CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Over 400 residents in the Belleglade Mobile Home Community came together to form a tenant union this week over concerns about what they called exploitative and abusive practices by new ownership, according to a letter shared with Clarksville Now.
On Thursday, the residents, as well as representatives with new ownership, met for a town hall meeting to discuss concerns and share their perspectives. Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden and County Commissioner Lisa Prichard attended and acted as mediators. Belleglade is off of Fort Campbell Boulevard near the Clarksville Regional Airport.
In the letter addressed to Clarksville Now, it was said that ownership received a petition, signed by one quarter of the Belleglade community complex, with complaints about the new property management company.
“Back in May, the property management company … changed hands, to Medallion Communities,” said the letter. “Since the new property management company took over, the owners have given (residents) just nine days to sign a deeply concerning lease agreement that many have not even been able to review.
“Residents have drafted a petition outlining four primary demands for greater transparency and fair practices.” Those four demands were:
- A transparent process for signing new leases, free of coercion and rights violations.
- A stop to irregularities in rent-to-own agreements.
- To go back to the practices of the old management.
- A stop to excessive fines.
“Residents will not accept a process that leaves them with nine days to make decisions about their homes and their future. They are calling for transparency, fairness, accountability and adequate time to review any proposed agreement – and they are prepared to stand together until those basic principles are respected,” said the letter.
Management company takes accountability for ‘missteps’
At Thursday’s town hall meeting a member of the Medallion Communities team said they took responsibility for some missteps in the process.
“First of all, I want to say we understand there may have been some missteps in the beginning, and I think the biggest misstep is we didn’t provide support that the young ladies in the office needed,” said the representative. “I know part of the issue was that they were just swamped.”
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In an official statement, the representative later said the situation can also be attributed to miscommunication. “Some of this is he-said, she said, and I cannot verify that,” the representative said. “What I can do is verify information and provide you with accurate information.
“We are aware of your concerns. I, as well as others in our company, have read your petitions, concerns and questions. … Our goal here is to provide a well-maintained community, while ensuring that our policies, lease requirements and community standards are communicated clearly and applied appropriately. If that was not done in the beginning, what I can say is we apologize for that.”
As part of the effort to tackle resident concerns head on, a group of five Medallion Community team members planned to meet individually with residents Thursday and Friday.
Additional 30 days granted to review leases
All residents have been granted an additional 30 days to review the lease agreement, and a $75 fee was waived as well. While the representative with Medallion Communities said they originally sent a 60-day notice about the lease agreement, some community members objected, which included one gentleman who said he received the notice just last weekend on Sept. 26.
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When one resident spoke out against a rent increase, the Medallion Communities representative said those prices are determined by the market. “Market rent is determined by the market; we do market surveys, and they set rents as they deem fit.”
The representative also said if support needs to be on-site next week, that can also be done. However, there are some things they cannot change regarding lease agreements and rules.
“We have communities across the United States, we do value you,” the representative said. “We just bought this property; you haven’t had the opportunity to see what we will do for you.”
‘We understand you, but we want you all to understand us too’
Beleth Guzman spoke on behalf of residents and said they have just been scared.
“We didn’t even know the name of the management (company),” Guzman said at the town hall event. “We got scared; these are only homes. This is everything for us. We understand you, but we want you all to understand us too. We are in a short income, and I’m sure you understand that, but we’ve had people who’ve had to go because they cannot afford the fees.”
After the meeting, Guzman told Clarksville Now she has mixed feelings about how the town hall played out. She thanked Golden and Prichard for attending.
Clarksville Now was told County Commissioner Carmelle Chandler, as well as City Councilman Brian Zacharias, returned to visit with the residents after lunch.
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