.
Barnett, 77, shares her trailer with her son, who has had a stroke. She worries they can’t manage a stressful move, and it would cost thousands to move the trailer, which she has owned for 16 years.
Kim Flodin paid $92,500 cash for her mobile home six years ago, and she said buying land or paying the estimated $20,000 cost to move the trailer are out of the question.
“It’s a pretty scary thing,” Flodin said.
Flodin said she’s not angry with the Saunders for jumping on an opportunity, but the residents have no idea what to do next. Some trailers are too expensive to move, and others are so old they may not survive a move.
“You feel like your hands are tied and you can’t do anything,” Flodin said.
Bob Hall, who has lived in Amberlite for 11 years, said his trailer doesn’t even have a hitch to move it, and mobile home parks have a lot of restrictions that limit moving options. The letter seems to indicate it could be five years before residents have to move, Hall said, so he has decided to wait and see what happens after the sale.
“We’re not going to do anything until we get a letter from the [new] owners,” Hall said.
Hall and many others believe that new owner must be Shalom Lamm, the developer building a 396-unit housing complex that is drawing Hasidic residents to the area. Lamm previously bought the Saunders’ hardware store, and Amberlite appears to be on a map of potential future acquisitions that was found last month in some of Lamm’s development documents. Lamm declined to comment whether he was purchasing the park.
Regina Saunders referred all questions about the sale to her attorney, Zachary Kelson, of Monticello. When asked how long the park has been for sale, Kelson said “That is a private matter between my client and the buyer,” and then added, “We will have no comments on this matter.”
After Barnett discussed her distress at the last two village board meetings, several residents offered to help with the move. Locals Chris Lester and Joel Fleischman offered $500 donations. Barnett said she greatly appreciated the offers, especially from a Hasidic resident, but she doesn’t want to take anyone’s money.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” Barnett said.
http://www.recordonline.com/article/20160521/NEWS/160529851
Amberlite mobile home owners received a letter dated March 29 informing them the park is being sold for $960,000 on July 29 to a buyer identified as Amberlite LLC. County tax records indicate the Amberlite property had a full market value of $929,957 in 2015.
“The proposed purchaser has certified to us that it intends either upon closing or within 60 months thereafter, to use the land upon which the manufactured home park is located for a purpose other than manufactured home lot rentals, which will require you to secure other accommodations as a result of such proposed change of use,” said the letter, signed by current park owners Everett and Regina Saunders.
The letter advised mobile home owners that they could form a home owners association and purchase the park themselves for the $960,000 asking price, and that was all the information given. Almost two months later, residents still don’t know if they may be evicted come July 29. Residents who rent homes in the park have not received any notice of the sale at all, which adds to the general sense of confusion.
“They want to disrupt your whole life,” said Pat Barnett, who has been devastated by the situation.
Barnett, 77, shares her trailer with her son, who has had a stroke. She worries they can’t manage a stressful move, and it would cost thousands to move the trailer, which she has owned for 16 years.
Kim Flodin paid $92,500 cash for her mobile home six years ago, and she said buying land or paying the estimated $20,000 cost to move the trailer are out of the question.
“It’s a pretty scary thing,” Flodin said.
Flodin said she’s not angry with the Saunders for jumping on an opportunity, but the residents have no idea what to do next. Some trailers are too expensive to move, and others are so old they may not survive a move.
“You feel like your hands are tied and you can’t do anything,” Flodin said.
Bob Hall, who has lived in Amberlite for 11 years, said his trailer doesn’t even have a hitch to move it, and mobile home parks have a lot of restrictions that limit moving options. The letter seems to indicate it could be five years before residents have to move, Hall said, so he has decided to wait and see what happens after the sale.
“We’re not going to do anything until we get a letter from the [new] owners,” Hall said.
Hall and many others believe that new owner must be Shalom Lamm, the developer building a 396-unit housing complex that is drawing Hasidic residents to the area. Lamm previously bought the Saunders’ hardware store, and Amberlite appears to be on a map of potential future acquisitions that was found last month in some of Lamm’s development documents. Lamm declined to comment whether he was purchasing the park.
Regina Saunders referred all questions about the sale to her attorney, Zachary Kelson, of Monticello. When asked how long the park has been for sale, Kelson said “That is a private matter between my client and the buyer,” and then added, “We will have no comments on this matter.”
After Barnett discussed her distress at the last two village board meetings, several residents offered to help with the move. Locals Chris Lester and Joel Fleischman offered $500 donations. Barnett said she greatly appreciated the offers, especially from a Hasidic resident, but she doesn’t want to take anyone’s money.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” Barnett said.
http://www.recordonline.com/article/20160521/NEWS/160529851
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