Enough is Enough: Residents Picket Landlords

(Article added Oct. 09th, 2003)

Homeowners in Willow Lake Estates voted to picket their community over the weekend of September 20-21, the same weekend the managers had scheduled an Open House featuring new homes in the community to attract buyers. Homeowners in the 55 and over community, whose rents are now $700-1,100 per month voted to picket after the latest rent increases. Homeowners also voted to place "For Sale" signs in the windows of all the homes during this Open House weekend.

Residents are not having much luck selling their homes since new residents would be subject to even higher rents at Willow Lake Estates, a Manufactured Home Communities, Inc. (MHC), property. Those residents who can no longer afford the rent are also finding the rents prohibit sales of their homes to new buyers. They are then forced to turn over the title of their homes to the landlord, thus losing their assets.

A Willow Lake Estates manager pressured homeowners to remove the "For Sale" signs in the windows of the 600 plus homes. Instead, residents, some in wheelchairs, carried picket sighs that said: MHC: Money Hungry Corporation, SOS: Save Our Seniors.

Local and area media covered the picketing and learned residents had written to Officers of MHC, Inc., as well as letters to their elected officials. Residents explained they like living in their community but the rents have risen too high for them to stay. Some areas of the community are not being properly maintained by the landlord, and one home has sunk into the ground due to a sewer breaks. Repairs are the responsibility of the landlord, yet nothing has been done to correct the situation. The homeowner cannot live in the home, yet must continue to pay rent.

The action by Willow Lake Estates is similar to the picketing by residents of Maple Brook, Matteson, on August 8th. Residents there carried signs detailing the rent conditions in their community after letter writing campaigns to management and officials failed to bring any relief in the past. These actions on the part of organized homeowners have drawn the attention of Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan who has filed suit against the landlord and sales manager.