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Residents of Sartell Mobile Home Park sue owners
The lawsuit, filed this week in Stearns County, accuses owners of negligence over the course of a decade.
SARTELL, Minn. — Residents of the Sartell Mobile Home Park and their attorneys filed a class-action lawsuit in Stearns County this week alleging unsanitary living conditions and negligence by current and previous owners dating back to 2014.
The complaint alleges “abusive strategies” that make the park “no longer habitable, with raw sewage spewing into residents’ houses, and health and safety violations abounding.” Furthermore, the plaintiffs accuse the owners of threatening evictions, making misleading claims about requirements to re-sign leases and overbilling for utilities.
With assistance from Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid and the law firm Robins Kaplan LLP, four residents of the mobile-home community have joined the suit, including Marcie Knox. The retiree has lived in the Sartell Mobile Home Park for seven years. In that time, she said she had to use government stimulus money to pay for sewage cleanup and was significantly overbilled for water services.
“The lot there is beautiful. There’s deer, all kinds of wildlife, and I’m going to have to leave. The stress is too much. Can’t take it,” Knox said. “They put in water meters to monitor our utilities and stuff, which doesn’t work. I’ve had bills range from 2,000 on up to 60,000 gallons — in one month — for two people.”
Justin Perl, the litigation director at Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid, said roughly 300 people live at the mobile home park. That includes a large share of low-income and older residents, as well as some people with disabilities.
“These are salt-of-the-earth people who deserve a little respect and dignity,” Perl said. “Instead, they’re treated like pawns.”
The lawsuit names the previous owner, Impact Communities, as well as two individual business leaders from that company named David Reynolds and Frank Rolfe. Additionally, the plaintiffs allege that the current owners, Gemstone Communities, have continued many of the practices since taking over earlier this year. All of those entities and people are based out-of-state.
Neither Impact or Gemstone have responded to requests for comment. KARE 11 also left voicemails with Reynolds and Rolfe, who are considered some of the largest owners of mobile home parks in the country. Neither of those individuals has responded, either, and it’s not clear which attorneys will be representing the defendants against the claims.
“We certainly would be willing to sit down and talk, as we always would,” Perl said. “But we’ll see what happens.”
The lawsuit demands that the current owners fix the sewage and maintenance issues, while also seeking money back for residents through monetary damages. Although only four plaintiffs are listed on the complaint, Perl said his team of attorneys will ask the court to “certify the class,” meaning the four plaintiffs could then represent all 300 people who live at Sartell Mobile Home Park.
“I just want them to stop doing this crazy stuff,” Marcie Knox said.
The 10 wettest and warmest years on record have all happened since 1997, according to University of Minnesota Extension Educator Suzi Clark.
CHANHASSEN, Minn. — It’s hard to miss Degler Farms — one of the last in Chanhassen that’s now focusing less on the crops that are getting harder to grow.
“We went to an agri-tourism, trying to rely more on what we can control,” said owner Gayle Degler.
At the farm, people can expect pumpkins and hayrides and even a spin atop a converted combine that brings customers around Degler’s now harvested soybean and corn fields.
The unique experience is part of Degler’s future plans as climate change continues to affect agriculture.
“I mean, back in the 1930s it took almost a decade to get out of that drought where now you can do it in six, eight or 10 months,” said Degler.
The shifting weather is happening more quickly, according to Dr. Suzi Clark, who studies and teaches climate adaptation and resilience at the University of Minnesota.
“We can no longer assume that we know what’s going to happen in the next season based off of what happened in this season and so we have to be prepared to adapt quickly,” said Clark.
She says the patterns are also warmer and wetter. In fact, the top 10 years on record have now all happened since 1997.
“But there’s a big caveat to that wetter because it’s not happening uniformly across the year, and in fact, we’ve also seen larger swings from really wet to really dry,” said Clark.
Take this year, for example, when less than half the normal amount of snow fell in winter. There was also extraordinarily warmer temperatures that added to an already persistent drought. Then, summer rains relieved that, but the record-setting amount led to flooding. Now, we’ve experienced the driest September, driving the state back into a drought.
The dirt in Degler’s field is so dry he can hardly till it, which is something he prefers to do in the fall. The snow and varying temperatures help break it up and get ready for spring planting.
“I’ve heard of people breaking equipment,” said Degler. “Right now, there’s cracks in the ground that I haven’t seen in quite a while.”
Degler’s yields are average at best this year, but he’s hopeful his new venture will be more stable than some of our changing seasons.
While Clark says, the future depends on us.
“It’s just something you have to try and prepare for, you’re going to have to live with it one way or another,” said Degler.
“It’s our choice in this day and age to decide, not only how we change our behavior, but how we respond now,” said Clark.
She says some of those things should be implemented at a state level to right in your own backyard and include installing irrigation, watering trees and capturing and storing large rain amounts. That can range from rain barrels at your house to creating rain gardens that slow runoff and improve water quality.
Those involved say the Artspace Northrup King Building Lofts will give artists a new, affordable place to live.
MINNEAPOLIS — Construction has officially started on what will be “affordable artist lofts” in the Northeast Minneapolis Art District.
The Artspace NKB Lofts will be located on the Northrup King Campus. From ceramics to music, there already are 350 artists, creative small businesses and nonprofits based in studios within the campus’ Northrup King Building, which is considered the largest art complex statewide.
The campus started as a seed factory and includes at least 10 buildings today. It’s where Pete Vanni creates steampunk-style art.
“I feel supported here,” Vanni said. “If I need a hand, I can always find somebody. I mean, I do sculptures so I need muscles.”
Artspace Projects acquired the buildings five years ago. Providing a place for artists to work was the first phase of a larger vision for the 13-acre property. Now it’s time for the second phase: providing income-qualifying artists a place to live.
Those involved held a groundbreaking Thursday afternoon to celebrate what will be 84 units for those earning 30 to 80% of Area Median Income. They say rent will be affordable.
“This project provides a variety of housing options for artists, including one-, two- and three-bedroom units with rents available to all income levels,” said Zack Avery, principal planning analyst for Hennepin County Economic Development.
“It has historically been a very exclusive space and it’s through projects like this and investments like this that are making this a more accessible future for so many more people,” said council president Elliott Payne, who also represents Ward 1.
“This type of redevelopment is no small feat but its impact can be significant especially when demand for affordable housing is at an all-time high,” said Dan Miller, director of community finance for Capitol One National Association.
Part of the construction involves an innovative stormwater system to protect the environment and enhance green spaces.
“Insidious chemicals like phosphorus will be eliminated in that process,” said Kevin Reich, executive director of Mississippi Watershed Management Organization. “It’s a big win.”
They’re also adding a new bike path and bike racks, as well as a fix-it station. It’s a $62 million project Vanni says will be worth it.
“It will be more of a community I think than it is now because people will be living here,” the sculptor said. “It’ll just increase the possibility of connection and all that, and support the arts, which is good. So I’m all for that.”
The arrest comes days after Sutherland pleaded guilty to charges alleging he pulled a gun and threatened to shoot his girlfriend last June.
ST PAUL, Minn. — A celebrity chef is in jail Thursday after he allegedly violating a no-contact order, days after pleading guilty to charges alleging he threatened to shoot his girlfriend.
St. Paul Police told KARE 11 Justin Sutherland was arrested after the woman who was the victim in his assault case called authorities. Officials say she reported Sutherland was following her near the Target and the Spirit Halloween in St. Paul Thursday afternoon.
Two days ago, Sutherland pleaded guilty to one count of threats of violence – reckless disregard. According to the criminal complaint in that case, St. Paul Police responded to an apartment in June. There, a woman claiming to be Sutherland’s girlfriend told police he pointed a gun at her and then hit her in the chest with it, allegedly saying “don’t come back here or I am going to shoot you.”
The chef and reality television star received a 360-day suspended sentence, which he would have to serve should he violate the terms of the agreement.
He is arrested on suspicion of gross misdemeanor violation of protection order, St. Paul Police told KARE 11. New charges will be determined by the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office.
Sutherland competed on Season 16 of “Top Chef” and won Iron Chef America.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence and needs help, call 800-799-7233 or text START to 88788 to be connected with someone from the National Domestic Violence Hotline. The hotline includes more options for support and identifiers of abuse on its website.
