In February 2022, my wife and I relocated to a manufactured home park owned by Sun Communities in Florida, where we had purchased our new home through a deal brokered by a Sun Communities Employee/Salesperson named Peter Sousa for $120,000.

Initially, the excitement was palpable, but it didn't take long for the harsh realities of living in this community to set in.

Years of poor management and multi-year losses of key amenities such as fishing piers, clubhouses, and pool facilities have made our experience increasingly unbearable. Furthermore, the rapid escalation of rent prices, which now includes a scheme to pass on property taxes to residents that was not disclosed in our park prospectus or lease agreement, has left us feeling trapped, frustrated, and quite possibly the victims of fraud if this ad valorem tax scheme somehow passes scrutiny by the State and Volusia County.

Faced with no viable alternative, we decided to sell our home and escape the park's declining conditions. It's been over 20 months since we put our home on the market, but so far, we've received only one offer of $50,000, which would result in a loss of over $70,000.

The reality is that Sun Communities' actions have significantly devalued our home's worth. The company's greed driven destruction to the value of our manufactured home cannot be overstated. Sun Communities bears direct responsibility for our loss.

This is the cheapest form of home ownership available, and most affordable way to live in the state of Florida, and no one will buy our beautiful home, and it's because of Sun's reputation and ownership of the park. The resale market in our park has been decimated, and all because of and by the actions of Sun Communities.

We're left feeling disrespected, financially strained, and emotionally drained. We believe that we deserve better than this experience and hope that by sharing our story, others may avoid similar situations in the future.
2026 - Volusia County, Florida Resident

1. Google search "sun communities problems, issues exposed" read the results.
2. Speak with 10 existing tenants w/o Sales Agent(s) or Sun Manager(s) present.
3. Understand the exact situation you are getting yourself and/or your family into.
4. Visit "We the People Getting Screwed By Sun Communities" and pay attention.

• Undisclosed CEO Loans: Allegations surfaced that the CEO of Sun Communities received undisclosed loans, including a $4 million mortgage from the family of a purportedly independent director.

• Insider Trading & Misrepresentation: The lawsuit claims that board members engaged in insider trading and the company failed to disclose significant financial dealings, potentially including a mortgage for DH Bingham Farms LLC signed by the CEO.

• Weaknesses in Internal Controls: Sun Communities announced the discovery of major weaknesses in its internal controls and financial reporting, which may be connected to the alleged undisclosed loans and other governance concerns.

• Misleading Financial Statements: The class action lawsuit alleges that Sun Communities made false and misleading statements about its financial health and governance practices, despite presenting positive financial metrics. 

• Failure to Maintain Properties: Some complaints point to poor maintenance of properties, including issues with roads, utility lines, and common areas, with allegations that the company fails to uphold promises made to residents.

• Deceptive Practices: Many residents at numerous Sun Communities locations have reported the corporations use of deceptive practices.

• Exorbitant Lot Rent Increases: Residents across multiple states report sharp, recurring hikes in monthly land lease rates that outpace fixed incomes, such as Social Security. Residents have also expressed concerns about the amenities that were listed and promised in the Prospectus / Offering are in disrepair, and are not available, while still having to pay these rent increases.

• Fraudulent Business Practices: Attorney General Keith Ellison announced that Sun Communities, Inc., the former owner and operator of a manufactured home park community located in Stewartville, Minnesota, has agreed to pay $135,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the Minnesota False Claims Act by submitting false and fraudulent claims to the Minnesota Housing and Finance Agency (“MHFA”) in connection with the RentHelpMN program between 2021 and 2022. As part of the settlement, Sun Communities has also agreed to permanent injunctive terms requiring Sun to provide its residents with a 30-day notice prior to filing any eviction action.

  RentHelpMN was created during the COVID-19 pandemic to prevent evictions by paying rent and utility expenses for families struggling financially. In order to receive RentHelp payments, property owners were required to certify that they would not evict tenants for nonpayment of rent during the time period covered by the RentHelp payments they received. Property owners were also required to certify that they would not start any new eviction process against a tenant within 30 days of receiving a RentHelp payment on behalf of that tenant.
  
  
  

• Hidden and Unforeseen Fees: Homeowners have accused the company of shifting secondary costs onto residents—such as passing down unexpected ad valorem property taxes—that were not clearly outlined in original lease agreements or prospectuses.
  
  
• Home Devaluation and Resale Crises: Declining community maintenance, reduced amenities (like pools and clubhouses), and a tarnished corporate reputation have made it exceptionally difficult for owners to sell their manufactured homes, often resulting in massive financial losses during resale.

• Poor Management Responsiveness: Complaints highlight difficulties in reaching management and getting issues resolved, leading to frustration and unanswered questions.
  
  
• Retaliatory Conduct: This occurs when a landlord or property manager takes action against a tenant in response to the tenant exercising their legal rights, such as filing a complaint about housing conditions or reporting discriminatory practices. Retaliation is illegal under various state and federal fair housing laws. There are many reports of Sun Communities allowing this to occur in many locations across the United States.

• Selective Enforcement: This happens when a landlord enforces rules inconsistently or unevenly, favoring certain tenants over others. Selective enforcement can be seen as discriminatory if it disproportionately impacts tenants based on protected characteristics like race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability. There are many reports of Sun Communities allowing this to occur in many locations across the United States.

• Discrimination: Federal civil rights laws prohibit landlords from discriminating against tenants based on protected characteristics in areas such as renting, selling, and financing housing. This includes practices like steering, denying housing opportunities, setting different terms, conditions, or privileges for sale or rental of a dwelling, and advertising or making any statement that indicates a preference, limitation, or discrimination. There are many reports of Sun Communities allowing this to occur in many locations across the United States.

•  Rogue Community Managers: Residents have expressed concerns about Community Managers engaging in hostile, abusive, and retaliatory behavior. One report states that a Sun Community Senior Manager in Edgewater, Florida would frequently tell paying residents/tenants when they questioned the managers truthfulness that "their time at Hacienda Del Rio in Edgewater, Florida has come to an end", and that they should sell their homes and move. That manager has been terminated as of June 2025 after an onslaught of calls and complaints to the Governor of Florida, and Sun Communities, Inc. home offices in Southfield, Michigan.

• Resident/Tenant Community Spirit & Morale: Sun Communities and all its operational failures transform a mobile home community into a place of anxiety, distrust, and isolation. It's a quiet, insidious erosion of the human spirit, driven by a lack of respect, communication, and a fundamental disregard for the well-being of the people who pay money for the opportunity to call these communities home. Mobile home communities thrive on a sense of stability and predictability. When maintenance is neglected, and communication is absent and/or deceptive, residents feel insecure – they don't know when the next problem will arise, or if Sun Communities will respond effectively. Frustration and resentment can simmer beneath the surface, leading to increased conflict between residents and management, or even among residents themselves.

• Diminished Property Values: Sun Communities through its ineptness, incompetence, and greed is causing its residents/tenants who actually own their manufactured homes direct financial harm . Online reviews and forums show a large number of bad experiences with Sun Communities parks. Many residents have expressed extreme frustration with management, responsiveness, and feeling ignored or harassed. These experiences have directly contributed to a negative perception of the communities and have made it harder "if not impossible" for residents to sell their homes at a desired and/or fair price. Some residents have reported that they have simply walked away from their homes to escape the ever increasing lot rent. Other residents have been forced to sell their home directly to Sun Communities for much less than they paid in order to escape the contractual obligation for above average lot rent. "Once you sign the contract, and begin living in a Sun Communities Park you will pay the LOT rent, even if Sun Communities has destroyed the housing market in the Park." reported one paying resident/tenant at a Sun Community in Edgewater, Florida.
  
  
• Violations of Tenant Rights: It has been reported on numerous complaint forums that Sun Communities through its community managers, local park employees, and sometimes even compromised tenant HOA members has engaged in the wilful intimidation and/or coercion of tenants.
  
  A verified example of this: Tenants/Residents constantly being told that: "If you continue to complain about your concerns, and/or our violations of the prospectus - we will just sell or change the use of the Park and you will all be homeless in 6 months"
  
  It has also been reported that the compromised HOA members would also state to tenants that "We are warning you... don't complain or make waves, because Sun Communities, and the Manager will target you for selective enforcement in order to initiate eviction proceedings against you. We are informing you of this for your own good."
  
  This behavior is highly unethical and potentially illegal, as it infringes upon the tenant's right to live in a safe and lawful environment. It also violates the tenant's right to report any violations of laws or regulations to the appropriate authorities without fear of retaliation from the landlord. In some jurisdictions, this type of behavior may constitute coercion, intimidation, or even extortion, depending on the specific circumstances involved. Tenants who are subjected to such treatment should consult with a legal professional to discuss their options for addressing the situation and potentially seeking remedies under applicable laws and regulations.
  
  The Fair Housing Act specifically prohibits threatening or coercing tenants: Section 818 of the Fair Housing Act makes it unlawful to “coerce, intimidate, threaten, or interfere with” any person “on account of his having exercised” any right the law protects. Threatening to make tenants homeless, targeting them with selective enforcement, or initiating eviction proceedings in response to their complaints could violate this provision.
  
  Potential Violations of Other Laws: Depending on the specific nature of the complaints and the protected characteristics of the tenants involved (for example, if the complaints involve issues related to disability accommodations, or if the threats disproportionately affect a protected class), other fair housing provisions might also be at play.

• Social Media Review and Search Engine Damage: A critical, and increasingly potent, vulnerability for Sun Communities which directly damages its shareholders is the amplification of negative feedback through the digital landscape. Sun Communities and their failures as well as bad reviews actively harm them, and search engines with the use of Artificially Intelligent WEBots are exacerbating the problem. Search engines like Google are increasingly leveraging AI to aggregate and analyze reviews from multiple sources – Google Maps, Yelp, Facebook, Trustpilot, and specialized review sites. This creates a much more comprehensive and dynamic picture of a company’s reputation. These systems are destroying the reputation of the corporation, and the negative information is readily accessible to every potential tenant and/or resident on the planet. If Sun Communities refuses to alter its course, disaster looms on the horizon: Its very existence hangs in the balance, threatened by the repercussions of its unchanged ways and how it is perceived by others. A turning point lies ahead, where the company must choose between persisting down a dangerous path or taking decisive action to secure its future.