CO cell residence parks see stronger oversight, extra resident-owned communities

LITTLETON, Colo. — In a quiet Littleton group off Sante Fe, a clubhouse as soon as off limits to individuals dwelling in Meadowood Cellular Residence Park is now filled with individuals.

“Earlier than, we weren’t even allowed to make use of the clubhouse,” stated Sandy Cook dinner, resident and board president for the group. “Now, we will do what we wish inside.”

The neighborhood calendar is crammed with occasions starting from Monday morning espresso membership to group meals banks.

On one explicit Monday, a bunch of seniors gathered round tables consuming espresso and sharing tales of how far they’ve come within the final 12 months.

“It is an awesome place to stay,” stated Irma Karnes, 92. “So to me, it has been a miracle.”

For Karnes and her neighbors, that miracle was the power to provide you with the cash — $18 million — to purchase their cell residence park fairly than see it offered to a big company that they consider would have elevated the lease to quantities that might have pressured some to maneuver.

And that miracle at Meadowood will not be a standalone — a number of cell residence house owners are taking issues into their very own fingers, and shopping for their very own parks to manage their very own future if circumstances deteriorate beneath company possession.

In the meantime, state regulators have made progress on investigating complaints and citing landlords after Denver7 Investigates reported on a big backlog final 12 months.

Sandy Cook dinner, a resident and board president at Meadowood Cellular Residence Park, spoke with Denver7 Investigates in regards to the reduction of being part of the brand new resident-owned group. Hear extra from her in our prolonged interview clip under.

Prolonged clip: Sandy Cook dinner on the brand new resident-owned group of Meadowood Cellular Residence Park

State regulators enhance oversight

For years now, company house owners have been shopping for parks throughout the state, and studies of neglect have develop into frequent.

Final 12 months in Fort Collins, residents informed Denver7 Investigates tales of skyrocketing lease, contaminated water and sewage leaks.

“It is foul. You are not speculated to stay with uncooked sewage proper beneath you,” one resident stated.

Watch our report from September 2024, the place our investigative crew spoke with susceptible residents who had been scuffling with rising lot lease, contaminated water and leaking uncooked sewage.

Colorado’s cell residence disaster: Residents report rising lease, contaminated water, sewage leaks

A Denver7 investigation discovered that residents could not rely on the state’s Cellular Residence Park Oversight Program (MHPOP) to reply.

Complaints from 2020 took a median of 937 days, or two-and-a-half years, to shut. Final fiscal 12 months, this system solely issued two notices of violation.

For the previous six months, Denver7 Investigates has been conserving tabs on the state’s promise to catch up, and regulators are making progress.

New information launched by the state confirmed that MHPOP has eradicated the backlog in complaints from the primary 4 years of this system. Additionally, as a substitute of taking two-and-a-half years to resolve complaints, the state has diminished the typical time to 36 days.

It additionally issued 80 notices of violation in opposition to landlords.

Regulators and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis’ workplace declined requests for interviews. As an alternative, Maria De Cambra, government director of the Division of Native Affairs, offered the next assertion:

“Earlier than our program, many cell residence residents felt they did not have a voice. Now, we’re guaranteeing their rights are protected. We have made large strides in resolving complaints shortly and we’ve additionally eradicated a significant backlog of instances, displaying our dedication to this essential challenge. The constituents we serve are taking discover, as mirrored in a latest Program survey the place respondents expressed a 74% satisfaction fee, citing speedy responses and useful service.”

The elevated responsiveness has not gone unnoticed.

“It is nearly evening and day in comparison with the start,” stated Tim Townsend, program director with Thistle ROC, a nonprofit that works with state regulators and helps cell residence residents purchase their very own parks.

“I’ve seen an enchancment with the oversight program,” Townsend informed Denver7 Investigates. “I feel the state had such a backlog as a result of it was new. And I feel that once you begin something new, there are rising pains. I feel the state could have underestimated the quantity of complaints and the quantity of non-compliance, and they also needed to discover ways to pivot and increase their sources to handle that.”

However in relation to fixing company neglect at lots of the communities throughout Colorado, Townsend stated, there are nonetheless “leagues to go.”

Tim Townsend with Thistle ROC defined to Denver7 Investigates how cell residence residents throughout Colorado are starting to purchase their very own parks. Hear him clarify extra in regards to the nonprofit under.

Prolonged clip: How Thistle ROC helps cell residence residents purchase their very own parks

A case examine: The uphill battle to develop into a resident-owned group

At Meadowood Cellular Residence Park, the 55 and older group in Littleton, tales of company takeovers adopted by growing lease and alleged neglect had been the stuff of nightmares.

In January 2024, Havenpark, a Utah-based company that owns different cell residence communities in Colorado, made a proposal to purchase the property for $18 million.

“We knew the very first thing they’d do was increase the lease and hold elevating it,” stated Karnes, who has lived there for greater than a decade. “I actually did fear about it.”

So, the seniors at Meadowood determined to hitch a rising motion of cell residence residents attempting to purchase their very own parks.

“I do not suppose that anybody realized after we first began what an uphill battle it was going to be,” Cook dinner, the resident and board president, stated.

After years of complaints relating to neglect and lease hikes in cell residence parks, Colorado lawmakers handed updates to the Cellular Residence Park Act in 2020 and 2022, which make it simpler for cell residence residents to compete in opposition to company buyouts.

Underneath Colorado legislation, house owners are required to inform tenants in the event that they intend to promote, giving residents the suitable to make a proposal. House owners should then settle for the provide if it matches the company bid.

Thistle ROChas helped 12 parks develop into Resident-Owned Communities (ROCs), with two extra set to shut within the coming months.

“In some methods, it is like a final frontier of reasonably priced housing,” stated Townsend. “This can be a resolution. This can be a approach for them to come back in and have management over their group [and] over their guidelines. I will say with our latest group, Meadowood in Littleton, they got here in and so they fought tooth and nail.”

After a 12 months of preventing, the Meadowood group of seniors succeeded the place different parks had failed, making that $18 million provide that could not be refused.

“It took us seven monetary backings to have the ability to purchase this park,” stated Cook dinner.

The Meadowood Cooperative is now owned by each one who lives there.

“It was only a weight off of our [shoulders] that we might purchase it and be blissful right here,” stated Karnes.

However to pay for the mortgage, the rents must go up, stated Cook dinner, and that must go to a vote.

“Each single individual voted for it. It handed unanimously,” stated Cook dinner. “That is about us staying collectively. For me, it’s essential that this park keep as it’s now and to not increase the lease subsequent 12 months. So, that is our aim. You may have to come back again subsequent 12 months and see if we make it.”