Spring, Stone Manors Facing Rent Increase Due to Water Issues

In a community meeting held on Tuesday, Dec. 12, residents of Spring and Stone Manors came together to discuss the escalating water issues affecting the lives of about 192 people who live in the parks.

Spring Manor resident Mark Fiddes said the meeting was attended by about 60 people, mainly residents who gathered to address a letter from Mobile Realty, the owner of both trailer parks, which announced a rent hike.

“The issue started at the beginning of the month when we all received letters about the owner raising the rent,” he said.

Fiddes said a petition was created at the meeting, and so far has 53 signatures.

It will be submitted to the Attorney General of Pennsylvania once they get enough signatures.

“The difference between the master and individual meters is 500,000 gallons,” he said.

The letter from Mobile Realty suggested that they talked with borough officials and identified the tenants’ meters as the root cause.

Fiddes said a test is underway to pinpoint the problem, but they are still waiting to get the results.

“I have heard residents who have been here for 20 years say the water leakage has always been an issue,” he said.

As a response to this, Mobile Realty imposed an additional $13 charge on all the residents, a move that is making it harder on the single mother, seniors, and those on fixed or low incomes who live in the parks.

Fiddes said the $13 charge was made without any modification to their leases.

He said the income Mobile Realty receives from both trailer parks is $933,000, and the projected $40-$45 increase would push that over $1 million.

“I understand that the owners have expenses to cover, but they do not seem to want to use it to maintain the water system,” Fiddes said. “Instead of taking responsibility for it, they are putting it on the residents.”

Richard Brantner, Martinsburg Borough Manager and Martinsburg Municipal Authority representative said the park’s owner increased the lot rent for the month to cover the cost of the water.

He clarified that the typical set up in trailer parks, where there is a master meter and individual meters for each rental unit.

Brantner said that there was a large difference between the master meter numbers and the rental unit meters.

“The meters in both parks are about 20 years olds — they are working well and giving accurate readings,” he said.

Brantner said he suspected that the leakage in the water systems for both parks is the actual culprit, and Mobile Realty has been neglecting necessary repairs.

This has fueled the perception among residents that the burden of maintaining the water system has been shifted onto their shoulders.

Phyllis Colledge, a Spring Manor resident of 26 years, echoed those concerns, and expressed skepticism about the true intentions behind the rent hikes.

“I think that they are trying to drive people out of the trailer parks,” she said.

College said it appears that the owner does not want to fix the water systems and wants to put that burden on residents instead.

She highlighted a trend of yearly rent increases since Mobile Realty assumed ownership in 2020, recounting a steep rise of $45 immediately after the takeover.

Her rent has surged by $225 since then, posing financial strains on the community.

“Everyone is upset and they don’t want to pay — it doesn’t leave a lot to pay for utilities and other bills we still have,” Colledge said.

She said the owner wanted the borough to charge the residents in parks more, but they could not do it because that would mean raising it for everyone in Martinsburg.