In pursuit of self-ownership, the residents of Courtyard Estates want to buy themselves out from their landlord, Preferred Living, who wants to redevelop the property into luxury apartments. The Courtyard seniors owning the property their mobile homes sit on would ensure the future and sustainability of their community.

To that end, the seniors reached out to Jared Smith, the developer on the apartment project at Preferred Living and asked if they would consider selling the property to the residents. He vehemently said no.

However, until Jared and Preferred Living say on the record that they are cancelling the development project, we will continue to oppose them and take steps toward self-ownership. Our hope is that Preferred Living will see that selling the property to the residents is a win-win situation for all involved. It’s the moral and ethnical thing to do, and it’s the only thing that will redeem Preferred Living’s reputation in the media.