Mobile home dispute settled

Some West Prairie Village homeowners will get refunds and new loan agreements as part of a settlement with the Washington Attorney General’s Office.

The deal, announced Tuesday, will freeze at 9 percent interest rates on the 15-year notes that enabled them to buy their units in the West Plains mobile home park, said Assistant Attorney General Jackie Findley. A balloon payment for the balance was due after five years, or the rate would reset at 12 percent.

But when elderly owners asked about property tax exemptions, some found out title to their mobile homes had not been transferred. The Spokane County Assessor’s Office brought the problem to the attorney general’s attention.

The attorney general alleged park owner Vito Enterprises U.S. Ltd. was violating Washington’s Consumer Protection Act.

Findley said Vito Enterprises, headed by a Canadian dentist, was cooperative and apologetic when the problem was brought to its attention. The two owners who have been in their homes more than five years will be refunded interest payments above 9 percent, and will receive clear titles, she said. Others will also receive the appropriate titles.

Vito, which owns a second park in Oak Harbor, will also pay $14,500 to reimburse the state for its legal expenses.