I don’t understand. Selling it implies she owns it, but they say they raised rents?
She bought the unit. She pays a monthly maintenance fee.
Don’t know what her particular fee covers, but some of the senior communities have pools, clubhouses, staff, even medical staff, do landscaping and exterior repairs, etc.
Some costs, like insurance, utility rates, statutory compliance, are going to be beyond management control. But this much of a hike? Something is seriously wrong.
It might be a mobile home park where you own the home but rent the land it's on.
My parents had an elderly couple for friends. The wife came down with dementia and it was too much for the husband to handle. They bought a 2 br suite in an assisted living center memory wing. There was some formula for returning the money if sold. It was something similar to that mentioned in the article. I don't know what the monthly fees were, but the facility had full time staff..
“her monthly maintenance surged from $1,395 to $6,500”
Maintenance and HOA fees are how they gouge residents.
My preference is to never buy into a property where someone else is in control and can charge fees.
That is the exact issue with any condominium or similar arrangement where there are “community fees”.
Technically you own the property but because of those fees you do not control it.
Any agreements you may sign do not bind future owners of the condominium—so the current agreements cannot protect you.
That issue is why we never bought a home in one of those communities—and never will.
They own the physical trailer, but not the land.