DELMONT, Pa. — Channel 11 received several letters from people who live in a 55-and-over community known as Cloverleaf Estates East in Delmont. Most neighbors are on a fixed income there and told Channel 11 they got a notification that their land rent is increasing by 24%. Now, they are faced with having to move.
“When we moved here, we are told that the increase is minimal each year. Minimal is 4 or 8%…it’s not 24%,” said Joan Stuchul, who lives in Cloverleaf East. “We are senior citizens! We can’t go out and get a job and make up $150, or $170 a month. We can’t do that. We are stuck.”
Cloverleaf Estates sent a letter to residents saying their land rent would increase to $600 a month. That would also include an additional sewage fee. According to neighbors, that would raise their rent by over $134 a month.
“This is just a tremendous increase for people that are on a fixed income,” said John Bosco, who lives in the community.
When speaking with neighbors, Channel 11 learned about House Bill 1250, which would protect people in manufactured home communities from drastic yearly increases. So far, that bill has passed in the State House and now sits in the Urban Affairs Committee in the State Senate.
“It’s been there for over a year,” said Bosco. “I guess all we are asking is that we’d like the bill to be changed, moved, voted on, so that we can get this passed. So, we can have some protections.”
In the letter to renters, management blamed an increase in operating costs for the rent hike, but neighbors tell Channel 11 that, other than the community pool, they are responsible for cutting their own grass and maintaining their property.
Channel 11 contacted management about the increase but did not hear back.
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