Resident urges inquiry into mobile-home park rent hikes that trap seniors

During the public comment period, Mark Jones, a county resident, reported concerns raised by mobile-home park residents who said large companies buying parks have set space rents and buyer-income requirements that effectively block resale by elderly owners.

"They're not able to sell those homes because the rent's so high and the requirements for somebody else to come in and purchase that. They have to meet three times the requirement of that rent," Jones said, describing how prospective buyers on Social Security may not meet income thresholds. He said some elders who need to move into memory or long-term care cannot sell their homes to fund that care because of those rules.

Commissioners acknowledged the issue as troubling and said they would seek more information from residents and legal counsel. One commissioner compared the situation to a recent county court case involving foreclosure excess-value returns and said the board would explore options to protect seniors if possible under state law.