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. After an argument in her office she stated she is going to do nothing to make it right so me and my fiance drove down to corporate to talk to the agent's manager, Colleen C******, who always just wanted to argue. Vote for The Fresno Bee prep girls Athlete of the Week for Feb. 20-25, Employee, student sue Fresno State and CSU over handling of harassment claims, Brewery District pioneer in Fresno opens new taproom. The group of residents advocating for a cooperative is hoping the City of Fresno will support the idea before a judge later this month. The suits allege that the drug is defective and unreasonably dangerous and was not adequately labeled to warn both patients and doctors of its risks. BBB Business Profiles may not be reproduced for sales or promotional purposes. But it's a tough process. To receive the latest information about new communities, available properties and exciting changes to the communities we manage, send us an email by CLICKING HERE. This site only contains archived content. The city has sent a letter to Harmony Communities. The park has been operating at a loss for several years and has been fighting to keep this park open so no resident will have to move, the letter stated. With the legal action, the united rural communities of Harmony Grove, Elfin Forest and Eden Valley will question whether the projects were approved in violation of county and state fire code regulations. Over the past two years, the . We would happily engage with a non profit who was able to perform and transact at a similar price point.. Judge: Ross, Roger. 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. West. Aug. 28, 2018 10 AM PT. A meeting was held in May 2022 by the CPUC to hear the matter. I noticed the model variation was wrong and voiced my concern. Thompson also represents the rent control group of residents at that mobile home park. Travel With the job that we have, it wont be enough, he said in Spanish. Things are getting desperate in this remote, mountainous community in far Northern California, where cannabis is king the economy, the culture, the everything. Mark Adams is the court-appointed receiver at Trails End and insists that Harmony Communities was picked for a reason. The Valiano and Harmony Grove Village South projects represent the worst of all worlds: freeways to sprawl that enrich the clever ones while the public and the planet bear the cost. We do this by identifying existing, high potential properties ripe for investment, upgrade, beautification and expansion. $("#paoc-modal-1").bind("contextmenu",function(e) { Subscribe now & save $20 OFF. Shady Lakes LLC purchased the property for $3.1 million, according to documents filed with the Fresno County Recorders Office. On 05/09/2022 this business's accreditation in the BBB was revoked by the BBB's Board of Directors due to failure by the business to adhere to the BBB requirement that Accredited Businesses meet and abide by the following standards: This business is in an industry that may require professional licensing, bonding or registration. For only $59 for one 1-year you will receive the Print edition along with EVERYTHING The Business Journal has to offer digitally, PLUS you will have unlimited 24- hour a day access to view articles at. Water bills range anywhere from $50 to $200, Thompson said. The case status is Pending - Other Pending. Retail If you do not agree with these terms, then do not use our website and/or services. var $ = jQuery, One concern Thompson has is that Fresnos rent control ordinance has not been tested in courts. "What I have heard from residents is that they are very confused and they are very scared," said Mariah Thompson with California Rural Legal Assistance. "I thought it was a mobile home park.". Education Jacqueline Arsivaud, chair of the Elfin Forest Harmony Grove Town Council, argued that neither project will provide affordable housing. By continuing to use this website, you agree to UniCourts General Disclaimer, Terms of Service, "They are well regarded by the State Housing and Community Development Department," said Adams. "So many people are using their exteriors as almost a junk yard and that is a fire danger," he said. Transmission and receipt of the information in this site is not intended to solicit or create, and does not create, any attorney-client relationship between CRLA, Inc. and any person or entity. , El Grupo Comunitario de San Miguel Cuevas (El Grupo Comunitario) is an unincorporated resident association that primarily represents low-wage farmworker families residing in Shady Lakes Mobile Home Park, a small mobile home community located approximately one mile south of Malaga in Fresno County.. | Pacific Publishing Group, Inc. Recent California laws offering rent control and just-cause eviction protections dont apply to mobile home parks, she said. We are honored to join with the Elfin Forest Harmony Grove Town Council and fight the good fight.. Photo by Edward Smith. Well guide you through the process. The just-purchased . Industrial Residents have now retained an attorney to negotiate a purchase of the property. 2019-12-17. The lawsuit claims Harmony Communities increased rent by 32% soon after taking over the property. Rent at Shady Lakes has increased repeatedly since the park was purchased by Stockton-based Harmony Communities in April 2019, from $395 including utilities to $610 not including utilities come next May. The city applied to put the property into a receivership, meaning a third party took control from the current owners. Do your own research and see all the red flags yourself. Este sitio slo contiene contenido archivado. Some residents believe the rental increases that occurred shortly after the complaint was filed were retaliatory. Rent increases are done on an annual basis and are generally in line with inflation. INSANELY HORRIBLE COMPANY! She believes residents buying the park as a cooperative is the best solution. Through a network of regional offices and cross-cutting programs, CRLA provides legal services to tens of thousands of low-income California residents annually. They speak Mixteco. And the best part of all, documents in their CrowdSourced Library are FREE! The lawsuit is nothing more than an attempted shakedown in retaliation for not continuing to provide below market rents. The County General Plan requires that whenever a large General Plan amendment project is proposed, an affordable housing element must be included. Further California law does not require the translation of documents to a language other than English.. Corporate Headquarters: 838 West Hastings Street, Suite 300 | Vancouver, BC V6C 0A6 | 604-669-2663 In total the supervisors are expected to hear seven GPAs by the end of this year, including Newland Sierra, a 2,135-unit development in Twin Oaks Valley north of Escondido and possibly the 1,746-unit Lilac Hills Ranch project in Valley Center. It is not a recreational vehicle park, subject to a different statutory scheme, he wrote. She belittled my fiance and I because we look young and said how their error was a small problem in the world and that its not a big issue. DocketSummons issued and filed. The dispute hinges on what kind of homes are there. How BBB Processes Complaints and Reviews. Attorneys representing them on that are working hard with, you know, community partners and the County of Fresno to try and obtain funding to help residents purchase the park in a way that can bring the rent down, Thompson said. I went back to Anita and she only wanted to argue that I was at fault and she did nothing wrong. While it is a bit larger than we would normally like, it is necessary to staunch the bleeding, the letter said. She said the sewage system was malfunctioning for at least eight months, and the park was inundated with as smell of human sewage.. Cancellation and Refund Policy, Privacy Policy, and I was in the process of purchasing a new build home from Harmony Homes. Several of the residents interviewed by The Bee said they have been threatened with eviction notices. I even have proof that she accidentally admitted fault and said she printed wrong brochure but seems like she did not realize that that's the brochure she circled & put into our contract that states which house we are getting. 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. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Rancho Santa Fe Review. Ultimately what happens is residents are responsible for upholding their own rights and seeking judicial adjudication of their rights, which is very difficult because mobile home residents are some of the most vulnerable populations, and do not have access to the legal system, normally, she said. The eviction notices state that residents may lose their home if they are evicted. Payment received by Donna Braxton in the amount of $435.00. $(".custombox-content").bind("contextmenu",function(e) { Currently the park is losing money on an ongoing basis. We understand that you contend that the tenant spaces in the park are occupied by recreational vehicles (RVs) rather than by mobile homes, and that the park is therefore exempt from San Rafaels Mobile Home Rent Stabilization ordinance, City Attorney Robert Epstein wrote. }); Insurance Harmony Communities, Inc. vs. Rufino Hernandez, Larsen, Austin vs Harmony Communities, Inc. et al. In a statement to The Bee, company representatives denied many of the residents claims. The lawsuit also claims Harmony Communities sent residents leases without terms that are required under the law. Residents say the proprietor, Harmony Communities of Stockton, is seeking steep increases at the neighborhood, which is at 742 Francisco Blvd. And in a Fresno County case last year, residents at the Shady Lakes Mobile Home Park filed a lawsuit alleging the company unfairly hiked rents and harassed tenants. 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. It quickly became clear living conditions were unsafe. Hearing Result: Vacated Judge: Waters, Robert T.. Case status updated to Disposed. $100.00. Agriculture Action Type: Complaint Unlimited Civil (over $25,000); Judge: Ross, Roger. Judge: Waters, Robert T.. DocketRequest for Dismissal filed by Braxton, Donna. The two General Plan amendment projects approved by the board of supervisors last month represent a total of 779 new housing units in Harmony Grove and Eden Valley, south of Escondido. Harmony says they are recreational vehicles and thus exempt from a city rent control ordinance covering mobile or manufactured homes. Measures included including a third travel lane for the entirety of Country Club Drive, fuel modification zones on site and ignition resistant construction. BBB reports on known marketplace practices. Judge: Ross, Roger. The affiliates of Harmony Communities paid $9 million for the property, county documents show. Harmony immediately raised space rent by $130.00a 32% increase that made rents unaffordable to families living in the park. Marketing All rights Reserved. The company also said they have not filed any evictions. Some family members have gone out to work in the fields to make up for added costs. All Rights Reserved. Thompson described the rules as impermissible, and said the management company issued notices to residents in violation of those rules. We want justice for all of this, and we want things to get resolved, one resident told The Bee in Spanish. 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. Food/Restaurants 04/01/2021: Notice of Reassignment of Judicial Officer (RW). In late 2020, Harmony Communities made water and trash utilities payments separate. What will change? In late January, residents received another notice increasing their rent again, bring it up to $595, Thompson said. custombox = document.getElementsByClassName("custombox-content"); 41017Petition027264b; Comment: Index of Exhibits ISO Petition for Rules Injunction, 41017Statemen03bc915; Comment: of Nature and Extent of Oral Testimony and Estimate of Time of Hearing, 41017Verified00eca3a; Comment: for Permanent Injunction Against Violations of Rules and Regulations, 03/28/2022: 3/28/22 Amended Petition Filed, 02/18/2022: 2/18/2022 - Proof of Service of Electronic Service, 02/18/2022: 2/18/2022 - HRG: 2/22/2022 - Proposed Order, 02/18/2022: 2/18/2022 - HRG: 2/22/2022 - Memorandum of Points & Authorities, 02/18/2022: 2/18/2022 - HRG: 2/22/2022 - Ex Parte for Order to Quash, 02/07/2022: 2/7/2022 Amended Document Filed, 02/07/2022: 2/7/2022 Amended Statement HRG 2/24/2022, 02/07/2022: 2/7/2022 Notice of Hearing HRG 2/24/2022, DocketList filed; Comment: Petitioner's Index of Exhibits in Support of Amended Petition for Rules Injunction, DocketAmended 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, DocketPetition for; Judicial Officer: Cullers, Mark; Hearing Time: 8:30 AM; Cancel Reason: Court Order, DocketEx Parte Hearing; Judicial Officer: Cullers, Mark; Hearing Time: 8:29 AM; Result: Heard, FinancialFinancial info for Rocha, Phillip: Fee Waiver $60.00, FinancialFinancial info for Rocha, Phillip: Transaction Assessment $60.00, DocketProof of Service; Comment: RE: Electronic Service of Ex-Parte & Supporting Documents, DocketOrder Received for Signature; Comment: PENDING REVIEW @ 2/22/2022 HEARING Forwarded to Dept: 404 Order for: Quashing Service of Summons, DocketDeclaration Filed; Comment: RE: of Ephraim Camacho, DocketEx parte Filed; Comment: For An Order Quashing Service of Summons Re: Petitioners Verified Petition For Permanent Injunction and Award For Attorney Fees And Costs, DocketOrder Granting Waiver of Court Fees and Cost Signed; Comment: By Deputy Clerk, FinancialFinancial info for Harmony Communities, Inc.: EFile Payment Receipt # WEB-2021-17987 Harmony Communities, Inc. $225.00, FinancialFinancial info for Harmony Communities, Inc.: Transaction Assessment $225.00, FinancialFinancial: Harmony Communities, Inc.; Total Financial Assessment $365.00; Total Payments and Credits $365.00, DocketStatement filed; Comment: of Nature and Extent of Oral Testimony and Estimate of Time of Hearing, DocketList filed; Comment: Index of Exhibits ISO Petition for Rules Injunction, DocketPetition filed; Comment: for Permanent Injunction Against Violations of Rules and Regulations, Fresno County Superior Courts | Other | And said the sewage system was malfunctioning for at least eight months, and I was in the process purchasing! 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