Christine Miceli
Lawmakers need to know what life is like living in a manufactured home community. We are owned by a predatory Corporation, RHP Properties. When they bought our community at the end of 2017, that’s when we started to see outrageous lot rent increases, poor maintenance, no respect for tenants, and poor maintenance, including people not being able to leave their homes because of snow not being plowed.
Christine stands smiling on a red porch. Her arms are crossed in front of her and she is smiling.
We can’t afford for our lot rents to be raised every year. We own our homes but rent the land that our houses sit on, and we the homeowners have to maintain the lawn around our houses and the driveway.
I moved to Silver Stream Community in New Windsor, NY in 1999. When I purchased my home, I thought it was a good opportunity and affordable. My lot rent was $375 per month and included water and sewage. The owner at the time would raise the lot rent by $20 every year. At the end of 2017, RHP Properties bought the community and drastically raised rents – now I am paying $906 just for lot rent. Water and sewage is extra, and our water is not drinkable at all. If we have to pay for water separately then we shouldn’t also have to pay the owner the extra fee for water and sewage. It costs me more because, according to the Hudson Valley health department, the water is not drinkable and I have to go out and buy bottled water to cook and drink
I experienced lot fee increases of up to $50 every year from RHP Properties, until we banded together last year and had a victory. Manufactured home communities across upstate NY were included in state legislation where the owners of manufactured communities are not allowed to raise lot rents more than 3% without justification. When RHP wanted to give us an unlawful increase of over 5%, we fought back and won. Because of the new protection, presently I am able to pay my lot rent, but if the increases continue then it will be a big struggle for me. I have friends and neighbors that are truly struggling more now with this Covid-19 epidemic, losing their jobs and income, and scared of losing their homes. Since the beginning of the epidemic, RHP hasn’t had any kind of communication with anyone within the community or with any of the families that are struggling during this difficult time, nor have they mentioned anything about the upcoming year if the pandemic continues.
I’d like to let our elected officials know how urgently we need their support during these difficult times we are all facing with the Covid-19 pandemic. We need to #cancelrent and mortgages, and pass a “Good Cause” eviction bill to prevent residents from being unjustifiably evicted from their homes. We need to come together to fight for more protections now, so that there are no repercussions after this pandemic is over for residents of manufactured home communities and for renters across NY state who are struggling to make ends meet.
