Residents at Fostoria East Mobile Home Park Report Sharp Cost Increases, Stray Cat Problems After Brightstar Acquisition

FOSTORIA- Residents of Fostoria East, the manufactured home community at 8702 West State Route 18 between Fostoria and Bascom, say conditions and costs have deteriorated since Brightstar Communities acquired the park. Multiple residents have described problems with a large population of stray cats, unexpected billing changes that more than doubled some monthly payments, water shutoffs without notice, and limited response from management.

Brightstar announced the acquisition of Fostoria East (along with properties in Ottawa, Leipsic, and Continental) in early March 2026 as part of an expansion of its manufactured housing portfolio in northwest Ohio. The company has described the purchases as focused on operational improvements and capital investment.

“Worse mobile home park by far. All about money and no accountability,” comes from Kelly M. on BrightSTAR Communities’ BBB page. Belinda E. also posted, “I could never recommend this property management company to anyone. In fact, I would recommend anyone looking at any of their properties to reconsider.” – BBB

“They seriously work behind a locked door. I tried to enter she was sitting inside looked at me made some type of motion with her hand and I wouldn’t move and she finally came to the door.” – Google Review

“They bought the trailer park and it’s went downhill, it took them 2 1/2 months to make the leases after buying it, trash, water, and sewage used to be included in the lot rent now we have to pay for all of that even though it’s well water and they’re just metering the main water source then dividing it between everyone so if someone has a water leak we all have to pay extra. They’re Constantly turning off the water to make emergency repairs and leaving us without running water and now this time they’re saying we could be without water for almost 24hrs, no warning before turning it off so we couldn’t fill out bathtub with water to be able to flush our toilet while it’s off, now I have to go to the water shed to buy water to make my son’s bottles. There’s a major cat problem out here cat diarrhea all over the ground everywhere, they get in my shed if I leave the door open for more than a minute then they poop and pee on everything.” – Google Review

One longtime resident, who asked not to be named out of concern over possible retaliation, detailed a series of issues that began after the ownership change. Before Brightstar took over, lot rent was $350 and included water, sewer, and trash. The park uses well water and has its own sewer treatment plant. Management later installed a meter on the main well line and began dividing water and sewer costs evenly among residents, along with separate trash charges. For a period the extra fees ran roughly $30 for water, $30 for sewer, and $25 for trash.

More recently the resident reported that rent rose to $390. Combined water and sewer jumped to $258, trash to $83, a $1.50 fee for reporting rent payments to a credit bureau (which the resident said was never agreed to), and a new $38 charge described as covering electricity for the park office building—even though individual homes pay their own electric bills directly to the utility. The total for the month reached approximately $777. One prior month the water, sewer, and trash charges were not billed at all. Residents also report that water is shut off periodically for maintenance with little or no advance notice.

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A separate and ongoing complaint involves an estimated 30 to 50 stray cats that a neighbor feeds. Residents say the cats defecate throughout yards (sometimes with diarrhea), get into trash, climb onto window air-conditioning units and soil them, and repeatedly enter sheds. In one incident a cat entered an open shed for a short time; days later residents found urine and feces on stored belongings, including items still in packaging, and cardboard boxes that had been chewed and eaten. When the family asked the office to remove the animal, management declined. The resident’s wife attempted to remove it herself and was bitten and attacked severely enough that she lost feeling and movement in her fingers and required hospital treatment. Their son was also scratched but less seriously. The family said they had complained about the cats more than five times. Management’s response, they said, has been limited to emails asking residents not to feed the animals; the neighbor continues to do so.

Residents have also received citations for grass height. Some say the standards feel inconsistently applied or difficult to meet under current conditions.

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Several people living at the park have contacted attorneys and are exploring legal options. The resident who contacted the Free Press said others share the same frustration.

Brightstar lists Fostoria East among its communities and provides a phone number of 419-728-9800 on its website. The Free Press has reached out to regional manager Christopher Love ([email protected], 513-201-8757) and community manager Mazzy Shoemaker (419-707-0630) for comment on the billing changes, cat complaints, water shutoffs, and grass enforcement. As of publication no response had been received.

Manufactured home communities often operate under different rules than traditional apartment complexes regarding utilities, pets, and lot-rent adjustments. Residents who believe charges or conditions violate their lease or Ohio landlord-tenant law may wish to review their agreements carefully and consult an attorney or local legal aid resources. Anyone with additional information about conditions at Fostoria East can contact the Fostoria Free Press.

“We filled out the application and we were approved for a mobile home to rent. This was the first of December, on December 13th I sent a message to the Community Manager of REMOVED, REMOVEDproperty. She hasn’t answered that email, I called the office and they told me they would tell her to check emails. Still no contact, the took my $100 to file application but never heard from them again. I was supposed to pick up keys on the 30th, nothing. This place is a joke if this is how they run their business, no one will contact me or return my calls or emails. I think they take your $100 and disappear. Would tell people to run from this company. I ask to see the property and was never contacted to do that or anything else. Not sure why anyone would rent from them, much less buy.” – BBB