AUSTIN, Texas — For residents at Chateau at Onion Creek Mobile Home Park, they say unfair fines and fees are a part of life.
Cheri Roe is a member of Chateau at Onion Creek Residents Association.
“$500 fines without prior warning for allegedly changing the oil to a car on property,” Roe said. “This has happened even in cases where there was no property damage or there is no oil change at all. A $5,000 deposit for people to be able to move their homes despite this not being disclosed in the lease or anywhere in writing that we can determine.”
Local leaders like Mayor Pro Tem Vanessa Fuentes and Council Member Ryan Alter are joining residents to demand an end to this practice.
“Over and over again, we see individuals who come in and charge these fees and really do prey on our lower-income communities because they think we can,” Council Member Alter said.
Angelita Kyle moved into this community 12 years ago and says she owes almost $80,000 in late fees and lot rent.
“I go through headaches every day,” Kyle said.
Roe says these fees are hard on the residents who move into these communities for affordable rates.
“I live paycheck to paycheck. You have people on social security with limited incomes and people get stressed out. It affects their health, it affects their livelihood,” Roe said.
KVUE reached out to the owner of the community but did not hear back.
Residents are now demanding the park immediately stop charging illegal late fees and rescind all fines and fees. They also want the park to stop issuing any further fees until its policies are updated and communicated.
“If you look all around the neighborhood, you’ll see all these empty lots. You’ll also see lots of houses up for sale, and people feel that they’re held hostage here,” Roe said.
“I just want all this to go away, you know? I need to get out of here myself,” Kyle said.
Council Member Ryan Alter authored a resolution recently for landlords to disclose the fees they will have to pay and he is hoping the council will vote on it in the future. There is also a bill in the Legislature called House Bill 4305, which would regulate disclosure of junk fees, but it has not gone to committee yet.