Most Regency evictions still on hold

UPDATE: Marc and Barbara Johnson have more time before they are possibly evicted from Regency Mobile Home Park, but their patience is running thin.

“The stress on me, I have anxiety big time,” said Marc Johnson, 39.

He and his wife were among the owners of 18 mobile homes Regency filed evictions notices against two weeks ago. The park is located just south of Iowa City.

Regency agreed to postpone most of the evictions at the request of the Iowa Attorney General's Office, which is investigating allegations of consumer fraud by the operators of the park, whose corporate owner is Colorado-based Churchill Group.

Court records show that three of the 18 cases have been dismissed and another 12 have been continued indefinitely.

The remaining three also were dismissed by magistrate Karen Egerton during a court hearing Thursday because Regency did not give proper notice of the evictions. But the notices can be filed again, and Regency representatives at the hearing indicated they were considering doing so.

The Attorney General's Office has said that evictions would proceed with abandoned homes so Regency can clear the titles. Two of those discussed at the hearing were said to be abandoned, and the owners were not in court.

But the Johnsons were one of the three Regency was still pursuing, and Marc Johnson said he lives there with his wife and daughter. Marc Johnson said this is the second time Regency has come after them for what he said is rent owed by the previous tenant, although their eviction notice is the only one of the 18 to not give a reason for the eviction.

“I'm not paying someone else's back lot rent,” he said.

Regency officials at the hearing said they would not speak with the news media. A phone message left for Regency attorney William Kennedy of Iowa City was not immediately returned. Churchill Group officials have not returned repeated messages in recent weeks.

Jacob and Jennifer Johnson were among those who had their evictions postponed, which they said was a relief. They say the park's water supply and business practices are bad and they are planning on moving.

“Now we have 90 days to move out instead of three,” she said.

Regency says they owe $690, but the Johnsons said that they have records showing the amount is smaller and that Regency denied them a payment plan after they were recently quoted in a newspaper.

The Attorney General's Office is reviewing information Regency submitted in response to its civil investigation, spokesman Geoff Greenwood said. He declined to say what information the state asked for.

Regency is accused of selling mobile homes without clear titles and without making buyers aware that back taxes are owed.