YAKIMA — Hurst & Son is a mobile home park landlord with properties across Washington. The company, owned by Caleb and Kristina Romack, was investigated by the state attorney general after residents raised concerns in multiple mobile home parks over the past several years.
The Port Orchard-based company voluntarily agreed to take corrective steps with the state Attorney General’s Office Manufactured Housing Dispute Resolution Program, or MHDRP. The company owns Castle Rock Community, Holcomb Hills Community and Horseshoe Lake Community in Southwest Washington.
The agreement included more than $5.5 million in refunds distributed to residents for improper rent increases and excessive charges for utilities and other penalties.
Hurst & Son also promised to set up a portal for tenants to submit questions and concerns, and allow residents to sell their mobile homes to who they want.
But what does that mean for residents at Hurst & Son parks? And what rights do all mobile home owners have when it comes to their leases? How do they enforce those rights?
Here are answers to those questions.
- What did Hurst & Son agree to?
The mobile home park landlord agreed to take steps to remedy a series of problems raised by its residents from across the state and a subsequent investigation.
Those steps are spelled out in a five-page notice of corrective action that is available on the resolution program website and attached to this article online. The issues the state addressed are all related to the Manufactured/Mobile Home Landlord Tenant Act (MHLTA).
Hurst & Son agreed to reimburse residents for rent increases from 2021 onward that did not comply with the law. Those refunds stretched into the thousands of dollars for many residents.
The landlord also agreed to stop charging $65 fees for violations of park rules and excessive utility charges and to refund residents for those costs.
Moving forward, Hurst & Son can only change residents’ lease renewal dates through mutual agreement.
Hurst & Son also created an email, compliance@hurstsonLLC.com, where residents can submit concerns, complaints or issues.
The amount of the refunds is tied to each tenant’s individual billing history with Hurst & Son, said Mike Faulk, the attorney general’s deputy communications director. The refunds primarily covered three areas:
1) non-compliant rent increases,
2) excessive or unenforceable fees, or
3) “private utilities” or other utility charges that commenced during the term of a rental agreement, not to be confused with new utility charges that were properly assessed.
Refunds will go to residents who qualify and are not solely based on complaints submitted to the Attorney General’s Office. Residents who submitted and did not submit complaints were eligible to receive refunds. In some cases, residents who submitted a complaint may not have received refunds if they did not qualify.
Refunds were distributed in two ways, according to the agreement. Current residents received a credit on their rental statement that went toward rent. If a resident moved out or is planning to move out, they should receive their remaining reimbursement in the form of a check.
- What about the refunds for rent increases?
Under the state laws that govern mobile home parks, landlords can only raise rents once a year, on the anniversary of the day residents moved in.
They must notify mobile home park residents in advance and the lease usually automatically renews.
That date can be changed if both the landlord and the resident agree. Hurst & Son had been changing those dates for some residents unilaterally and adding rent increases to new, non-compliant leases.
Cases where Hurst & Son raised the rent twice within 12 months probably fall into this category, unless a resident signed an agreement to set a new lease renewal date. Landlords cannot raise rent twice in a year unless a resident signs a waiver.
Under the agreement with the state Attorney General’s Office, any rent increases that Hurst & Son put in place through those non-compliant lease changes had to be reimbursed.
Faulk said Hurst & Son also had to reduce rent to whatever it was before a non-compliant rent increase. That means if Hurst & Son improperly raised a resident’s rent in 2022, the person’s rent reverts to that 2022 level.
However, there is no rule against Hurst & Son bringing rents back up again. The landlord did this for many residents, who saw their rents fall briefly in 2024 and then climb back up in 2025.
- What are excessive fees and private utilities?
Hurst & Son charged many residents $65 fees along with comply-or-vacate notices for violating minor park rules, like having items in their yard or on their porch. Some residents paid hundreds of dollars in these fees, worried they would be evicted for having a refrigerator on their porch.
The agreement with the state required Hurst & Son to stop charging these fees and to reimburse residents who had been charged.
Hurst & Son is also not allowed to charge excessive fees for utilities. It can only charge for its actual utility costs at mobile home parks.
Any excessive charges or charges for so-called “private utilities” are not allowed and were refunded.
- Can Hurst & Son charge late fees or for extra cars?
Yes, according to the Faulk, Hurst & Son can still charge fees for extra cars. According to the agreement, Hurst & Son can also charge late fees. Those fees have both been reduced.
- How do I check my refund?
Residents are allowed to contact the MHDRP ( MHDR@atg.wa.gov or 1-866-924-6458) or the tenant relations portal ( compliance@hurstsonLLC.com ) to request a ledger explaining their refund.
If there are any issues or discrepancies, residents can submit those to the MHDRP for review.
Residents can contact the tenant relations portal for questions or concerns about their park, the rules, rent payments or other charges.
According to the agreement, that email should be residents’ first point of contact when they have issues.
- What else will Hurst & Son change going forward?
Hurst & Son agreed to a variety of changes to fix problems going forward. To change lease renewal dates, residents must sign a separate waiver acknowledging the change.
The landlord also agreed to better maintain permanent structures and common areas and infrastructure, including roads and utilities.
Hurst & Son can no longer refuse a resident’s request to sell their mobile home to whom they choose.
The agreement does not release Hurst & Son of liability, so residents can still pursue further legal action if they choose.
- I don’t live in a Hurst & Son park. What should I know?
The rights of residents and responsibilities of landlords are outlined in the Manufactured Housing Landlord Tenant Act, or MHLTA, state law that all mobile home parks must follow.
They include rules about providing water and utilities, when rent increases can take place, what is legal in a lease and what landlords and residents are allowed to do. The law is available online.
- What do I do if I think someone is breaking the law?
Residents and landlords can call or email the Manufactured Housing Dispute Resolution Program for help resolving issues ( MHDR@atg.wa.gov or 1-866-924-6458).
Residents can file complaints through the mail or online. Forms can be found online for free. The program provides assistance in English and Spanish.
- What can I do if there are issues with the property manager?
Faulk said the Attorney General’s Office can only get involved in situations where state law is being broken. Residents can submit complaints to the Attorney General’s Office if they are concerned about that.
- At Hurst & Son parks, residents can reach out to the landlord directly with concerns by emailing compliance@hurstsonLLC.com.
