It is not a recreational vehicle park, subject to a different statutory scheme, he wrote. Some family members have gone out to work in the fields to make up for added costs. At a time when quality affordable housing is disappearing fast, it is our mission to expand options for economical and beautiful housing in the states and communities in which we operate. Turnover is very low because moving is so expensive. Additionally, the Sierra Club filed a petition for writ of mandate seeking to require the County rescind its decisions made in violation of its statutory duty to not approve environmentally damaging projects without adopting all feasible mitigation for such harm and in derogation of its statutory duty to properly enforce and not improperly amend its General Plan. Trucking Not only were they told, they were also given several bank statements which clearly showed a monthly payment to the **** The lender declined the loan. What the residents want for Harmony Communities is to stop a number of unlawful business practices.. We want justice for all of this, and we want things to get resolved, one resident told The Bee in Spanish. Cal Fire has designated the area a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone and residents have expressed concerns that the only evacuation route is the two-lane Country Club Drive. She admitted fault of the company and offered us a washer and dryer for the mistake.. a washer and dryer for compensation of a completely wrong house. They also said the park authorities refuse to provide notices in Spanish. 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We would happily engage with a non profit who was able to perform and transact at a similar price point.. The company, however, maintains the law doesnt require them to provide Spanish-language documents. But it's a tough process. The attorney, Mariah C. Thompson, works with California Rural Legal Assistance. "I don't think we moved into a gated community where they can tell you exactly how you can have your yard," said resident Patricia Shawn. $(".custombox-content").bind("contextmenu",function(e) { We take pride in Shady Lakes, and it is our priority to ensure residents enjoy both affordable as well as safe and pleasant living conditions.. Family of man killed in Trail's End Mobile Home Park fire files wrongful death lawsuit, Trails End takeover: City of Fresno now controls conditions at mobile home park, Fresno woman involved in mobile home fire calling for change. Judge: Ross, Roger. With the job that we have, it wont be enough, he said in Spanish. Its insanity, this notion of being able to increase the rent just obscene in my opinion, Mason said. DocketCase initiated. Receipt number 597503. Customer Reviews are not used in the calculation of BBB Rating, BBB Business Scam Alert: Out-of-Town homeowners con contractors with fake checks, Need to file a complaint? All content is posted anonymously by employees working at Harmony Communities. When considering complaint information, please take into account the company's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints. Step inside Tioga-Sequoia in Merced, Fresno County initiates legal action against two Fresno politicians. Harmony Communities, Inc., (Harmony) a Stockton-based corporation that operates more than twenty mobile home parks throughout California and Oregon, took over Shady Lakes in April 2018. Their lives are theyre constantly in crisis. Residents have now retained an attorney to negotiate a purchase of the property. e.preventDefault(); Judge: Ross, Roger. Currently the park is losing money on an ongoing basis. Proof of Service of Summons as to Matthew Davies served on 12/02/2020 by Substituted Service. The city has sent a letter to Harmony Communities. explains why any relief sought by the complainant cannot or should not be granted. I feel that since I was denied by the lender, I am entitled to a full refund. Mark Adams is the court-appointed receiver at Trails End and insists that Harmony Communities was picked for a reason. A complaint was filed with the California Public Utilities Commission that the increases were not in line with actual costs. Our attorneys are reviewing the document submitted by the tenants counsel, but we believe the claims are unfounded. California Rural Legal Assistance attorney Mariah Thompson tweeted Wednesday about Harmony Communities CEO Matt Davies' federal conviction on marijuana charges in 2013 and his assault conviction in 2019. This represents a missed opportunity to recapture for public benefit some part of the gain in land value resulting from their public action.. DocketComplaint Unlimited Civil (over $25,000) filed by Braxton, Donna. Since most residents own their own homes, costs are largely fixed for property owners, Merrifield said. Last year, more than 80,000 homes were sold on MHVillage with a combined transaction value exceeding $3 billion. In the deposition process, it came out that the rent increase is part of Harmony Communities business practice to bring the property up to market rates, said Thompson. It is our goal to keep future rent increases in line with inflation. DocketMinutes finalized for Case Management Conference held on 05/04/2021 08:30 AM . Now there's a plan to the sell Trails End to property company Harmony Communities. CALIFORNIA RURAL LEGAL ASSISTANCE, INC. With their approvals of Harmony Grove Village South and Valiano, the supervisors stated the critical need for more housing in the county. Epstein said the ordinance does cover the neighborhood and the proposed increase in rents violates the provisions of that ordinance., Epstein cited previous litigation involving the property and the city. Corporate Headquarters: 838 West Hastings Street, Suite 300 | Vancouver, BC V6C 0A6 | 604-669-2663 The community suffered two destructive fires in April and June of 2021. Members of El Grupo Comunitario own their homes and have lived in the park for years or decades renting the space where their home is located. Judge: Waters, Robert T.. The reality is the land is worth much more than operating an RV Park for affordable housing. Civil Case Cover Sheet filed by Braxton, Donna. They want to be together.. While it is a bit larger than we would normally like, it is necessary to staunch the bleeding, the letter said. Judge: Ross, Roger. Hospitality Through their lawsuit, El Grupo Comunitario seeks reasonable rents, better living conditions and security in the park, and a stop to the harassment, discrimination, and intimidation of residents. Many of Harmonys actions violate Californias laws protecting mobile home park residents and provide for thousands of dollars in penalties against bad actor park owners for each violation. Kerrie Merrifield, a forensic certified public accountant and owner of Axiom Forensics in Los Angeles, said its hard to imagine even a 32% increase in rent the original increase after the acquisition. All rights Reserved. Thompson also represents the rent control group of residents at that mobile home park. Negative reviews EVERYWHERE. How BBB Processes Complaints and Reviews. The company was also involved in a controversial 2018 RV park rent hike in San Leandro, which does not have rent control. Attorney, Sanjay Bansal, retained for Donna Braxton . The Rancho Santa Fe Association board last week said it would not move forward in joining a lawsuit or filing its own legal action. Harmony Communities spokesperson Heywood Jablom issued the following statement: Shady Lakes has completed close $1,000,000 in repairs and upgrades to the park over the last 4 years, including water and sewer systems upgrades as well as numerous road and lighting repairs. 2021-05-10, Santa Clara County Superior Courts | Personal Injury | One of the complaints is that notices from Harmony arent served in both Spanish and English. No tenants have given notice to move out since we took over the community, and none have asked for rent accommodations due to hardship, the emailed statement said. But it only took four years under ownership of Shady Lakes LLC and managed by Harmony Communities both of which are owned by the same person to undergo the triple-digit increase in rent. Pedestrian hit and killed by train in Fresno. I went back to Anita and she only wanted to argue that I was at fault and she did nothing wrong. In fact, we believe most all of the allegations are not only disingenuous but are outright falsehoods. The next court hearing is on March 30. In total, five homes were destroyed and a resident died. The city applied to put the property into a receivership, meaning a third party took control from the current owners. San Jose Could Face a Lawsuit Over its Rent Freeze They'd need to hold a vote with participation from each of the park's 60 units, with a majority voting to move forward with the plan to collectively purchase the property. Website: www.harmonycommunities.com Headquarters: Vancouver, Canada Size: 201 to 500 Employees Type: Company - Private Revenue: Unknown / Non-Applicable Competitors: Unknown Harmony Communities Reviews 2.6 0 % Recommend to a Friend 3.0 Current Employee "great company" Apr 4, 2022 - Administrative Assistant Pros hours no weekends (AP) A Montana beekeeper has recovered hives that were, Starting in 1999, prices for agricultural land in the South, Visitors to the Central Valley spent more than $1.96 billion, Amazon.com today announced plans to open a fulfillment center in, Select industry Online dating website eHarmony has settled a consumer protection lawsuit for misleading customers, and has paid out $1.28 million to four counties and one city in California. As the roofing started going up I knew 100% they were building the wrong home. The impending closure, the. Yet this group of four supervisors choked and did not have the political will when they had the tool and the chance to require housing the average North County resident could afford, Arsivaud said. At a time when local news is more important than ever, support from our readers is essential. Why is this public record being published online? Public Records Policy. We dont want them to increase the rent again because they are increasing it significantly.. Additionally, residents said the company refuses to provide any documents in Spanish, which their attorneys says is required by law, according to the lawsuit. Watch our latest videos showing our accomplishments and compelling stories. She's representing residents at The Shady Lakes Mobile Home Park in a lawsuit filed in 2020 against Harmony Communities that cites a 32 increase. Many of them also received a seven-day notice to comply with several rules, including permanently removing Christmas lights hanging in front of the house and carport or face eviction, according to a copy of one of the notices. The lawsuit filed last Monday alleges Harmony has allowed taxes and bills to go unpaid, has hired family and friends for unnecessary work and defied arbitration and judicial rulings that. Under terms of the lawsuit, residents would at most compel ownership to better maintain the property they acquired in 2019 as well as get them to undo what they say is retaliation against the lawsuit. And a notice given to a resident at Shady Lakes in January shows that rent will rise to $628 starting this April, a 72 percent increase over the past few years. She represents a group of about a dozen residents who are opposed to the sale and the rules that Harmony Communities plans to enforce, including not allowing dogs without leashes, requiring residents to clear the space between trailers of appliances, canopies, and other items. All rights reserved, Burnum MHP, Cobble Hill, British Columbia, Shawnigan Lake MHP, Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia, Timberland MHP, Ladysmith, British Columbia, Foothills Mobile Home Park, Oroville, California, Village of North Oak, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Indian Trail North , Burtchville, Michigan, Hanwell Community, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Kellys Community, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Maritime Estates, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Nethervue Community, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Edgewood Grove Estates, Somerset, Pennsylvania, Mill Creek Estates, New Holland, Pennsylvania, Gaslite Manor MHC, Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Summons issued and filed. Heres why, Federal judge issues new charges for Goshen massacre suspect in Operation Nightmare, Model agency pushed performers into prostitution and porn, California prosecutors say. Things are getting desperate in this remote, mountainous community in far Northern California, where cannabis is king the economy, the culture, the everything. 2/18/2022 - Proof of Service of Electronic Service, 2/18/2022 - HRG: 2/22/2022 - Proposed Order, 2/18/2022 - HRG: 2/22/2022 - Memorandum of Points & Authorities, 2/18/2022 - HRG: 2/22/2022 - Ex Parte for Order to Quash, Cases involving other matters not classified elsewhere, 890, 1890, 1990, 2890, 2899, 2999, 3375, 3890, 3896, 3899, 3999, 4890, 4896, 4999, Harmony Communities, Inc. vs. Phillip Rocha, List filed; Comment: Petitioner's Index of Exhibits in Support of Amended Petition for Rules Injunction, Amended Document Filed; Comment: Verified Amended Petition for Permanent Injunction Against Violations of Rules and Regulations Under California Civil Code 798.88 and Award of Attorney's Fees and Costs Under California Civil Code 798.85, Petition for; Judicial Officer: Cullers, Mark; Hearing Time: 8:30 AM; Cancel Reason: Court Order, Ex Parte Hearing; Judicial Officer: Cullers, Mark; Hearing Time: 8:29 AM; Result: Heard, Financial info for Rocha, Phillip: Fee Waiver $60.00, Financial info for Rocha, Phillip: Transaction Assessment $60.00, Proof of Service; Comment: RE: Electronic Service of Ex-Parte & Supporting Documents, Order Received for Signature; Comment: PENDING REVIEW @ 2/22/2022 HEARING Forwarded to Dept: 404 Order for: Quashing Service of Summons, Declaration Filed; Comment: RE: of Ephraim Camacho, Ex parte Filed; Comment: For An Order Quashing Service of Summons Re: Petitioners Verified Petition For Permanent Injunction and Award For Attorney Fees And Costs, Order Granting Waiver of Court Fees and Cost Signed; Comment: By Deputy Clerk, Financial info for Harmony Communities, Inc.: EFile Payment Receipt # WEB-2021-17987 Harmony Communities, Inc. $225.00, Financial info for Harmony Communities, Inc.: Transaction Assessment $225.00, Financial: Harmony Communities, Inc.; Total Financial Assessment $365.00; Total Payments and Credits $365.00, Statement filed; Comment: of Nature and Extent of Oral Testimony and Estimate of Time of Hearing, List filed; Comment: Index of Exhibits ISO Petition for Rules Injunction, Petition filed; Comment: for Permanent Injunction Against Violations of Rules and Regulations. The dispute hinges on what kind of homes are there. RELATED: Trails End takeover: City of Fresno now controls conditions at mobile home park. DocketAttorney, Sanjay Bansal, retained for Donna Braxton . }); A meeting was held in May 2022 by the CPUC to hear the matter. Read More Business Details and See Alerts, International Association of Better Business Bureaus. Rent increases are done on an annual basis and are generally in line with inflation. But to lower rents, they would have to buy at a price that wouldnt set in stone the increased rates. "There's special funding available from the federal government and other investors to lend to these communities so that residents can purchase their parks themselves," said Thompson. Many of the residents have received notices requesting their gates be left unlocked at all times, and have had personnel with the company enter their private property and take photos of everything around their house, Thompson said. We do not want to displace a single person with this rent increase and merely desire for the owner to make a reasonable profit and be able to provide safe and affordable housing for all of you.. Natalie Hanson reports on breaking news, police and fire and criminal justice. 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