The other night I came home from work and found my rent statement on my door, When I read it I just about had a heart attack. They had way overcharged me on electric! So I went to my neighbors and found that they had been overcharged even more, over a full month's rent. And what they are doing to one of my neighbors, who is on disability, is even more shabby. So we are going to court. I've never been to court before, don't have a lawyer, don't know the protocol, don't know anything about it. We do seem to have some allies in the form of a couple of activist organizations but whether they can actually do anything beyond expressing their sympathy remains to be seen. I don't need or want anyone's sympathy or sorrow, I want someone who can get things done!
Here is the situation. We do not know the name of the company or persons who own the park. We do not have their address. Or a phone number. Or email. All we have is a PO Box, 1247, Summerland, CA 93067. The Post Office says that they are not allowed to give out information regarding post office boxes (I bet if someone from the government invoked the Patriot Act they'd sure give it out in a hurry). Well, that's fine. They can't but others can. Someone in Summerland has to know who owns that PO Box.
We also do not have a manager that can be reached. We have one but he does not live on site, does not answer his phone or return messages. He goes only by his first name and refuses to give his last. Needless to say he will not share what he knows. Neither, so far, have local government authorities, including the village lawyer. There seems to be a conspiracy to keep us tenants in the dark. Well, they forgot one thing. Unless these people are Amish, they are going to leave a digital footprint somewhere. And even the Amish are using computers these days to a limited extent.
The problem with the utilities is that they are all held in the park's name, not the owners' name, and trying to get information out of them is equally frustrating. We cannot even find out when the power will be turned back on when there is a storm! I'm telling you, the NSA and other government agencies are models of transparency compared to these people. The representative from the interfaith activist organization says she is "boggled" at what is happening to us tenants and that this is one of the slickest, dirtiest, slimiest set-ups she has ever seen. And that is saying a lot!
But I have faith in the power of social media. Somewhere someone knows who these slimeballs are. I want these cowards, who make their money exploiting the poorest of the poor, to come out from behind their firewall and meet us face to face. They cannot think that they can hide forever. They will be exposed for what they are.
So, if anyone has any information about Summerland, California, especially real estate/mobile home park investment companies, please PM me. This information will be gratefully appreciated and put to good use.
(At this point, it does not look like the utility gouging is retaliation for us contacting local government regarding safety and health issues in the park, as it seems that this has been going on with different individuals for some time and it just happened to be our turn. I think it is simply a matter of greed, incompetence, and a feeling that we can do anything we want to those people because after all they are just trailer trash.)
Here is the situation. We do not know the name of the company or persons who own the park. We do not have their address. Or a phone number. Or email. All we have is a PO Box, 1247, Summerland, CA 93067. The Post Office says that they are not allowed to give out information regarding post office boxes (I bet if someone from the government invoked the Patriot Act they'd sure give it out in a hurry). Well, that's fine. They can't but others can. Someone in Summerland has to know who owns that PO Box.
We also do not have a manager that can be reached. We have one but he does not live on site, does not answer his phone or return messages. He goes only by his first name and refuses to give his last. Needless to say he will not share what he knows. Neither, so far, have local government authorities, including the village lawyer. There seems to be a conspiracy to keep us tenants in the dark. Well, they forgot one thing. Unless these people are Amish, they are going to leave a digital footprint somewhere. And even the Amish are using computers these days to a limited extent.
The problem with the utilities is that they are all held in the park's name, not the owners' name, and trying to get information out of them is equally frustrating. We cannot even find out when the power will be turned back on when there is a storm! I'm telling you, the NSA and other government agencies are models of transparency compared to these people. The representative from the interfaith activist organization says she is "boggled" at what is happening to us tenants and that this is one of the slickest, dirtiest, slimiest set-ups she has ever seen. And that is saying a lot!
But I have faith in the power of social media. Somewhere someone knows who these slimeballs are. I want these cowards, who make their money exploiting the poorest of the poor, to come out from behind their firewall and meet us face to face. They cannot think that they can hide forever. They will be exposed for what they are.
So, if anyone has any information about Summerland, California, especially real estate/mobile home park investment companies, please PM me. This information will be gratefully appreciated and put to good use.
(At this point, it does not look like the utility gouging is retaliation for us contacting local government regarding safety and health issues in the park, as it seems that this has been going on with different individuals for some time and it just happened to be our turn. I think it is simply a matter of greed, incompetence, and a feeling that we can do anything we want to those people because after all they are just trailer trash.)
