Moscow Mills, Missouri – “We are the community of Tropicana Village,” begins the letter to Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt. “In our community we have 399 lots, 269 of them are occupied. We have 232 signatures [out of] 200 of the addresses with 57 inaccessible homes [at this time].” Each of these signatures is a voice of support protesting the “sleazy” business tactics of the community’s new ownership.
The spokesperson for these people, Reverend Mother Rosemary Dalton, a resident of the Tropicana Mobile Home Community (TMHC), intends to voice this protest to the top.
A Universal Life Church minister, member of the Iroquois Nation, ICWA (Indian Child Welfare Act) specialist, founder of her own domestic abuse relief organization and regular political activist, Dalton was originally inspired to file a redress of grievances with the attorney general’s office. after watching her neighbor sell her house in tears.
“[My neighbor] is an 85-year-old widow named Mrs. Lou. He has a fixed income; before the rent went up, she had nine dollars left in social security after paying him [monthly bills]. This increase in rent has forced him to sell his house. – He thought he would die at home, and now he has to go live with his daughter. The reason I made this request letter is because of her; the reason I’m doing all this is because of her.”
“This petition letter is a redress of a grievance; I had to do something; something is better than nothing – that’s a long shot and there are no guarantees, though [I believe] our rights are being violated.”
The complaint, officially registered as CC-2022-07-004031 Jones Estates Tropicana Mo LLC, is being processed by the consumer protection division who is contacting Jones Estates for more information. Although happy with the response, Dalton remains unsatisfied.
“I’ve contacted real estate brokers and they refuse to talk to me; I’ve called nine lawyers in the St. Louis area and I’m waiting for answers. We want a lawyer. The goal is to get a class action lawsuit “.
While it’s unclear whether Jones Estates is breaking the law, and only licensed attorneys can provide accredited legal advice, Dalton is looking to bring change beyond litigation for TMHC. Their goal is to get a bill sponsored to improve renters’ rights both in Missouri and even at the federal level.”
“I’ve been rallying at the state capitol for parents’ rights, family rights and children’s rights…[Now] we are planning to campaign for a rent cap in all mobile home communities in missouri. We want to get legislation, we want to get sponsors and a House and Senate bill.”
