With the help of nonprofit AEON, they attempted to invoke the first-right-of-refusal law that gives residents the opportunity to purchase their own community, but to no avail, about which there has been ample discussion.
Meanwhile, the president of new owner Continental Property Group, Traci Thomas, who once worked at Lowry Grove, said. “The purchase agreement contractually obligated both the buyer and the seller to close on the sale of the Property with the single exception being the event that a party exercised the statutory right of first refusal.” Thomas intends to build apartments on the site.
She added AEON did not have authorization from 51 percent of the home owners, contrary to what the statute requires, requiring the buyer and seller to close on the deal as contractually obligated.
The city of St. Anthony has scheduled a public hearing Aug. 18, 2016 as required by state law. Residents have fild a suit to block the sale.
Moreover, there are 39,000 people living in 83 MHCs in the Twin Cities suburbs, and the Metropolitan Council has launched the Manufactured Home Park Preservation Project to keep existing MHCs. ##
(Photo credit: theuptake–Poster created by residents of Lowry Grove opposing the sale of the community.)
