PLYMOUTH, Mass. (MyFoxBoston.com) - Residents at a senior community in Plymouth are fearful they won’t be able to afford to stay in their homes much longer.
The residents at Long Pond Village own their own manufactured homes, but they lease the land that they occupy. Each year, the rent for the land increases 5 percent. Many residents say it is an increase that they can no longer afford.
"I'm scared, I'm really scared. I don't know where to go, what to do. I'm scared," said homeowner Mary Tassinari.
Before the increase, residents in the community are paying anywhere from $500-$900 each month.
"I never realized there was so much inequality in terms of what people were paying," said homeowner Ron King.
Residents say they are not getting a lot in exchange for the lease. The fee includes includes water, trash pickup, and street plowing, but senior residents have to maintain their own yards, sidewalks, and septic pumps.
"There's no amenities in terms of clubhouse, pool, exercise,” said King.
The property owner, Richard Nieboer spells out the increase clearly in the lease agreement. Some homeowners said they thought they would just sell if the lease amount ever got too expensive, but they say now that is hard to do.
"We're more or less held hostage. We had our house on the market for almost two years," said resident Marie McLaughlin. "We started out at $500, and we're now paying $704. At the end of the month there's very little left until the next check comes in."
Others argue that if they do sell their homes, they would have to take a huge loss.
"I paid $165,000 for my home. They're selling for what $48,000-46,000?" said homeowner Mary Tassinari. "This was supposed to be our last stop."
FOX25 called, texted, and stopped by the property owner’s home to discuss the lease terms, but never received a response.
The attorney general’s office told FOX25 they have received 25 complaints against the Long Pond Village community since 2009. They say they are currently reviewing the concerns regarding the lease after hearing from several residents this past summer.