US Edition'They're gouging us': Residents unionize after 2nd big rent hike at Missoula trailer park
Residents won recognition, a no-retaliation pledge and an option for two-year leases as talks continue on a collectively bargained agreement.
- On Thursday, representatives from Texas-based Oak Wood Ventures met with residents of Travois Village in Missoula and Harvey's mobile home park in Bonner for the first official bargaining session between the company and a tenants union.
- After Oak Wood purchased the parks in 2023 and raised lot rents by $200 in 2024, residents formed two tenants unions to demand lease negotiations and address affordability concerns.
- Bargaining team member Erik Brilz said Oak Wood agreed to recognize the unions and offer two-year lease terms, alongside pledging to advocate for a 3% rent increase cap and reduce convenience fees.
- Conrad Morrison, Oak Wood general counsel, said "I think both sides are going to walk away with wins," while Brilz noted the agreement provides needed predictability for residents.
- The bargaining team aims to reach a finalized lease by June 1, while Oak Wood agreed to discuss the potential sale of Harvey's to residents—a process Rep. Jonathan Karlen, a Missoula-area Democrat, hopes serves as an example for other parks.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Associated Press News
Montana mobile home park unions push ahead on lease negotiations
On what was the coldest day of April so far, residents of two Missoula-area mobile home parks sat down for lease negotiations with their Texas-based landlord — a first in Montana history, according to the Missoula Tenants Union.
Mobile home park unions push ahead on lease negotiations
On what was the coldest day of April so far, residents of two Missoula-area mobile home parks sat down for lease negotiations with their Texas-based landlord — a first in Montana history, according to the Missoula Tenants Union. Representatives from Oak Wood Ventures visited Missoula last week to meet with residents of Travois Village in Missoula and Harvey’s mobile home park in Bonner, which the company bought in 2023. After rent increases and …
Helena Independent Record
'They're gouging us': Residents unionize after 2nd big rent hike at Missoula trailer park
A Texas-based company that bought a large Missoula mobile home park for people age 55 and up has raised the lot rent by $195 per month in two years.
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