Wheel Estates Tenants Association Withdraws Rent Increase
 The Mobile Home Rent Control Board requested the Wheel Estates Tenants Association correct and resubmit its application for a rent increase. |
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Wheel Estates Tenants Association withdrew a petition to increase rent on Monday because of an incorrect application.
The Mobile Home rent Control Board postponed postponed the petition advocating for a $40 rent increase until January.
Because the application was based on projected expenses and not past expenses, Chairman Wayne Wilkinson asked association President Sandy Overlock to withdraw the application without prejudice and reapply.
"We look at the last 12 month's expenses and see if a rent increase is warranted," Wilkinson said. "It has nothing to do with what you project ... essentially you set this up incorrectly, and we are looking at projections."
Wilkinson said he also and "serious concerns" about the numbers used, and noted the provided expense sheet only has information for 10 months.
"We have a statement from 2013 that doesn't break anything down by month so we don't know where you are going with that," Wilkinson said. "We are missing three months and it doesn't match your expenses in any way shape or form because they are based on two different time frames."
Wilkinson added that the association or accountant did not sign the 2013 income tax return provided to the board and it cannot be used in the process.
Overlock said the rate hike was based on anticipated increases in utilities as well as infrastructure projects that needed to be completed.
Wilkinson said capital projects need to be submitted separately because any decided increases must be put into a formula that only increases rent until funds are recouped.
The association was allowed to raise rents last year so the tenants could purchase the park from Morgan Management. Wilkinson reminded the representatives that the association had been given benefit of the doubt on expenses at that time because of the financing requirements.
Wheel Estates became one of the first tenant-owned parks in the region but the association was asked to come back the next year in case figures needed to be adjusted.
Wilkinson asked that the association resubmit its petition toward the end of January with complete information.
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