Donna Braxton vs Harmony Communities, Inc., a California corporation et al. California Rural Legal Assistance attorney Mariah Thompson tweeted Wednesday about Harmony Communities CEO Matt Davies' federal conviction on marijuana charges in 2013 and his assault conviction in 2019. Measures included including a third travel lane for the entirety of Country Club Drive, fuel modification zones on site and ignition resistant construction. Cancellation and Refund Policy, Privacy Policy, and $100.00. Almost four years after suing a Stockton-based investment company, residents of a Fresno County mobile home park have experienced a near-100% increase in rent. Judge: Waters, Robert T.. Harmony also implemented oppressive, unreasonable rules in the park. Residents are prohibited from having anything outside of their home except barbeques, patio furniture, and bicycles. Mark Adams is the court-appointed receiver at Trails End and insists that Harmony Communities was picked for a reason. Cal Fire has designated the area a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone and residents have expressed concerns that the only evacuation route is the two-lane Country Club Drive. The 53-year-old man said all residents who are part of the lawsuit work in the field seasonally. Real Estate What that means is that there is sort of a justice gap where other types of renters in the state are able to get these very important protections, the mobile home parks are left in a different situation, she said. Action Type: Complaint Unlimited Civil (over $25,000); Judge: Ross, Roger. With the job that we have, it wont be enough, he said in Spanish. Rent at Shady Lakes has increased repeatedly since the park was purchased by Stockton-based Harmony Communities in April 2019, from $395 including utilities to $610 not including utilities come next May. The Rancho Santa Fe Association board last week said it would not move forward in joining a lawsuit or filing its own legal action. With the legal action, the united rural communities of Harmony Grove, Elfin Forest and Eden Valley will question whether the projects were approved in violation of county and state fire code regulations. DocketNotice of Case Assignment and Scheduling Information. A meeting was held in May 2022 by the CPUC to hear the matter. A couple who has four children and has lived at the mobile home park for about six years, said they have to choose between buying items their children need or having enough money to pay the rent. But a group of residents is hoping they might be able to buy the property themselves through a cooperative. The company said it has issued cleanliness notices to four residents, to keep their porches clean and sanitary. Action Type: Civil Case Cover Sheet; Judge: Ross, Roger. Shady Lakes LLC purchased the property for $3.1 million, according to documents filed with the Fresno County Recorders Office. The problem is buying it at a price that would allow residents to bring rent down. UniCourt uses cookies to improve your online experience, for more information please see our Privacy Policy. The Bee interviewed nine residents, all of whom said theyve been hit with significant rent increases by the new owners. Cleveland National Forest Foundation has a long history of challenging public agency collusion with sprawl developers that has ravaged forest, field and farm and left our cities bereft of transit, bike and walk infrastructure that would truly solve the housing and climate crisis, said Duncan McFetridge, director of CNFF. Use of editorial content without permission is strictly prohibited. Marketing Judge: Ross, Roger. Repairs and maintenance are usually baked into budgets. BBB Business Profiles are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgment. Many of the residents have received notices requesting their gates be left unlocked at all times, and have had personnel with the company enter their private property and take photos of everything around their house, Thompson said. They didn't even spend 2 seconds trying to keep us as customers. Its about whether or not theyre going to be there for one more month, said Mariah Thompson, lead attorney for the community association Grupo Comunitario de San Miguel Cuevas and staff attorney with California Rural Legal Assistance. After an argument in her office she stated she is going to do nothing to make it right so me and my fiance drove down to corporate to talk to the agent's manager, Colleen C******, who always just wanted to argue. Judge: Ross, Roger. Kerrie Merrifield, a forensic certified public accountant and owner of Axiom Forensics in Los Angeles, said its hard to imagine even a 32% increase in rent the original increase after the acquisition. Before the most recent increase it was at 72% bump. Park of San Rafael are pushing back against a slate of rent hikes by the management. One concern Thompson has is that Fresnos rent control ordinance has not been tested in courts. Healthcare Judge: Ross, Roger. Investors have turned their eyes to mobile home parks because of the consistent cash flow. Case Details Parties Documents Dockets Case Details DocketAttorney, Sanjay Bansal, retained for Donna Braxton . Judge: Ross, Roger. Thompson said residents buying the park would be a win-win. The city and the residents say otherwise. 2/18/2022 - Proof of Service of Electronic Service, 2/18/2022 - HRG: 2/22/2022 - Proposed Order, 2/18/2022 - HRG: 2/22/2022 - Memorandum of Points & Authorities, 2/18/2022 - HRG: 2/22/2022 - Ex Parte for Order to Quash, Cases involving other matters not classified elsewhere, 890, 1890, 1990, 2890, 2899, 2999, 3375, 3890, 3896, 3899, 3999, 4890, 4896, 4999, Harmony Communities, Inc. vs. Phillip Rocha, List filed; Comment: Petitioner's Index of Exhibits in Support of Amended Petition for Rules Injunction, Amended Document Filed; Comment: Verified Amended Petition for Permanent Injunction Against Violations of Rules and Regulations Under California Civil Code 798.88 and Award of Attorney's Fees and Costs Under California Civil Code 798.85, Petition for; Judicial Officer: Cullers, Mark; Hearing Time: 8:30 AM; Cancel Reason: Court Order, Ex Parte Hearing; Judicial Officer: Cullers, Mark; Hearing Time: 8:29 AM; Result: Heard, Financial info for Rocha, Phillip: Fee Waiver $60.00, Financial info for Rocha, Phillip: Transaction Assessment $60.00, Proof of Service; Comment: RE: Electronic Service of Ex-Parte & Supporting Documents, Order Received for Signature; Comment: PENDING REVIEW @ 2/22/2022 HEARING Forwarded to Dept: 404 Order for: Quashing Service of Summons, Declaration Filed; Comment: RE: of Ephraim Camacho, Ex parte Filed; Comment: For An Order Quashing Service of Summons Re: Petitioners Verified Petition For Permanent Injunction and Award For Attorney Fees And Costs, Order Granting Waiver of Court Fees and Cost Signed; Comment: By Deputy Clerk, Financial info for Harmony Communities, Inc.: EFile Payment Receipt # WEB-2021-17987 Harmony Communities, Inc. $225.00, Financial info for Harmony Communities, Inc.: Transaction Assessment $225.00, Financial: Harmony Communities, Inc.; Total Financial Assessment $365.00; Total Payments and Credits $365.00, Statement filed; Comment: of Nature and Extent of Oral Testimony and Estimate of Time of Hearing, List filed; Comment: Index of Exhibits ISO Petition for Rules Injunction, Petition filed; Comment: for Permanent Injunction Against Violations of Rules and Regulations. We want justice for all of this, and we want things to get resolved, one resident told The Bee in Spanish. If you do not agree with these terms, then do not use our website and/or services. Unfortunately, the non-profit (who was in escrow for 1 year), was not able to secure any types of funding or even put the $1000 earnest money deposit into escrow for the entire year. Heres why, Federal judge issues new charges for Goshen massacre suspect in Operation Nightmare, Model agency pushed performers into prostitution and porn, California prosecutors say. There are 14 claims on the complaint, including accusations of retaliation against members of the community association and to maintain a water treatment system on the premises. Action Type: Summons - Civil; Judge: Ross, Roger. Judge: Waters, Robert T.. Request for Dismissal filed by Braxton, Donna. The park has been operating at a loss for several years and has been fighting to keep this park open so no resident will have to move, the letter stated. She's representing residents at The Shady Lakes Mobile Home Park in a lawsuit filed in 2020 against Harmony Communities that cites a 32 increase. Yet this group of four supervisors choked and did not have the political will when they had the tool and the chance to require housing the average North County resident could afford, Arsivaud said. Family of man killed in Trail's End Mobile Home Park fire files wrongful death lawsuit, Trails End takeover: City of Fresno now controls conditions at mobile home park, Fresno woman involved in mobile home fire calling for change. Use the search options below or click a state in the map below to view communities. The only good thing is they are willing to give us our money back to leave the contract. DocketHearing regarding: Case Management Conference , set for 05/04/2021 at 8:30 AM before Hon. Harmony Communities did not respond to requests for comment. The lawsuit was . El Grupo Comunitario has stood up for the rights and dignity of the families in Shady Lakes and has refused to let a corporate out-of-town landlord bully them and force them out of their homes., Full complaint filed with Superior Court of California available at: https://tinyurl.com/shadylakes. Professional Services Those notices, the company said, include statutorily required language, but they are not eviction notices. A bar lauded for downtown Fresno revitalization has sold to new owners. With the batching, the board approved three GPA projects on July 25 for a total of 3,937 new housing units in the county. San Jose Could Face a Lawsuit Over its Rent Freeze Judge: Ross, Roger. I noticed the model variation was wrong and voiced my concern. The dispute hinges on what kind of homes are there. The lawsuit also claims Harmony Communities sent residents leases without terms that are required under the law. In late 2020, Harmony Communities made water and trash utilities payments separate. $("#paoc-modal-1").bind("contextmenu",function(e) { Attorney, Sanjay Bansal, retained for Donna Braxton . Harmony Communities also recently purchased Trails End Mobile Home Park, now called La Hacienda. Replacing a laundry room or a lamp post may be expensive, but usually those rent increases will be temporary until the improvement has been paid off. The suits allege that the drug is defective and unreasonably dangerous and was not adequately labeled to warn both patients and doctors of its risks. She said the management has also raised prices on other services, such as for renting parking spaces at the parks exterior boundary. On Aug. 23, the notices of intent to sue were filed on behalf of the Elfin Forest Harmony Grove Town Council, Endangered Habitats League and the Cleveland National Forest Foundation. Online dating website eHarmony has settled a consumer protection lawsuit for misleading customers, and has paid out $1.28 million to four counties and one city in California. WordPress Download Manager - Best Download Management Plugin, Copyright 2023 The Business Journal. "So many people are using their exteriors as almost a junk yard and that is a fire danger," he said. 2019-12-19, Santa Clara County Superior Courts | Contract | Food/Restaurants What the residents want for Harmony Communities is to stop a number of unlawful business practices.. Receipt number 597503. Hanson previously covered city government politics, homelessness and housing and environmental issues at the Chico Enterprise-Record. Notice of Case Assignment / Scheduling Information, Notice of Reassignment of Judicial Officer (RW), Cases involving other labor matters not classified elsewhere, 790, 1750, 1790, 2750, 2790, 3750, 3790, 4790. She recently received the 2018 Journalistic Integrity award from the CACJ. Some residents believe the rental increases that occurred shortly after the complaint was filed were retaliatory. But to lower rents, they would have to buy at a price that wouldnt set in stone the increased rates. Hearing Type: Case Management Conference; Court Room: 11B; Result: Held; Judge: Robert T. Waters; Participant: Donna Braxton (Plaintiff); Participant: Harmony Communities, Inc., a California corporation (Defendant); Participant: Matthew Davies (Defendant). Rancho Santa Fe resident Laurel Lemarie, a member of the San Dieguito Planning Group that recommended denial of both projects, presented a petition of 923 signatures opposed to the county allowing a high density of homes where rural or semi-rural zoning now exists. Their lives are theyre constantly in crisis. Other, BLOG: Years first job killer will hit motorists in the wallet, Californias first Job Killer of the year, as determined by, BLOG: Three business themes for 2023 and beyond, As we move deeper into 2023, the business community is. They are still facing rent. Since most residents own their own homes, costs are largely fixed for property owners, Merrifield said. Additionally, Harmony Communities allegedly didnt maintain the common areas at the mobile home park in good condition. However, a month before closing, I was told by the lender, ******************, that I failed to disclose I owed the **** which was false. And the best part of all, documents in their CrowdSourced Library are FREE. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. The complaint outlines the unlawful behavior Harmony Communities uses to control and intimidate families living in the Park and alleges that Harmony Communities is in violation of state and federal laws including the Fair Housing Act, the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, Unfair Competition Law, the Business and Professions Code, and the Mobile Home Residency Law. Action Type: Case Management Statement; Judge: Waters, Robert T.. Minutes finalized for Case Management Conference held on 05/04/2021 08:30 AM . SKIP THE POP-UPS The rules include requiring residents to take down Christmas lights and remove their boots from porches outside their homes, according to Thompson, who noted residents are primarily farmworkers who typically leave their boots outside so they dont track pesticides inside their homes. That's why she's passing out fliers encouraging the residents of Trails End to come together to take ownership of the park -- literally. For more information on CRLA, please visit: www.crla.org. Defendants Harmony Communities, Inc. and Mathew Davies' Answer to Complaint by Donna Braxton (amount over $25,000) filed by Davies, Matthew; Harmony Communities, Inc., a California corporation. Its insanity, this notion of being able to increase the rent just obscene in my opinion, Mason said. The park has been an affordable option for the families and has provided them with the stability of home ownership as well as a tight-knit community. She's representing residents at The Shady Lakes Mobile Home Park in a lawsuit filed in 2020 against Harmony Communities that cites a 32 increase. City of Fresno officials declined to comment about whether they would or wouldn't support the sale to Harmony Communities. In total the supervisors are expected to hear seven GPAs by the end of this year, including Newland Sierra, a 2,135-unit development in Twin Oaks Valley north of Escondido and possibly the 1,746-unit Lilac Hills Ranch project in Valley Center. please create a FREE account OR login here. We welcome all types of volunteers. , El Grupo Comunitario de San Miguel Cuevas (El Grupo Comunitario) is an unincorporated resident association that primarily represents low-wage farmworker families residing in Shady Lakes Mobile Home Park, a small mobile home community located approximately one mile south of Malaga in Fresno County.. Action Type: First Paper Unlimited Civil (amount over $25,000); Judge: Ross, Roger. 2023, International Association of Better Business Bureaus, Inc., separately incorporated Better Business Bureau organizations in the US, Canada and Mexico and BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust, Inc. All rights reserved. BBB Business Profiles are subject to change at any time. While Harmony increased rent, they failed to fix an issue with the on-site wastewater system, forcing residents to pay higher rent while suffering with the overwhelming smell of sewage. And in a Fresno County case last year, residents at the Shady Lakes Mobile Home Park filed a lawsuit alleging the company unfairly hiked rents and harassed tenants. West. The case status is Pending - Other Pending. The letter stated it was because the park was not profitable and a city ordinance had kept them from increasing rent, according to the Marin Independent Journal. The city has sent a letter to Harmony Communities. My parents, who have lived at the park for many years, are elderly farmworkers[they] leave their shoes and clothing outside in order to avoid pesticide exposure inside of our home. The first hearings were supposed to begin this month, but both parties agreed to a six month-extension. Some family members have gone out to work in the fields to make up for added costs. The Elfin Forest Harmony Grove Town Council has initiated litigation against the San Diego County Board of Supervisors for its approval of the Harmony Grove Village South and Valiano housing projects. 838 West Hastings Street, Suite 300 | Vancouver, BC V6C 0A6 | 604-669-2663. That suit appealing the ordinance, applying to the park and rent increases on its units, was settled in 2005, when the owner agreed to dismiss the appeal. Law The builder, Harmony Homes, refused to return the $5000.00 ******* money. DocketSummons issued and filed. Hearing Type: Jury Trial; Court Room: 11B; Result: Vacated; Judge: Robert T. Waters; Participant: Donna Braxton (Plaintiff); Participant: Harmony Communities, Inc., a California corporation (Defendant); Participant: Matthew Davies (Defendant), Hearing Type: Mandatory Settlement Conference; Court Room: 11B; Result: Vacated; Judge: Robert T. Waters; Participant: Donna Braxton (Plaintiff); Participant: Harmony Communities, Inc., a California corporation (Defendant); Participant: Matthew Davies (Defendant). BBB asks third parties who publish complaints, reviews and/or responses on this website to affirm that the information provided is accurate. Judge: Waters, Robert T.. Price and terms were agreed to but, again, they couldnt perform and ultimately backed out. The company was also involved in a controversial 2018 RV park rent hike in San Leandro, which does not have rent control. Copyright 2023 KFSN-TV. Travel Through a network of regional offices and cross-cutting programs, CRLA provides legal services to tens of thousands of low-income California residents annually. Aug. 28, 2018 10 AM PT. Your questions and concerns are important to us. She previously worked for the Phnom Penh Post in Cambodia and the Las Vegas Review-Journal in Nevada. 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