Attorney General’s Office Acts To Protect Manufactured Housing Tenants From Improper Conduct By Community Owner

WASHINGTON, D.C. – November 17, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — Attorney General Matt Denn’s office has filed suit against the owner of three Delaware manufactured housing communities for attempting to financially pressure tenants to give up their legal right to arbitrate proposed rent increases.

“This tactic of getting community tenants to sign away their legal rights in exchange for a lower rent increase is reprehensible,” Attorney General Denn said. “When predatory conduct by community owners threatens to upset the balance struck by the General Assembly when it passed the rent justification law for manufactured home communities, my office will act aggressively to protect tenants.”

The Attorney General’s lawsuit seeks, among other things, a declaration that Hometown America’s rent increase notices are invalid, an order directing Hometown America to pay affected tenants the equivalent of three month’s rent for having willfully violated Delaware’s manufactured housing laws, payment of civil penalties, and an order requiring Hometown America to cease and desist its unlawful activities.< More…