Nationwide Price Fixing in MHC
CHICAGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–In a case of nationwide significance against nine manufactured home community management companies and one manufactured home market data provider, the plaintiffs allege that they suffered substantial financial losses due to their landlords’ conspiracy to fix, raise, and systematically inflate manufactured home (also referred to as mobile home) lot rental prices at more than 150 locations across the United States.
The complaint details how the large corporate manufactured home community management companies have bought up these communities across the United States and used competitively sensitive market data provided by Michigan-based Datacomp Appraisal Systems Inc. to exchange pricing information and conspire to systematically devise manufactured home lot rent increases.
The case is Ronald Kazmirzak and Carla Hajek v. Datacomp Appraisal Systems Inc., et al. Case No. 1:23-cv-06715 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. A copy of the complaint is available upon request.
If you live in a manufactured home and are facing drastic rent increases you may contact: DiCello Levitt at mhlantitrust@dicellolevitt.com or 646.933.1000 or Hausfeld at mhlantitrust@hausfeld.com or 202.540.7200.
This is a breaking story and I will add more information as it develops. Specifically who are the nine owners being sued and if the case can be expanded to other owners.
September 25, 2023 Update: Evidently another law firm has entered the fray. According to Lowey Dannenberg P.C. these are the nine owner/operators being sued:
- Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc.
- Hometown America Management LLC
- Lakeshore Communities, Inc.
- Sun Communities, Inc.
- RHP Properties, Inc.
- YES! Communities, Inc.
- Inspire Communities, LLC
- Kingsley Management, Corp.
- Cal-Am Properties, Inc.
