The owners of the mobile home park have for years faced financial difficulties, as well as action and fines from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.
Owners have not paid taxes on the Clark County property since the 2008 tax year, which was payable in 2009, and currently owe $195,911.54 in back taxes, according to Clark County Treasurer Stephen Metzger.
The appointment of Rose resulted from a lawsuit filed by Florida-based Alterna Capital Funding, which says G.S. Holdings - Brookside and Forest Lake defaulted on a $2.3 million commercial loan that was taken out May 1, 2009. The loan was used to finance the purchase of the mobile home park at 1962 Mahar Road in South Vienna and undeveloped property at 2335 W. First St. in Springfield, according to court documents.
Alterna Capital filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Dayton and sought the outstanding debt, interest at $1,150 per day, the sale of the property, immediate control and possession of the property’s rents and profits, and reimbursement of attorneys fees and other costs, according to court documents.
G.S. Holdings owner Peter Stojich of Illinois never responded to the lawsuit. Company representatives reached last week declined to comment.
Rose was granted the authority to take possession of the property, leases, furniture, fixtures and equipment. She also has authority to collect all profits, rents and revenue from the property, according to court records. The park had more than 140 tenants as of earlier this year.
She has the authority to sell the property and to utilize the property to “preserve and maximize the value of the property,” according to court records.
Rose said fought to become manager of the property in April after reading articles about the property’s financial and environmental troubles in the Springfield News-Sun.
She said many mobile home park residents are more at ease about the future of the mobile home park now that she and a partner are in charge of property.
In 2007, a judge fined then owner Oxford-based JGR Properties $75,000 for violating national and state pollution laws. The EPA ordered the company make improvements to the treatment plant by Jan. 15, 2009.
In December 2009, the current owners of Brookside, GS Holdings-Brookside, were ordered to pay $10,000 for violating 12 counts of the consent order, according to court documents.
EPA officials asked the attorney general in January to seek civil action against the owner of the park due to “potential health risks” related to the park’s drinking water, according to documents obtained by the Springfield News-Sun.
Metzger, county treasurer, said if the U.S. District Court rules in favor of Alterna Capital, Clark County would be among the first to receive funds to repay back taxes.
Rose said rescuing the mobile home park will be challenging.
“It’s exciting, but it’s a big responsibility … Our main concern right now are the residents,” Rose said. “We’re just taking it day by day.”
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