Letter: Heartland Village in Dickinson allows family to stay

Heartland Village would like to address recent articles published in The Dickinson Press regarding our mobile home park.

Heartland Village recently delivered termination notices (not eviction notices as reported) to some individuals who are renting lots in our park for RV use, in which we informed them that we are terminating their month-to-month rental agreements.

Heartland Village is zoned and designed for mobile home development. However, in 2010 we received a temporary permit allowing us to utilize certain lots within our park for RV use. We have since been advised that the permit, which expires in the near future, will not be renewed and, as a result, we have no choice but to discontinue renting lots to RV users. We understand that this is an inconvenience for the affected individuals, but the decision not to renew the permit is out of our control.

Regarding our eviction policy, we utilize evictions as a last resort when our residents fail and refuse to pay rent or violate our park’s rules and regulations. Prior to filing any eviction action, we first contact the resident in writing and usually by phone as well, and ask them to pay their past due rent. In cases where our residents are experiencing financial difficulties we attempt to come to an agreement to help them catch up on their past due payments.

Eviction is difficult for everyone involved, not just our residents but for Heartland Village as well as it involves considerable expense and time. Nevertheless, we cannot allow those individuals who refuse to pay rent and abide by their rental agreements to remain residents in our park.

As to Fred and Charlotte Pilot, who were featured in The Dickinson Press as a result of an eviction action, we were previously working on, and have since come to, a new agreement which allows the Pilots to remain residents of Heartland Village.

Heartland Village goes to great lengths to provide affordable, quality housing options which are desperately needed in our community. Some of our residents pay below market value rent due to their circumstances and our commitment to balance the well-being of our residents and the Dickinson community with our business objectives. Heartland Village values its residents and takes great pride in providing them with a place to call home and we are committed to the city of Dickinson and our neighbors with whom we share our close-knit community.

Keith Kress, general counsel of Heartland Village, Manhattan, Mont.

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