BARNEGAT – A year ago, many of the residents of Pinewood Estates and Brighton at Barnegat were singing the praises of local officials. The township had reinstated its Rent Leveling Board ordinance, a safeguard they believed would protect them from predatory rent hikes and unfair corporate practices. For seniors living on tight, fixed incomes, it felt like a lifeline.
But residents in the two manufactured home communities now feel that support is being taken from them. The governing body has started the process to abolish the Rent Leveling Board. For many elderly residents, their gratitude has quickly turned to fear.
“This rent leveling ordinance doesn’t just cover our rent,” said Lorraine Ferraro, a resident of Pinewood Estates. “It deals with how much we have to pay for capital gains and what the owners RHP (Properties) are responsible in doing, like maintaining, rather than neglecting and jacking up the prices.”
Mayor Alfonso Cirulli voted to keep the Rent Leveling Board. (Photo by Stephanie Faughnan)
Ferraro said the average age of residents in her community is 74. Most rely solely on Social Security. If rent protections disappear, she suggested, the township should consider designating public land for tents – because that’s where many could end up.
Residents said they were blindsided when they learned the proposed ordinance to eliminate the Rent Leveling Board was on the Township Committee’s agenda just one night before its morning meeting. With little discussion from officials themselves, the committee voted 3-2 in favor of moving the repeal forward.
Deputy Mayor Al Bille and Committeemen Jake Townsend and Joseph Marte supported the measure. Mayor Al Cirulli and Committeeman Pat Pipi voted against it. The ordinance now heads to a second reading and final vote.
“I think some very good comments were made here today,” Bille said as he introduced the ordinance, “And we will be studying it.”
That answer didn’t seem to sit well with residents – who find themselves in a unique position.
At Pinewood and Brighton, many residents own their homes but pay land lease fees to corporate landlords. That technicality makes them tenants under the law – even though they own their roofs, walls, and doors.
Brighton residents have been able to negotiate rent increase caps and other items covered within the Rent Leveling Board ordinance as part of their lease agreement. Without the rent board, Pinewood Estates residents fear that RHP will now be free to do what it wants as their lease agreement doesn’t offer similar protection.
Township officials say the Rent Leveling Board has become a financial burden, costing the town over $18,000 in legal fees last year alone. Much of that came from defending against lawsuits filed by RHP, who challenged the decisions made by the township’s board.
Lorraine Ferraro, a resident of Pinewood Estates, said that a lot of protections for senior renters are being thrown out. (Photo by Stephanie Faughnan)
Some residents have questioned why the board can’t operate without legal counsel. But government boards require attorney representation. John Murrin, who served as chairman for the board defended its merits. He also floated the idea of recruiting local lawyers to donate their services on a pro bono basis.
Still, for residents, the human cost far outweighs the legal fees.
Vilma Barker, a Pinewood Estates resident, was among those who expressed her disappointment with RHP and accused them of raising rents, while neglecting maintenance.
“I get $1,400 a month in Social Security,” she said. “That’s my only income, paying $410 a month rent… I was kicked off of Medicaid because I make too much money on Social Security.”
Barker said after paying for doctors and medicine and car insurance, she has nothing left. She’s tired of monthly water main breaks and failed infrastructure. Yet, she can’t afford to move anywhere else.
Dianne Grockenberger has lived in Pinewood Estates since 1969 – longer than anyone else in the community. She’s taken to social media in recent weeks to question township expenditures and actions. Her posts have drawn attention from residents and officials alike.
“They told me to tone it down, that if we show up with protest signs they might cut the meeting short,” she said. “Well, let them try. We’ve been quiet too long.”
Frank Belluardo, president of the Pinewood Manufactured Homeowners Association, spoke out against abolishing to Rent Leveling Board. (Photo by Stephanie Faughnan)
Grockenberger said she feels betrayed by the sudden about-face from township leaders. “We finally trusted them again – and then this,” she said.
Township Administrator Martin Lisella said that while he’s not on social media, he’s heard that some of Grockenberger’s comments are inaccurate. Officials aren’t trying to interfere with her right to free speech.
Negotiations Are Ongoing
Frank Belluardo, president of the Pinewood Manufactured Homeowners Association has a hard time containing his frustration. An Air Force veteran who worked for the Veterans Administration helping disabled veterans, Belluardo said it’s his obligation to protect people – in this case Pinewood Estates residents. He’s collected 300 signatures in a petition presented to the governing body.
Belluardo said that he didn’t expect RHP to even consider negotiating an agreement that set terms for the residents like those mandated by the ordinance. “They’re a corporation that’s made to make money,” he said. “The only people who are going to pay are the people who can’t afford it.”
Township Attorney Christopher Dasti said he has been in contact with the owners of the manufactured home communities. (Photo by Stephanie Faughnan)
However, township officials say they are not abandoning the two communities. Both Cirulli and Township Attorney Christopher Dasti have confirmed they have spoken to both corporate landowners. The goal is to develop an alternative framework that could replace the ordinance, while still offering protections.
The proposed agreement under discussion outlines several key provisions. RHP would reportedly retain the initial $100,000 from any capital gains. Additionally, a 3.5 percent cap on annual rent increases has already been accepted. The potential agreement also addresses the sensitive issue of property transfers upon a resident’s death, with discussions focused on maintaining the existing rental rates for surviving relatives who take over the property.
For now, all eyes are on the committee’s next meeting, when the ordinance to abolish the Rent Leveling Board will face a second and final vote. Residents plan to be there, still hoping to convince those in power to let them keep the only shield they have left.
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