Dio Kaufman

I’m Dio Kaufman, I live in Saratoga Springs. I moved into my community in July of 2020. Previously, we were renting and we’d owned a home. My health has been declining since 2019, and as of last year, I’ve been the only one in my family to be employed, working as a freelancer. This means my income can fluctuate greatly. A house was too much expense and work for me to keep up with. But the apartment was not good for our health during the pandemic. Neighbors blatantly disregarding safety rules and so forth. The rents were increasing every year, and I knew we would soon be priced out of the housing market.

Dio stands in a park holding a sign that says "People need homes boats don't" and "Eviction=death".

During lockdown, I was fortunate to be able to save and afford a mobile home. This place was the most affordable lot rent, a walk to the lake, and had a fenced in yard. This was important as I wanted to rescue dogs, which has been a lifelong dream. Most places will not adopt out if you don’t have a fenced yard. [I am paying off a loan on the home that will be fulfilled about four years from now. ]

In 2021, Mike Giovanone, who also owns several “Boat N RV” Storage condos,  bought our community.  We got a letter in January 2021 stating the previous owner, Brett Van Zandt, had been given an offer for sale Initially, we were told the new owner, Mike Giovanone, intends to change the use of the park. Recently, after several media interviews from residents including me, he issued a letter stating he may or may not use the land to expand his boat storage unit. All of a sudden, it feels like we are living in a land owned by someone who appears to be biding his time until he can evict us and expand his boat storage company. 

The arrangement was that we would pay $450 per month for the first year, and if we paid it on time it would drop to $412. The first month paying rent to the new owner is the time of the 12 month period, so we are now at $412, however, the new owner has also indicated per the lease that in 90 days the rent goes up by the legal amount for the year. 

We now have late fees that weren’t part of the original agreement. The new lease states that if we do not make repairs or keep up our lots to the sole discretion of the owner or his designees, he would have a crew come in and do the work to his liking at our expense. 

He is also now requiring all cats that go outdoors to be spayed/neutered and on a leash. This was not the case before. He has grandfathered in existing pets and put weight limits on future dogs brought into the park. We previously did not have a lease and had affordable lot rents. There were no strict rules, it was a pretty lowkey “live and let live” kind of place. The new owner has given us an application to fill out to apply to renew our leases. He’s also issued new leases with stringent rules including instituting “quiet hours” from 9pm to 7 am. In addition, per the lease we would have to paint our propane tanks, children would not be allowed to play outside unsupervised by an adult at all times, and we are not allowed to work on vehicles outside our homes without written permission.

The scariest thing that that he’s written into the lease that buildings must meet a certain standard subject to his judgment- so we could be potentially putting more money into our homes without even knowing if we get to keep them for more than five years. 

I’m worried about retaliation. In addition to the change of ownership, I’ve become a target for harassment because I’ve been outspoken in advocating for the community. I’ve had false claims called into the police, accusing me of saying things I didn’t say. I can’t leave my home to check the mail without wearing a body camera because I need to have proof of what I’m doing since the first time I met him he lied to the police about me. 

We need to come together and fight back. We are a community of young families, the elderly, the disabled and chronically ill. We are essential workers. We are people who earn lower incomes and deserve to keep our homes. During this time, when there is an unprecedented economic and housing crisis, it is unconscionable to think the town would support any development on this land that would destroy affordable housing. This is one of the last vestiges of affordable housing in the entire capital region. Most of my neighbors have lived here for years- a decade or more. We can’t afford to live elsewhere. 

I want them to understand their rights and not feel bullied by someone who has the money and resources to intimidate people. I want them to be able to maintain their homes and lifestyles here for as long as they would like to. All we want is to keep our roofs over our heads.