mobile homes

Out-of-state investors are in the process of purchasing several large parks in southern Maine for tens of millions of dollars each, leaving nearly 700 households wondering whether the new owners will increase the rent or evict them from their homes.

The Old Orchard Beach residents formed the Seacoast Village Cooperative and matched the $40.4 million offer but learned Thursday that it had been rejected.

A few months ago, residents at two mobile home communities in Old Orchard Beach learned that their parks were being sold to an unknown buyer for $40 million. Now, the residents are trying to purchase the communities themselves. And a growing number of mobile home communities in Maine are facing similar challenges.

The new law requires that the landowners of manufactured home parks give residents advance notice if they plan to sell the property. It also gives residents an opportunity to collectively make an offer on the land within two months, and secure financing to complete the purchase within three.

LEWISTON, Maine (AP) _ Maine's state fire marshal and members of the American Red Cross are heading to Lewiston to teach residents about fire safety. The…