Some residents of the Glen Elm Trailer Court in Regina are being forced to relocate after receiving eviction notices.
The notices, delivered on Jan. 22 by the lot manager of Glen Elm Properties, informed tenants that “in recent weeks, critical issues have emerged with the main water and sewage infrastructure” in rows C and D of the trailer court, and the system is beyond repair.
Garth Churchill, who has lived in the community since 2009, said the notice came with little warning.
“They gave us until the end of April to make arrangements,” Churchill said in a Tuesday interview. The notice says that can include relocating the mobile home, or listing it for sale — provided the new owner relocates it before April 30.
The notices state no new leases will be signed after April 30.
“They’ve been sort of told that if they sell their house, they’re not renewing leases on any house in the trailer court,” said Churchill.
He said he first noticed issues in the trailer park when his neighbour pointed out unusual flooding around their homes.
“[We] basically had a moat, because it warmed up that one week and there’s, like, three inches of water all the way around the house,” he said.
Churchill believes the issue started when a neighbouring trailer was removed, which he thinks damaged a water line.
“Something happened after they just demolished a trailer and the water just basically [went] everywhere. Basically, they worked on it for, like, three weeks and then gave up.”
CBC News reached out to the manager of the Glen Elm Mobile Home Community, who said he has no comment.
Financial burden
For many residents, relocating presents significant financial and logistical challenges. Churchill, who has health issues, said he is not in a position to prepare his trailer for a move.
“The whole moving situation isn’t a good idea … especially when they tell you basically if your trailer is older, there’s a whole lot of work you have to do, and I’m in no condition to do it myself,” he said.
“I’m not sure how I’m supposed to manage to get everything ready in three months to get moved.”
Churchill said residents are being told moving companies won’t be liable for damage if they are moving the trailers.
Residents who cannot move their homes will be given $6,000 off their removal fee, according to the notice, but resident Janice Hedley says that is just the cost for demolition.
“The owner won’t receive any of that money,” Hedley said.
The notice also says Glen Elm will cover up to $10,000 for relocation, but Hedley says that is nowhere close to the amount needed to cover moving and installation fees.
Churchill said that the amounts offered do not reflect the true value of the homes.
“It is ridiculous,” Churchill said. “The house is worth way more than that.”
He says it will be hard for anyone to sell their trailer.
“Trailers are kind of hard to sell in the first place, because you have to buy the trailer and you have to pay a lot fee — basically rent,” Churchill said.
“It makes it hard to sell the place because you can’t get a mortgage, because it’s not considered a house by the bank.”
There are also concerns about what will happen to the land once the trailer park is empty.
For Hedley, moving isn’t just difficult — it may be impossible.
“I’m on disability, so I don’t have a lot of money to work with,” she said. “I don’t know where I’m going to go, what I’m going to do. I have no idea.”
Hedley paid $125,000 for her trailer. It was an investment she’d hoped to pass down to her son.
“I thought it would be a home for me until I die,” she said.
Churchill said he has looked into moving elsewhere, but options are limited and costly.
“The new lots [are] $400 more a month than this one. It’s $1,200,” he said. “And that’s quite a bit considering you don’t get much for it. You just get a little place to park your house.”
Churchill says he has resigned himself to leaving his trailer behind.
“I’m going to have to just abandon it and go back to renting our regular apartment,” he said.
CBC News reached out to the City of Regina for comment, but did not receive a reply prior to publication.
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