Waterhouse Management Corp. of Roseville, California, which runs the Pinto Lake Mobile Estates in Watsonville, CA, has asked for a $211 a month across the board increase for all the homeowners at the 177 site manufactured home community (MHC). Waterhouse contends the county’s formula for determining annual rent increases does not generate a fair return.

The increase would add $448,000 additional funds annually, boosting yearly revenue to $1.4 million, as santacruzsentinel tells MHProNews. Built in 1975, 50 percent of the homes are multi-section.

Pinto Lake MHP bought the property in 2004, an LLC controlled by Ken Waterhouse which manages other MHCs in Santa Cruz County.

Homeowners are concerned that those seniors living on Social Security will not be able to afford the increase, and will be forced out, and possibly become homeless. “We are very concerned about the far-reaching effects,” said attorney Melia Powell of Senior Legal Services, noting the formula works out to an $8 a month increase for 2016.

Rick Halterman, a member of the Santa Cruz County Mobile and Manufactured Home Commission, said most of the residents are low income, but many people pay about $431 a month for site rent. About 65 percent of the residents are Latino. ##

(Photo credit: Park Brokerage–Pinto Lake Mobile Estates, Watsonville, Calif.)

Article submitted by Matthew J Silver to Daily business News-MHProNews.