Carole
Elliott, President of M... HOLLY
TOWNSHIP, Michigan – More than 60 Holly Hills residents met at the First Baptist Church in Holly on Saturday
afternoon to take the initial steps to form a homeowner association, and get a better idea of what laws are on Michigan’s
books that protect owners of manufactured homes.
Last month, a dozen residents were issued eviction notices by
Julius Szabo, owner of Star Sun Management, the company that manages Holly Hills. In protest of the park’s deteriorating
maintenance conditions, which included water quality and waste water treatment issues, the residents were directed by the
State of Michigan to begin placing lot rental fees into individual escrow accounts until such time management resolved the
issues.
On Feb. 23, Judge Kelley Kostin advised those residents to continue putting money in escrow until she could
hear each case on an individual basis on March 17. Last Friday, seven more confirmed eviction notices were issued, each having
a mandatory court date of March 23.
On Saturday, Carole Elliott and her husband, both
officers in the Manufactured Homeowners Legislative Association of Michigan (MOLA), met with the residents to not only discuss
forming a homeowners association, but to brief them on several state laws that protect them in the eviction process.
MOLA was founded in 1989 by a group of concerned citizens who joined together to provide residents a better understanding
of their rights as manufactured homeowners. The organization leads the fight in getting laws passed at the state level, and
helps protect and enhance the rights of manufactured home residents.
Elliott, who serves as the president of MOLA,
presented a list of items manufactured homeowners need to know, including how to properly file complaints, how to safeguard
that rent payments are received and properly recorded, the need for a community-wide informational Web site, the importance
of going to township meetings, and homeowner’s rights when it comes to eviction.
“Those of you who
have received an eviction notice – maybe you were under the impression that the manager or owner – since he gave
you the eviction notice, that meant you had to leave,” Elliott said. “That’s not true.”
Explaining
the process, Elliott said the only person who can legally evict a manufactured homeowner is a judge.
Elliott stressed
the importance of residents showing up at court on their designated date, looking presentable for the judge, and that if a
settlement is to occur in court, it could possibly mean having to pay court costs and attorney fees.
Elliott presented
three important pieces of literature containing specific manufactured housing laws and rules.
The “Buyers
and Residents’ Handbook,” is a book that, by law, Elliott says, should be provided to each and every homeowner
in the community, and also readily available for residents’ review in the community office.
Additionally,
Elliott talked about the significance of The Manufactured Housing Commission Act, PA 90 of 1987, Act 236 of 1961, and the
Manufactured Housing General Rules.
Perhaps Elliott’s most compelling piece of Michigan legislation to those
attending the meeting came in item 1g of Michigan’s Act 236 of 1961 which states that a landlord cannot evict a tenant
for non-payment of rent if the monies were placed into escrow pursuant to a court order.
“We feel that the
residents in manufactured housing need to know their rights and the laws they have to live by and protect them as well as
the law that affect their landlord,” Elliott said on Monday.
Although she was not able to attend Saturday’s
meeting, resident Sara Koza said she has reviewed the information and although she finds some comfort in the fact that Michigan
law appears to protect manufactured home residents, she still has her reservations. “I do feel good that there are laws
that protect us, but I wonder if they can really stand for anything in court,” she said. “We’ve already
seen how much (management) can get away with, so I have mixed feelings over whether we will prevail or not.” Even so,
Koza says she’s committed to the effort, not just for her family and the residents of Holly Hills, but also for others
who may face a similar problem in the future. “I am in this until the end and want to see changes come of this for other
people who live in communities like ours,” she said.
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