Lommen Abdo has represented countless manufactured home community residents in class action lawsuits involving illegal utility fees.

How the cases started

In 1999, Lommen Nelson (the predecessor of Lommen Abdo) accepted a pro bono opportunity representing a group of manufactured home community ("MHC") residents in East Bethel, Minnesota. The residents sought legal representation when the owners of their community installed water meters on their homes and began charging for water and sewer services although the lease agreements provided that water and sewer services would be included in lot rent at no additional charge. The East Bethel case settled in late 2003 after a district court judge ruled in favor of the residents and the Minnesota Court of Appeals affirmed. The residents received full refunds of the utility fees and established important precedent for MHC residents across the State of Minnesota. The case is Sargent v. Bethel Properties, Inc., 653 N.W.2d 800 (Minn. Ct. App. 2002), review denied.

Having heard of the important resident victory in Sargent, other MHC residents contacted Lommen Abdo to start class action lawsuits on the same issue. In 2004, several community residents achieved favorable results in their water meter class actions. Residents at Cedar Knolls in Apple Valley were awarded $383,000 in damages by a Dakota County jury. A Washington County jury awarded residents at Cimarron Manufactured Home Community $288,000. Other MHC residents reached favorable settlements with park owners without going to trial.

The Lommen Abdo class action litigation team for the MHC cases includes Barry O’Neil, Valerie Sims, and Kay Nord Hunt. (Click here for an article on this issue.) For more information about the MHC cases, contact Valerie Sims at valerie@lommen.com or 612-336-9318 or 800-752-4297.