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Mason City family at mercy of Gracious Estates management (photos and video)

The Joyce family, Patrick, Tammy and daughter Gemini.  She says she is "just visiting" from Milwaukee, while park management says she is banned "for a lot of reasons".
The Joyce family, Patrick, Tammy and daughter Gemini. She says she is “just visiting” from Milwaukee, while park management says Gemini is banned “for a lot of reasons”.

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.

Next-door neighbor Sharon Beek, who says the Joyce family has been fine neighbors.
Next-door neighbor Sharon Beek, who says the Joyce family has been fine neighbors.

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.

Gracious Estates as you enter the park
Gracious Estates as you enter the park

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 home in Gracious Estates
The Joyce home in Gracious Estates, #101

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

A family that says it is nearly out of options
A family that says it is nearly out of options
Reasons for eviction, given by GE management
Reasons for eviction, given by GE management
Eviction letter
Eviction letter
Eviction letter
Eviction letter
Patrick Joyce produced a title to his 1973 mobile home and an eviction letter from Gracious Estates.  He says it woud cost up to $10,000 or more to move the 42-year-old trailer, money he does not have.
Patrick Joyce produced a title to his 1973 mobile home and an eviction letter from Gracious Estates. He says it woud cost up to $10,000 or more to move the 42-year-old trailer, money he does not have.
The Joyce home in Gracious Estates
The Joyce home in Gracious Estates
Patrick Joyce wonders what he will do next if he is evicted
Patrick Joyce wonders what he will do next if he is evicted
A Gracious Estates "newsletter" recently distributed to residents
A Gracious Estates “newsletter” recently distributed to residents
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