Riverview residents raise concern over rent increases from new ownership of mobile home park
RIVERVIEW, Fla. - Rent prices are climbing across the board, but some seniors in Riverview say theirs is climbing higher than normal.
In the two years since Legacy Communities has taken over ownership of The Country Villa Estates Mobile Home Park, some residents say their total rent has gone from around $600 to more than $900.
Some have taken dramatic measures to make ends meet. One woman is selling plasma and visiting food pantries to continue living in the community she loves and in the home she's had for years.
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Two years ago, Linda Schryer moved to Florida from New York.
"I found my little slice of Paradise that was affordable," Schryer said.
She settled at County Villa Estates Mobile Home Park in Riverview with a total monthly rent of $633 dollars, which includes $585 for the base rent for the lot and $48 for cable and internet.
"Found out one month later that the park had been sold," Schyrer shared.
It was sold to Legacy Communities, which has increased the rent year after year. Now Schryer is paying a total rent of just over $900, roughly a 44 percent increase. It's the exact same situation for resident Melissa Preen.
"I was shocked by it. It brought me to tears. It's distressing. I've been devastated. When I saw the new documents I didn't know how I was going to do it," Preen said.
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In the latest notice it shows Preen's new base rent of $775 but under Legacy -- water isn't included in the rent. Legacy is also having residents pay some of the property taxes, which is legal but residents say the previous owners didn't do that.
It puts Preen's total rent at just over $900. To make ends meet, she says she's now selling blood plasma and visiting food pantries.
"I've never had to do that, and I can't even drive my car. I almost lost it because I couldn't make the payments, so it's been debilitating. I've lost sleep about it," Preen said.
FOX 13 reached out to Legacy Communities, which issued the following statement:
"Legacy Communities is committed to our residents and to providing affordable and quality communities. Our sole business is managing manufactured home communities and we take pride in maintaining and improving our communities, fostering a community-like culture, and ensuring residents experience high-level customer service.
Since acquiring Country Villa Estates in 2022, Legacy has invested $265,000 in capital improvements, and has plans for an additional investment of $100,000.
Legacy works diligently to mitigate costs to keep rent increases reasonable and to keep residents in our communities. The two rent increases at Country Villa Estates have averaged approximately 11%, primarily due to increased operating costs. As with most industries, interest rates have more than doubled, insurance costs have increased dramatically, and most common expenses have surpassed CPI.
It’s also important to note that residents are not responsible for the full property tax, only the incremental ad valorem property tax and non-ad valorem assessments are passed on to residents, as allowed by Florida statute.
Our business model is reliant on keeping our existing residents in-place, and we consistently review operating expenses and planned upgrades to ensure our communities remain affordable. We also understand our residents may have temporary challenges paying rent due to job loss, illness, and unforeseen medical bills, etc. If requested, our "Catch Up Payment Program" offers an installment plan in those circumstances."
"There's been several requests with Legacy for meetings, and they've all gone unanswered. We want answers," Schryer said.
Residents planned to hold a rally on Saturday, March 23 from 10 a.m. to noon at Country Villa Estates to protest the rising rent costs. They also say they are pursuing legal options to try and get any relief they can.
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