MT. WASHINGTON, Ky. — When Dianalyne Mills moved to Live Oaks Mobile Home Park in October 2021, she hoped the home would be her legacy — a place to someday pass down to her son.

 “I was doing this because I felt like I needed to give him a home if something should happen to me,” Mills said, adding that she and her 17-year-old son both have health problems.

Mills believed she was signing a rent-to-own agreement when she signed the lease for her mobile home and claims she made a cash down payment.

“I came in here when The Firm had it and they were fast talkers,” Mills said. “We gave them $5,000 and signed a bunch of papers and we were in and out within five minutes because he had to leave early and was pushed for time.”

Mills could not find a receipt for her down payment. She said a man named Allen Franks told her about the rent-to-own agreement and collected her $5,000. At least two other Live Oaks renters, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, said they also paid Franks $5,000 down payments, thinking they were renting to own.

“He was like everything was gonna be OK and we’re gonna walk you through this step-by-step and I’m here for you and I’m your friend. And then the next thing we know, less than a month later, he’s gone. Don’t call me, don’t bother me. I have nothing to do with it,” recalled Mills.

Franks used to manage Live Oaks for The Firm, Inc., one of the park’s previous owners. He continues to work for them as a District Manager, according to The Firm’s website. Franks did not respond to Spectrum News 1’s requests for comment. The Firm, which describes itself as “a leader in acquiring, developing and operating manufactured housing communities”, does not list contact information on their website and a call to the general number on their Google business listing was not returned.

“You know, it was just a lot of promises that didn’t happen,” Mills said.

The park sold two months after Mills moved in. She said the current owners, Lasso Capital, tell her they do not offer a rent-to-own option.

“When your lease is up, you have 30 days to move or you re-sign. That’s it, no other options, and if you re-sign the price goes up,” Mills said.

Sometimes, however, the price goes up mid-lease. One year into Mills’ two-year lease, they raised her monthly lot rent by $150. The notice detailing the increase gave her two options: pay it or move out. With nowhere to go, Mills agreed to pay the additional amount. Many of her neighbors have experienced monthly rent increases of 40% or more in the last year and a half. 

“They know that we’re between a rock and a hard spot. I get $841 on a disability check,” said Mills. “I can’t afford it. I’ve never been late on my payment here. They can’t put me out for being late because I’ve never been late, but if they keep increasing it, I can’t — I can’t continue.”

Mills, who currently pays $1,145 each month in rent alone, said she cannot afford another increase.

“It’s a game to them. They don’t care. All it is, is money. Playing with people’s lives. This is just the money to them. And when they’ve gotten all the money they can get, they’ll just turn around and sell it to somebody else. Then we start all over again,” said Mills. “I stay awake at night worrying. I don’t know what we’re gonna do.”

With no family to help, Mills said leaving Live Oaks could mean homelessness for her and her son.

Spectrum News 1 asked an attorney to review Mills’ lease, and he did not find any kind of purchase agreement or option to buy. It would appear any talk of renting-to-own for Mills and others with the same story may have been just that — talk.

 “I just wish they had done what was right. I wish that they had kept their word,” said Mills. “This is people’s hopes and dreams is to have a home.”

Mills moved to Live Oaks less than a year and a half ago, hoping to fulfill her dream of home ownership, with the goal of investing in her son’s future. Instead, she’ll leave with no investment, financially bruised and uncertain of their future.  

“I just want to be able to give him a stable home and it took everything I had and all the help I could collect to get this place just to have it taken away,” said Mills. “Built on lies,” she added. 

A representative for the current owners of Live Oaks has never returned Spectrum News 1’s calls since we started reporting on rent hikes at the mobile home park in January.

Although Mills said the owners tell her she does not own her home or the land on which her mobile home sits, she has been receiving tax bills and delinquent notices from the county and city since last fall. Mills said she called the city and county to resolve the issue, to no avail. However, records Spectrum News 1 obtained from the Bullitt County Sheriff’s Office show Mills’ county tax bill was paid the day after our news team visited Live Oaks to interview Mills and other residents about the large number of unpaid bills.  

Shortly after that, records show many of her neighbors’ past due tax bills were also paid off, including several neighbors who also thought they were renting-to-own. The sheriff’s office confirmed it was “the mobile home park” that paid Mills’ tax bill and many of her neighbors’ past due bills.