image description — About a dozen residents stood in front of the Spruces Mobile Home Park protesting the park's management.

Spruces Claim To Be Spited By Management

By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff
06:22PM / Friday, July 01, 2011Print Story | Email Story

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — A group of residents of the Spruces Mobile Home Park say the park's owners are spiting them for fighting against – and winning – the recently proposed rent increase.

"They're taking it out on the residents because we had the audacity to fight them and we won," Tenants Association President Cynthia Clermont-Rebello said Friday while she stood with about a dozen tenants holding signs in protest on the sidewalk of Route 2. "The people here are so frustrated with this retaliation and we're tired of Morgan Management bullying our people."

Last year the park owners, Morgan Management LLC, attempted to hike the rent by about $151 – from $258 to $409 – and residents battled the increase through nine months of hearings with the Rent Control Board. In February, the board rejected the higher rent.

Since then Rebello and other tenants claim services have been taken away in retaliation for the denial. It began with the firing of two maintenance men, then the company stopped picking up bags of leaves and tree clippings – forcing residents of the retirement community to carry their own bags to a field behind the park – then a room the tenants association used was transformed into storage, and finally the pool has not been opened, she said.

"Our biggest gripe is that we don't get what we pay for," Rebello said.

David Rebello, vice president of the tenants association, said the pool has a tear in the lining and the residents were told by the park managers, Kimberly and Richard Purcelli, that the pool would not be fixed until the roads were. The roads were initially ordered to be fixed by the town Board of Health but that decision was later reversed.

"We always had the pool for these people and that goes with the contract. Now they're trying to take it away from us," David Rebello said. "This pool has never, ever been closed."

David Rebello also said that the management is not putting much effort into repairing the roads.

"The streets are torn apart and they still didn't get up to fix it. They're waiting until the last minute to do anything. They don't want to spend anything," David Rebello said.

The residents stood in front of the park along side of a busy Route 2 Friday afternoon with protest signs. The group of residents – not the tenants association – planned the rally all week.

"This is a group of residents that needed to vent their frustrations," Cynthia Clermont-Rebello said.

From a car window as she drove out of the park, a resident of Wheel Estates in North Adams expressed her support and claimed the North Adams residents are fighting the same battle.

The pool at Wheel Estates, also owned by Morgan Management, has also not been opened.
The park managers were unavailable for comment on Friday.

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Your Comments

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What a surprise.The pool at wheel estates was also not open yet.We should take them to court again because we pay extra for these services.They are a bunch of thieves,top to bottom
from: kev	on: 07-01-2011 08:33PM I Agree (24) - I Disagree (2)

The roads in the Spruces are horrible. The managers claim there is a tear in the lining of the pool. Please correct me if im wrong as I have only been in there once BUT I believe it is a all CONCRETE pool...NO liner. Morgan Mgnt are crooks in my opinion. The town of WMST. need to step in yet again and enforce the code violations. Never mind reversing their decision and allowing Morgan to drag their feet once again.
from: Resident	on: 07-01-2011 11:43PM I Agree (27) - I Disagree (3)

Serves them right. You know the owners maintenance costs have gone up. This is what happens in an entitlement society
from: Joe	on: 07-02-2011 04:34PM I Agree (7) - I Disagree (18)

To Joe...serves who right ?? If you agree with Morgan then you must either associated with them or must live in Joe land. Residents pay for these services and Morgan MUST supply such. If these are down for maintenance etc that is not unreasonable but its been almost 2yrs an roads are horrible yet and the pool months. Get a grip or just stay in your bubble.
from: Resident	on: 07-02-2011 05:52PM I Agree (15) - I Disagree (3)

Furthermore, at Wheel Estates, what about the driveways that have pot holes from the ground sinking and the entering the driveway. To top it all off this has been reported a number of times to the park and noone has every bothered to look at it never mind repair it. Go figure they want more money for what they can't even open the pool.
from: mammaduke	on: 07-03-2011 08:04AM I Agree (14) - I Disagree (0)

I as a tenant at spruces am fine with paying $258 and dont think a $10 to $20 increase is unfair in exchange for amenties and extra services. If morgan does not open the pool, I say file the decrease. If mprgan is smart and return services don t file the decrease
from: The pool	on: 07-03-2011 09:31PM I Agree (8) - I Disagree (0)

i lived in wheel estates mobile home park and i was drove out bye them.i sold my mobile home and am now renting.they always blamed every thing on me.i dont like kim nor rich i think some one should give them what they have givein to other people.but im glad that karma is starting to pay them back.i hope that every one from the spruses kick there butts out.they are the most usles two criters on this earth.but got to adimite one thing you will never find a nother person like those two.you tents keep your chins up and fight on.good luck!!!
from: no name	on: 07-04-2011 01:02AM I Agree (6) - I Disagree (1)

I have parents that live at Wheel Estates....The pool there, has not been opened. There are cones, and piles of dirt ALL OVER THE ROADS UP THERE. Both of my parents, are not in good health. Please explain to me how an ambulance is to negotiate these insane pot holes, cones, MOUNDS OF DIRT IN FRONT OF PEOPLES DRIVE WAYS....I am extremely disgusted with Morgan Mgmt, AND the Park managers. I do not understand (and one of them GREW UP IN THAT VERY SAME PARK) how you can allow this to go on with these people. The residents of the Spruces...CONGRATS ON STANDING UP TO MANAGEMENT. This entire situation is extremely frustrating and out of control. It's time for Town/City to become involved, before someone ends up dead, because an ambulance couldn't get through a path of water main break.
from: concerned daughter	on: 07-05-2011 12:19PM I Agree (7) - I Disagree (1)

Here is a suggestion for the residents: collaborate and buy the Spruces from the owners, and run it as a condominium mobile home park. If you are really paying plenty for the services you are demanding, you won't have any trouble providing them. If you are being "Californian" (demanding more and better services but refusing to pay for them) then you will receive a useful education.
from: Observer	on: 07-06-2011 04:20PM I Agree (4) - I Disagree (1)

To Observer- we are not attempting to be californian. We just request that services we pay for now be provided. If Morgan Mgnt actually ran the park in a efficiant manner and requested reasonable rent increases over the years they more than likely would not have been denied but to request such a vast increase at one time is grossly uncalled for and a poor business move on their part. Majority of the renters are over 70 and have fixed income. Do you honestly think they can afford or have the health to buy the park. If your not a resident do us a favor and keep opinions to yourself.
from: Resident	on: 07-07-2011 12:46AM I Agree (3) - I Disagree (5)

Morgan management and the park managers are ruthless,greedy and care only about how to line their pockets.Karma baby,sooner or later they will experience some harsh karma.Then you will see several hundred residents from wheel estates and Spruces with some big smiles on their faces.Its coming
from: kev	on: 07-07-2011 06:53PM I Agree (2) - I Disagree (1)

I talked to imperial pool about spruces pool one of 2 things. They can put panels bacl up with waterproof fiberglass and get us up and running,while time is barely on our side,that way we can enjoy it. To do the job right a complete pvc type liner with new returns can be installed for about $20K. We could pay an increase of $10 for one year and that would pay for the capital improvement. All in favor say I. This way the pool will always be ready on time
from: The pool	on: 07-09-2011 10:12AM I Agree (1) - I Disagree (3)

I will not pay for any increase for pool upkeep. That is soley Morgan Mgts resposibility. We already pay for the use and upkeep of the pool within our rent. If someone is foolish enough to pay extra so Morgan repairs what they are already required to repair then they....not I will be a few dollars poorer at the beginning of the month.
from: Resident	on: 07-13-2011 04:11PM I Agree (0) - I Disagree (0)

Williamstown Affordable Housing Trust Hears Objections to Summer Street Proposal

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
02:17PM / Wednesday, April 24, 2024

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Neighbors concerned about a proposed subdivision off Summer Street last week raised the specter of a lawsuit against the town and/or Northern Berkshire Habitat for Humanity.

"If I'm not mistaken, I think this is kind of a new thing for Williamstown, an affordable housing subdivision of this size that's plunked down in the middle, or the midst of houses in a mature neighborhood," Summer Street resident Christopher Bolton told the Affordable Housing Trust board, reading from a prepared statement, last Wednesday. "I think all of us, the Trust, Habitat, the community, have a vested interest in giving this project the best chance of success that it can have. We all remember subdivisions that have been blocked by neighbors who have become frustrated with the developers and resorted to adversarial legal processes.

"But most of us in the neighborhood would welcome this at the right scale if the Trust and Northern Berkshire Habitat would communicate with us and compromise with us and try to address some of our concerns."

Bolton and other residents of the neighborhood were invited to speak to the board of the trust, which in 2015 purchased the Summer Street lot along with a parcel at the corner of Cole Avenue and Maple Street with the intent of developing new affordable housing on the vacant lots.

Currently, Northern Berkshire Habitat for Humanity, which built two homes at the Cole/Maple property, is developing plans to build up to five single-family homes on the 1.75-acre Summer Street lot. Earlier this month, many of the same would-be neighbors raised objections to the scale of the proposed subdivision and its impact on the neighborhood in front of the Planning Board.

The Affordable Housing Trust board heard many of the same arguments at its meeting. It also heard from some voices not heard at the Planning Board session.

And the trustees agreed that the developer needs to engage in a three-way conversation with the abutters and the trust, which still owns the land, to develop a plan that is more acceptable to all parties.

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