Fort Worth

Owners of Mobile Home Park Promise to Work With Residents Following Fraud Allegations

The owners of a Fort Worth mobile home park say they were surprised by allegations that a former manager required cash payments, then kept the money.

Fort Worth police said they took 24 fraud reports after dozens of people complained about a former manager at the La Hacienda Escondida mobile home park.

Residents said their paperwork did not reflect the cash or money order payments they'd actually made towards their homes.

"My down payment, instead of being $3,500, she says on the paperwork that I only gave $2,000," resident Elida Colunga said.

Colunga said she found the discrepancy last week when she reviewed her paperwork after she learned the former manager left her job suddenly.

Colunga said she signed up for a lease-to-own option in November 2017 and that her down payment and monthly payments were made by money order.

"My biggest concern is that I don't own my property. I'm leasing, that's my biggest concern, that I threw away all that money," Colunga said.

"Some people have concerns they've made payments that haven't been reconciled on their ledgers," said Adam Minnick with Stonetown Capital, which owns the mobile home park.

Minnick said his team flew in from Colorado on Monday to meet with residents.

Minnick said the former manager resigned last Monday when he said she was questioned about an unrelated matter. Minnick said the owners were surprised to learn about the allegations and that the property has a no cash policy for rent and lease-to-own payments.

"The allegations aren't good, we don't know if they've been verified, but we're trying to work through and trying to help people where we can," Minnick said. "We want people to feel they can trust being in this community and we want them to stay here and feel like they got the deal that they signed on for."

Minnick said he was asking residents to bring in any paperwork or proof of payments.

"I never got a copy from her that I paid the $3,500. I only have a receipt from my bank that I withdrew $3,500," Colunga said. "Is it going to play right? I have no idea."

Colunga said the manager often had excuses about printers or copiers not working when asked for receipts.

Police said no one has been arrested or charged with a crime.

Fort Worth police fraud detectives have launched an investigation.

Contact Us