The Easton, Mass. Board of Selectmen, acting as the town’s manufactured housing rent control board concerning residents of Easton Mobile Park request for reduced rents, heard more information from owner Morgan Management’s controller as well as from Justin DaMore of Meyers Environmental describing an inadequate sewer system for the community. DaMore said an upgrade would require $300,000 to $400,000 and one year to implement. Morgan’s attorney, Robert Kraus, said a suit has been filed against the former engineer who designed the system, according to easton.wickedlocal.com. Controller Diane Volkmar said Morgan has a $2.5 million loan on the property, and if rents were reduced it would be near impossible to to refinance. Jeff Hallahan, president of the Massachusetts Manufactured Housing Association (MMHA), said he thought the rents were reasonable but agreed it is difficult to compare rents because other community owners did not want to divulge what they charge, as MHProNews has learned. The court-ordered rental freeze that expired in 2011 allowed Morgan to raise the site rents from $330 to $468 a month, well above the $293 level requested by the residents. The hearing was continued until July 21. ##
