Letter to the Editor: State rep deserves praise for work for leased-land tenants

Reporter Joe Edelen’s recent story— on the closing of the Timberlane leased-land community of low-income homeowners, which is to be replaced with a more profitable housing venture — deserves an interpretation for those readers unfamiliar with community owner tactics (“Feud erupts over manufactured housing community closure,” Aug. 5).

The notice posted on the doors of the tenant homeowners said: “In light of the continued legislative restrictiveness effecting the condition and the operation of our community, we can no longer provide services to adequately meet the standards that Reybold has provided through the last decade.”

Translated, I take this to mean: “Since the law requires me to maintain your health and safety after I invited you to buy a home here, I can’t make as much money as I want, so you are history!”

I was a witness to the exchange mentioned in the article. Rep. Madinah Wilson-Anton, D-Newark, fiercely protested on behalf of her constituents. If anyone should apologize, it should be the majority of state legislators who permit those community owners to take excessive rents from low- and middle-income families, seniors and retired military, who receive nothing tangible in return.

This apology-requesting entrepreneur, who pays his personal taxes in Pennsylvania, is ironic, because his profit-and-loss statements are private. You would think he would be willing to show how much money he is losing to prove his point.

Bravo, Rep. Wilson-Anton! Affordable housing and the health and safety of the tenants is in the public interest. The electorate should be asking each candidate and incumbent if they are willing to ask Delaware revenue officials how much of the multimillions in rent increases comes back in taxes.

Fred Neil

Dover