Winter Haven Oaks Retirement Community

Gloria Rivero

I went into contract to buy a mobile home in Winter Haven Oaks Community. It was extremely difficult to obtain financing for the home because it is on leased land and most lenders do not extend loans for homes on leased land - but I was able to secure a loan with Triad Financial. I provided all of the requested information, obtained an approval, and even went as far as executing the Closing Docs for the purchase. The community ladies then got into a "fight" with the lender because they wanted to be the ones to type up/prepare the two-page Title Doc that gets recorded with the DMV. The community ladies continue to say that it is illegal for the lender to prepare the doc together with the Closing Docs and that is incorrect; I confirmed this with Florida's DMV and also our Attorney General's Office. I communicated the information to them, advising that it is absolutely legal and acceptable for the lender to type up the document but they refused and ultimately decided NOT to provide the information for funding my loan (to pay them). The community ladies said "this is how we've always done it" and now they are stating that they will be keeping my deposit of almost $10,000 toward the purchase of the home. The contract reflects that if I breached the contract I would lose the deposit but there is nothing included to explain what happens when they breach the contract, nor the preparation of the Title Doc - and this just does not seem fair to me. I work VERY HARD for my money and I would like it returned to me. This is certainly not what I envisioned for the start of my New Year but here I am, with great disappointment and feeling like I was scammed. More education is DEFINITELY needed by the staff there because there is no clear understanding on their part, regarding what is legal and what is not - with respect to typing up the two-page Title transfer doc. 1/8/25--I am unsure why anyone from your office would state that you're surprised by my review as all of this was stated to you all via e-mail. For anyone to say that you spent hours on the phone with Triad is absolute fiction but I understand you all attempting to act as if I'm the one in the wrong here. Triad was one lender that I mentioned; there were several that stated the same thing about them preparing the title doc inclusive of the closing docs and you all refused them as well. Despite what you all are claiming on here, no one was able to assist by accepting the two-page title doc prepared by any of the lenders willing to extend the loan to me. (I had 4 approvals done.) You know this and I know this as well. The lien isn't even in your favor, it's in favor of the lender - and knowing how extremely difficult it is to obtain financing on leased land, I hope that you all revise the way you're doing things for future buyers. It is extremely important for folks to know this and my hope is that others are better informed than I was before executing a contract with your community. You claim to want to work with me to "help" but that would mean accepting the lender typing up the two-page title doc and you're unwilling to do this, stuck in your ways. The year is 2025. This entire experience has left a very sour taste in my mouth and I pray that no one else goes through the extreme disappointment I've experienced. God forgive you all for taking my savings, being uncooperative by killing my loan and wanting to keep my money.