PETERSBURG — A group of Osprey Cove residents approached Township Committee on April 28 seeking rent control.
Residents of the 110-unit 55+ community off Route 9 in the Seaville section of the township said they are facing a 30 percent increase in land rent, from $726 to $925, and a 30-day deadline to start paying the higher amount.
The property was developed by Harry Vanderslice, who recently sold it to the owner of Avalon campgrounds, according to Greg Hefron, who told Township Committee that the community is made up mostly of retirees and other senior citizens, many of who cannot afford such an increase.
“That really poses a strain on some of our seniors,” he said. “Some of them live there mostly from check to check.”
He asked if there was anything the township could do to help “mitigate an increase of this nature or put a cap on the amount of increase that can be imposed on residents.”
Hefron said an increase is understandable but balked at the amount.
“We understand there are tax increases and it does cost money to operate an area of that size and you’ve got to pay people to work there, but 30 percent?” he said.
Hefron noted he has lived in the modular home community since 2019 and has seen five increases in that time, all less than 12 percent.
Mary Alice Calhoun said residents were told they could do their own landscaping if they were not happy with the service.
“The original lease said they would do all of the lawn care and we had excellent service, but now it’s all kids. So they want to give us less service and charge us 30 percent more. I moved there so somebody would do my landscaping,” Calhoun said.
Deputy Mayor Victor Nappen said it was the first he had heard about the situation but noted that “fighting for seniors is something that’s important to the committee.”
“I don’t want to see seniors being taken advantage of but I’m not sure legally what we can do,” Nappen said.
Solicitor John Amenhauser asked Hefron to provide his contact information, saying he wanted to see some documentation before offering advice.
“There are some costs that are out of the control of the governing body but there may be something that we’d be able to help you out with,” he said. “We’d have to really take a look at what the bill looks like, what the breakdown is before we can speak further on it.”
One resident asserted the owner paid $74,000 in taxes last year, but the new fee would raise $1.2 million.
Complex resident Susan Stidle said the original tenants had a 4 percent cap on increases in their land use agreement but that when renewals were due, the owner changed them to eliminate the cap.
She noted there are two bills before the Legislature that would protect homeowners from exorbitant rent increases.
A3361 would establish a 3 percent limit on annual rent increases for certain dwelling sites for modular or industrialized buildings or manufactured homes. The bill has cleared committee and been presented to the full Assembly. The Senate version has been introduced.
“Whether it’s a state-level cap or a township-level cap, it would be important to have that because they’re changing whatever they want to change at any moment in time, where we have no control. We have to sign or get out — that’s our two options,” Stidle said. “If the state doesn’t go through, the township really needs to look at this and make a point to address the needs of seniors that moved here. This is really causing stress every night thinking I have to come up with more money but what are they going to do with the lease agreements in the future?”
Amenhauser said if there is a bill pending in the Legislature, all the township can do is encourage legislators to pass it.
“You are on our radar and we will do whatever we can to try to help you,” Nappen said.
One resident said the owner is holding a meeting with residents at 1 p.m. May 12.
– By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff