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Mobile home residents brace for another battle

The chairman of the homeowners committee at the Harbor View park says some residents are paying too much rent.

By COLLEEN JENKINS
Published October 5, 2005

NEW PORT RICHEY - Facing a double-digit rent hike earlier this year, residents of Harbor View mobile home park scored a temporary victory in April when the park's corporate owner acquiesced to a slight 21/2-percent increase for 2005 instead.

But many of the park's residents are gearing up for another fight with Equity Lifestyle Properties. Some worry that their relief is short-lived. Others already are paying higher rates than they should, said Don Blatchford, chairman of the park's homeowners committee.

"Our base rent is at or above market," Blatchford said. "They refuse to accept that."

Blatchford recently sent a letter to Sam Zell, the billionaire behind Equity and the nation's largest landlord. He warned Zell that, for the second time this year, dozens of residents are prepared to withhold part of their rent checks.

The reason: About 53 newer residents contend they were tricked into signing an agreement that has them paying 44 percent higher rents than their neighbors paid last year. Another dozen or so who bought units from Equity through default or evictions also pay more than the rate negotiated by the homeowners committee, Blatchford said.

The 407 residents who fought for a minimal rent increase now are paying between $238 and $259 a month, Blatchford said Friday. But some newer residents' bills range from $303 to $347.

The corporate owner's tactics for increasing rent were "so sneaky," Blatchford said.

Calls to Equity, which owns or has an interest in 284 communities in 28 states and British Columbia, were not returned. Other Equity parks have faced similar controversy.

Blatchford, 80, feels so strongly about the increases that he continues on as the committee chairman even though he has moved to another mobile home park.

"We have got 460-and-some residents in that park. Over 200 live on fixed incomes that have to make a choice every month, whether to pay the increase in the rent or whether to buy food and medicine," he said, getting choked up.

"They're being pushed to the wire. And I'm going to fight them as long as I can."

[Last modified October 5, 2005, 01:14:17]