Living on a merry-ro-round

I’ve written dozens of stories involving residents who live in Sussex County’s numerous manufactured home parks.

Those stories have covered a variety of topics including increasing rents, variances, shed placement, code changes, evictions and unscrupulous park owners.

After a recent rather heated Delaware Manufactured Homeowners Association meeting it dawned on me that these issues are on a perpetual merry-go-round that never seems to stop.

It’s hard to get at the root to explain why this is happening, so let’s break it down and see where we end.

It’s really big business. Absentee and local park owners are making millions collecting rents from the tens of thousands of residents who live in manufactured homes on leased land.

Most of those who live in parks are either retired or use their homes as weekend and summer homes. Although many parks have rentals, most people own their own homes because they are inexpensive compared to stick-built homes.

Most parks have strict rules and even require background and credit checks.

Those who live in parks all year, including families, choose to live there because of the affordability factor and the fact that it’s hard to find another type of affordable housing in eastern Sussex County.

Almost every manufactured home resident in a park lives on leased land. Park owners are permitted to raise rents once each year if they so desire. Although there was a spurt of rents going sky high, most park owners have kept increases to a minimum or not had raises at all over the past two years.

Rents are tied to many factors, including location, and are anywhere from as little as $200 per month to more than $1,000 per month. The average seems to be between $300 and $450 per month (when I lived in park many moons ago the rent was $30).

Because of the economy, many homeowners are stuck where they live because they cannot afford to move their home or sell because home values are low.

Even with the issues facing manufactured home residents, it’s safe to say the vast majority of people are not up in arms over unfair treatment.

Yet, complaints keep coming in. It’s the kind of complaints that don’t surface among homeowners and apartment and condo dwellers; the complaints seem unique to those living in manufactured homes.

Some people end up in really nice parks with fair owners while others end up in parks where park owners only care about one thing – money.

Recently a retired manufactured home resident approached me and said it must appear that all park residents do is complain, adding there was a lot to complain about, and apparently nowhere to turn for solutions.

I’ve heard horror stories of residents who are intimidated to the point of being afraid to speak out about issues in their parks.

Many of the most outspoken are convinced those in authority treat manufactured home residents as second-class citizens. I’ve heard that statement over and over again. Although it goes beyond my comprehension, perhaps there is some truth to that. But I think it’s more about the business of making money off the land where the homes sit.

So we end at the beginning – it’s all about money. One man compared manufactured home residents to ATM machines to be used at the whim of the landowners. Those who live in the parks sometimes end up as pawns stuck in the middle.