MASON CITY – A Mason City family has no where to turn as management at the Gracious Estates mobile home park seeks to have them evicted.
Patrick Joyce and his wife Tammy are struggling, they told NIT Thursday night after they requested a visit. Tammy is disabled, Patrick says, and he just got a full-time job at Graham door-maker here in town. Within the last 3 to 4 months, Patrick says they have finally paid off their 1973 mobile home, which cost them about $5,000.
This is where the trouble starts. After living in the Gracious Estates mobile home park (777 South Eisenhower Avenue) at lot 101 for about 4 years, Gracious Estates management – a woman named Melissa Lopez and a companion of hers known as “Ed” – say it’s time to go. Patrick says Ms. Lopez sent “Ed” over to his home to deliver eviction papers, which claim that due to three reasons, the Joyce family must leave. The reasons given are that 1) management allege two unauthorized persons are living in Patrick’s trailer; 2) there is required paperwork that has not been completed; and 3) a trash removal issue.
Visiting with Patrick and Tammy Thursday evening, they say their daughter, Gemini, and another male friend were visiting them at their trailer and are not living there. The also say that since ownership of Gracious Estates has changed hands, everyone in the park is supposed to complete “updated lease agreements” but no one has done so, yet. Lastly, they provided pictures that showed any waste in their yard (which appeared in nice condition Thursday) had been cleaned up and wasn’t an issue to begin with.
A neighbor, Sharon Beek who lives next door in trailer #100, said the trash was never an issue for her at all, and that the Joyce’s are “ideal” neighbors who help her out a lot.
“Pat has helped me, I’ve never had a problem with them at all,” Ms. Beek explained.
The Joyce’s say that if they have to leave the park, they will lose everything. Patrick says he was nearly fired Friday because he missed two days at work “to deal with” Gracious Estates management. The family says they have no idea where they would go.
A call to Gracious Estates manager Melissa Lopez was answered Friday afternoon. She was gracious (no pun intended) enough to spend several minutes explaining the situation, from her vantage point.
Ms. Lopez tells NIT that Patrick Joyce is “aggressive” and has been threatening her; she has lived in the park for “several years” and happens to live just around the bend from the Joyce family.
“I’ve always tried to avoid him,” Ms. Lopez said, adding that Mason City police have put her under “special attention” watch to maintain her safety. Mason City police refused to confirm or deny this claim, and they also refused to disclose whether any calls to police had ever been made regarding a dispute or harassment between Patrick Joyce and Melissa Lopez. “We do not disclose vacation watch, areas of special attention, business checks, etc to the public,” a police spokesman said. “We also redact name info until or unless a charge has been filed. I am unable to respond further to your two info requests.”
Ms. Lopez confirmed that on Father’s Day this year, June 21, she and “Ed” – who works at Heartland Asphalt and is not an employee of Gracious Estates, she says – paid the Joyce family a visit regarding the presence of Gemini Joyce – and police became involved. According to Mason City police, “a park employee called police on June 21 at 2:22 pm to report there were one or more people at Lot 101 who had previously been banned by park staff from returning to the park. A MCPD officer was on scene at 2:40 pm that day and spoke to all parties. The one side (Gemini Joyce) disputed that they had ever been banned from returning to the park. The officer recommended to re-notify all involved so everyone was clear. No charges were filed.”
Mason City police confirmed that they have never been to Gracious Estates to arrest Gemini Joyce.
The Joyce family denied police came to the park that day. The very next day, however, on Monday, the Joyce family was given eviction papers (see photo of eviction paper dated June 22).
During her phone interview with NIT, Ms. Lopez said that usually trailers at Gracious Estates are “for sale” but sometimes they are “for rent” and to “check back in August” for when more would be available to rent. Mason City staff who deal with inspections and rental properties tell NIT that if trailers are being rented, Gracious Estates “would be considered landlords and as such would be subject to rules and regulations governing landlords in Mason City. Gracious Estates would need to be licensed and those units (they would need to provide us with a list of the units that they are renting out) would be subject to periodic inspection.”
Gracious Estates is not licensed to rent in Mason City at this time.
Furthermore, Ms. Lopez denied rumors in the community that Gracious Estates sells trailers to unsuspecting folks, then once the trailers are paid off, eviction proceedings (usually delivering a letter like the one Patrick Joyce received) are started, in order to clear the trailer of occupants. The rumor goes that the trailer is then taken over by Gracious Estates and then rented or sold to new residents.
“Of course not, that would be illegal,” Ms. Lopez told NIT. “They are just trying to retaliate because they are being evicted,” she explained. “We have lawyers dealing with this if you want to talk to them.”
A former city official confirmed to NIT that the city has dealt with this issue in the past.
Ms. Lopez also refused to disclose who the owners of the park are. She said it is “public information” and to “look it up.” She said the true owners do not want her to disclose who they are, saying “that’s why I’m here.”
A deeper search of county and state records shows that Gracious Estates is owned by Gracious Estates Mason City, LLC, which is owned by Bo Thorenfeldt of 885 Hillsborough Blvd., Hillsborough, California. Thorenfeldt appears to be the owner of Thorenfeldt Construction Inc., which builds luxury homes.
The Joyce family has less than 60 days to find a way to move the trailer and leave Gracious Estates. If they cannot do that, they will have to leave the trailer behind.
NIT is told that as part of the ruse, Gracious Estates will attempt to purchase trailers from persons being evicted at low ball rates. “Sometimes it’s a $1,000,” our source explained. “And they take they money, because they have no recourse, no one to help them.”
A family is in turmoil after an eviction notice from management at Gracious Estates mobile home park. They stand to lose everything, while rich owners of the park stand to gain what the family may lose. Watch an interview and read the story: http://northiowatoday.com/2015/07/10/mason-city-family-at-mercy-of-gracious-estates-management-photos-and-video/
Posted by NorthIowaToday.com on Friday, July 10, 2015
I lived there. They are crack heads and you made a story about them. Lmfao way to go morons.
Melissa (Melissa Lopez) is part owner of the trailer park and ed bunch Jr her boyfriend is a convicted felon
JUST TO LET EVERYONE KNOW MELLISA IS PART OWNER OF THE GRACIOUS ESTATES TRAILER PARK. THE OTHER OWNER LIVES IN CALIFORNIA. HER BOYFRIEND IS “ED” EDWARD BUNCH JR. HE IS A CONVICTED FELON. HE IS ALSO WORKING FOR HER. ED IS DOING METH I CAN TELL BY JUST LOOKING AT HIM THATS HOW HE WENT TO PRISON. SHE NEEDS TO BE FIRED AND HE NEEDS TO BE KICKED OUT. HE STEALS THE RENT AND LOT MONEY FROM THE PARK AND SHE HAS TOO PAY IT BACK WITH HER OWN MONEY BEFORE ANYONE FINDS OUT. BELEIVE ME THIS IS ALL TRUE I USED TO LIVE THEIR WHEN THIS ALL HAPPENED I WAS IN THEIR STUPID CIRCLE. BTW THE THREE PEOPLE WHATEVER THEIR IDIOTIC NAMES ARE WERE GETTING KICKED BECAUSE THEY WERENET PAYING LOT RENT. I SEEN THE PAPERS. BOTH SIDES ARE IDIOTS BUT THE JOCYE PEOPLE ARE DUMBBER.
If all that is true then why has none of that been reported? If they are both in the wrong, since they are the ones that brought the situation to the publics eye, I believe the public should have the right to know who is in the wrong and what they are in the wrong for.
I was just wondering if anything more was ever found out about this situation? They were to be out the 1st of this month, so we’re they evicted or did something get worked out? Was the management really in the wrong for the eviction or was there more to the story that was not being told?
There will be a follow-up story… stay tuned.
Do you know when that follow up story will be published? I am just curious because I know someone that was looking into a place there but we have been waiting to find out if they are worth talking to or if it is better to stay away from there.
You say to stay tuned but it has been over a month since you have published this article, and has been 15 days since they were suppose to be evicted. Yet there is still no update on who was in the wrong. Should those that are living there have anything to worry about with their contracts? Is it somewhere that no one should consider moving to? Or was the family the one at fault? Inquiring minds and potential renters/ buyers would like to know.
Running joke when ever one of our contractors do work out there, mobile home park is commonly referred to as “Gracious Mistakes”…
should have taken the cost of the “pink hair” and all the “tat’s” and used the money to move the trailer. Why do women “mar” themselves for life.
Hee Haw!
Gracious Estates LLC, according to public records, is owned by Neumayer MHP Yukon LLC, 885 Hillsborough Road, Hillsborough, CA. That address is a private home appraised at over 6 million dollars. The phone number is 650-558-9495.
A Beek for a character witness on cleanliness….LOLOLOLOLOLOL! Hilarious! With 4 adults fully capable of making enough money to provide rent in a house and they’re whining for people to pick up the pieces of their disfunction?! I’m only one and poor. HELP ME!
Matt: This article is Sheer Genius! What a fantastic way to introduce the fall premier of a North Iowa, Award Winning reality show. You are gonna make millions and far surpass the revenue generated by Duck Dynasty, Honey Boo Boo and all the other red neck thrillers. I predict that the drama will be good for three or four seasons at least. If you are looking for investors….. Im in dude!
It is rumored that the TV Show will be called the Cultural Crescent.
Awesome sauce! Great idea. And let’s not forget to get some clips from the north end Kum and Go. I’ve said before that they could do a reality show there also.
Omg I think I just spewed milk out of my nose bahahaha
Mr. Joyce does have a history of violence.
I do?
Yes you do, it is all public information, assault and domestic assault are violence.
There is more than one person with the same name
Maybe so, but this one is you.
Thank you for your input have a nice day
Gemini’s hair is not pink, that is a wig made of cotton candy from the fair.
No wonder they are being evicted, Gemini is not supposed to even be there. Do a case history search on Pat in Iowa Courts online. Who would want them as neighbors.
If she was banned, management only told police the day before they received an eviction notice. Police were called and did not even arrest her for trespassing. Not sure that reasoning would hold up in court.
@NIT, even if she was banned, that probably wouldn’t keep her away. It seems that when some people are banned from things, they don’t feel they need to comply with the rules.
There are all kinds of red flags here. Did they “properly” give the Joyce’s notice? Did they serve them in three ways that are deemed required in our court system? If not, it will be thrown out of court. I may have to contact the Joyce’s and give them some advice on this. Sounds like Melissa and Ed need to be relieved of their duties… maybe someone should contact the owners (when we find them) and let them know the “manager” and her sidekick are very uneducated in this line of work. If the daughter is banned then they would have to show a paper trail of this. I do know the manager and her sidekick are money hungry and it would make sense for them to wait until the trailer is paid…
Also Melissa and Ed probably have a third man. You never reveal your third man too early, you let the heat build up first. Then at the next promo, your bring him out!
.
First, the landlords have to “prove” there are additional tenants that are living there, not assume. It would get thrown out of court, Second, if Gracious Estates does not have a landlord license then they are not able to collect rent in the state of Iowa and therefore they are not able to evict. Third, If Ms Lopez stated she would be in contact to have everyone update the records… when did Ms Lopez attempt to get the new information from the Joyce’s? I too am a landlord in MC. On a personal note… Ms Lopez and “Ed” helped me out on a tenant issue and then overcharged me and it was not until the next day that I called them out on it and then was given some money back. Yet…
What happened to unbiased responsible reporting of real issues? This is obviously very one sided and frankly a tenant/owner situation and not public business. Shame on you.
You want to hear something morose? After the GE manager Roger gave me the keys to my mobile home, later that day he hung himself in his maintenance shop. Hung himself as in committed suicide. I may have been one of the last persons he ever saw. I just remember he was chewing his toothpick and looking through me as if his mind was somewhere else while I was signing the ownership papers and lease agreement.
What I’ve heard is you’re banned from this site yet you keep postjng. Do you not think the rules apply to you?
What a shame. If only there was some sort of city commission that would handle housing complaints. Good thing NIT is willing to help.
I lived there once, and was promised that I could have a garage, so I built one then was told that I could not have it . I paid a high price for our home, but when we had enough of the lies, we trid to sell aand we were not alowed to sell to anyone, but they would buy our trailer, so we took a beating on the place, but looking back it was worth the education
Tough situation. The Des Moines Register ran a story a couple years ago detailing the one sided laws regulating mobile home parks and the abuses heaped on the tenants by owners. The story was very sympathetic toward the tenants but unfortunately owners hold all the cards, Challenges to the laws have not been successful. The mobile home lobby obviously has more clout in the statehouse than the unrepresented lot renters. Good luck to the Joyces.
I don’t know much about this situation, but, I can say that the mobil park has been renting for years. My son rented out there and then when I bought him a mobile home we eventually sold it to them for a thousand dollars and they rented that out too.
NIT – this was pretty dumb. Should they have rights to property they lease? Yes, but only for the duration of the rental agreement. If the story here is the Landlord trying to vacate them early I’d understand the story. – but it seems that they are so dumb that they do not know the terms of their lease. I found this story hard to listen to since I recognize the two girls from North Iowa Mugshots.
There has been an ownership change at GE. It is clear that the paperwork is not only riddled with typos, it is not accurate; names are wrong, and even the management is seeking new terms from everyone in the park. “If the story here is the Landlord trying to vacate them early I’d understand the story” you say. Well, the lease is not up. Hence, an eviction due to the three reasons in the eviction letter. So, you should understand the story. Perhaps you can get it if you try a little harder to think instead of putting all your brain power into making juvenile insults at people you seem to think you are better than. Your insults are not only rude but not necessary to make your point, if you have one.
peter again huh
@maybe-Peter is posting all over NIT under different names. Matt needs to bring this to a stop. Clean Up Crew is just one of his names.
Yes he is posting all over the site. After he started a Facebook page claiming how much he hates NIT. What a hiprocrate..
I don’t see that page anymore…Peter must be back in Vegas.
He’s not in vegas. He’s in Clear lake. He was supposedly working as clean up crew for the carnival, hence the posted name clean up crew. Too bad the carnival didn’t take them with. He could have been part of the freak show.
No, Pete is still in CL… he uses wifi at Cabin Coffee…
Since a tumor needs a “host” to survive, it makes sense he’s using someone else’s Wi-Fi connection.
Hilarious. I have my own cult following. 🙂
Peter, no one is following you. Except maybe your multiple personalties. You’re a joke.
Still pissed cuz I stood up against your ability to harass and intimidate people with your loud noise? Maybe someday you’ll understand how wrong you’ve been. But I don’t suppose it will happen in this culture’s lifetime. All the art you’re missing…all the poetry, the music…the nature…all because you want to roll down the road with a bunch of BLAAARRRAAHHHAHHGHH. This aspect of the culture history will judge with revulsion.
Cult Following? More like people watching the shit show you are putting on. You continue to mock NIT by posting on something you vow to abandon. It’s entertainment, not news. It’s opinion not fact. It’s a joke that isn’t very funny. Good luck scrubbing the crazy off your website Matt.
Whoa – lots of hate toward this Pete guy for some reason! Oh well smile on your brother!
I guess the visit you had from the police department didn’t sink in did it Peter? Maybe they need to pay you another visit.
Keep your thoughts to yourself you don’t even know the family
the management is the one that should go! by the looks of the mobile home I would say it has been kept up really good—new siding etc!!!!