A letter to the editor of the ukiahdailyjournal by Judy DeBeni, a resident of Lake Mendocino Mobile Home Estates, in Ukiah CA brings to light an issue that goes well beyond her land lease community. DeBeni writes: “Sue Everett, in her letter of Aug. 7, claims to represent the residents of Lake Mendocino Mobile Home Estates. She does not. The Home Owner’s Assn., of which she also claims to be president, is a pseudo group with no by-laws, and a president who volunteered for the position. Their meetings may have 20 to 25 attendees, but the membership is less than 20. There are at least 100 people living in the park. In her letter Ms. Everett announced that, “We plan to have a meeting with the manager on Sat., August 10, at 10 a.m. to discuss this issue.” The manager was neither invited nor informed of this meeting. Ms. Everett makes false charges and ignorant assumptions. Three different service agencies have investigated in the park for leaks: American Leak Detector, Roter Rooter and Ernie Wiepf. The “obvious massive underground leaks” do not exist. Most residents avoid her meetings as they consist of criticism, accusations and conspiracy theories. I am an 18-year resident of LMMHE and I believe Sue Everett has done the park a disservice.” As MHProNews knows, Judy DeBeni letter brings to light an issue that occurs in many communities that have self-appointed ‘resident associations’ that follow a similar pattern of behavior. Namely, that a sub-group of malcontents organize without the consent of the majority of a community’s residents. Those protesters then often proceed to seek local media coverage, in an effort to paint the management of a community in a darker light. The ukiahdailyjournal deserves credit for publishing DeBeni’s letter, so residents in her area might see the other side of the issue of community living from happier residents’ perspective. ##
