When I started writing this column, on Sept. 28, 2002, I was approaching the age of 70. I knew I had at least one strong asset in my favor: my wife, JoAnne, whose 12 years of Catholic education make her exceptionally strong in English, grammar and spelling. She is my proofreader and chief critic.
A number of columns have been inspired by you, via e-mail and snail mail. Please continue to pass on your suggestions!
For other ideas, I take a look at my life as a resident of a manufactured home, a community primarily of homes on leased lots, and draw on my experience with the Federation of Manufactured Home Owners as a member of the district board of directors and as our community representative. I look back and see the mistakes I made as a manufactured homeowner, those things I did right, and the experiences of my neighbors.
I am not an expert on any topic, nor am I a lawyer. Thus I am not qualified to answer legal questions, and I refer readers to their own attorneys for answers to those questions. My columns are derived from research and interviews with what I hope are experts. I attempt to respond to reader inquiries, but due to the volume of inquiries I may not achieve a 100 percent response rate. I am not able to provide photocopies of articles, do additional research or incur the cost of long-distance calls.
Let me close out the year with a few predictions for 2004.
Rents will increase every year in land-lease communities.
Residents in land-lease communities will feel that the rent increase is too high.
Residents and park owners will continue to disagree on major issues because their goals and interests are diametrically opposed.
"Market rents" will continue to mystify residents and be misunderstood.
The number of rental communities that change to resident-owned communities will increase.
New home buyers in rental communities will fail to read and understand their prospectus.
Residents of rental communities will fail to read and understand the rules and regulations.
The Federation of Manufactured Home Owners Association of Florida Inc. will continue to struggle in its attempt to increase membership.
The FMO will continue to be unable to get its message out as to why owners of factory-built housing should belong. The FMO will continue to be short on long-range planning.
The FMO and the FMHA (Florida Manufactured Housing Association) will in most cases take opposing views on legislative changes to Chapter 723.
Many residents in rental communities will fail to understand the value and necessity of their homeowners association. They will not join, or volunteer to serve to help their community, or, heaven forbid, step forward as an officer or director. They will fail to recognize that it is the only organization in their community to protect their interests with the park owners.
Residents in rental communities will not read or understand the value of Chapter 723 and how it protects their lifestyle.
Owners of factory-built housing will not understand the value of FMO and Chapter 723 and will not join FMO, asking, "What has it done for me?" or saying the $20 dues are too high.
The media - print, radio and TV - will continue to discriminate against our homes, continuing to call them "coaches," "trailers" and "mobile homes" in a derogatory manner.
The forced eviction of longtime residents of factory-built homes in rental communities will continue as long as politicians will consider a change in the comprehensive plan "in the public interest."
The industry nationwide will struggle to find and settle on one identity, such as "factory-built housing."
More than likely, the 16 items listed above will be the same 12 months from now.
I look forward to the challenge of writing this column for you, my readers, in 2004.
- Send comments or questions to Len Bonifield at elb@gate.net or fax to 863 853-8023, or phone (863) 858-1557. Please include your e-mail and mailing address. Because of the volume of mail and phone calls, he can't respond personally to every query. Bonifield is a manufactured home resident and a past homeowners association president and former officer of the FMO District 1 board of directors.
