Lately I have been working with several of my neighbors regarding conditions in the trailer park and in doing so am getting a crash course in trailer park activism. The first thing I have learned is that trailer parks exist in a sort of legal limbo. Much of the resources available to other renters do not apply to us.
For example, I spent some time on the phone with a woman from Fair Housing who was referred to me by another woman I met through an interfaith social advocacy group. Both women agreed that there is something shady about the fact that we send our rent to a PO Box out of state but have no other contact information, but--"it's not illegal" so they can't do anything about it. It's unethical but not against the law. And they can only act on cases that violate the law. They are trying to see if there are other avenues we can pursue, but have warned us that we run the risk of losing our homes if we press too hard. But we may end up losing them anyway.
Many people in the park are under the impression that if the park is condemned or shut down that the owners have to pay for us to move. That, unfortunately is not true. When I have tried to explain this to them they do not believe me. But apparently the only thing management is required to do is give us 30 days' notice.
Imagine paying your rent to someone whose name you do not even know and your only contact is a PO Box on the other side of the country. That is the situation we are in. We have some issues that urgently need attention, especially as winter is coming on, but we cannot address them ourselves and there is no one available that can. You would think that knowing the owners' names is some kind of top secret state secret the way those who do know it act. Yes, it's a matter of public record. The attorney for the village government knows who they are. Will he give us their names? No. I don't understand why. But apparently it is not illegal.
We have a "manager". He does not live in the park and seldom comes in. We have no way of contacting him when he is not there. All we have is his first name. He refuses to give out his last name. Just call me "Johnny", he says. The previous manager was much the same. First name only, and no, I can't give you any information about who I work for.
The woman from the interfaith advocacy group says she thinks that the owners are probably a group of investors who are deliberately letting the park deteriorate so that they can eventually sell the property to developers for a tidy profit. If so, the reason that they haven't already done so is because the economy around here hasn't really recovered from the crash of 2008. If the economy ever does get back to where it was, look out.
There are some good trailer parks out there but for the most part, to live in a park like mine is to be exploited, taken advantage of, ripped off, and just generally be treated with contempt because after all, we are "trailer trash". There may be groups out there who are advocating for us, like groups who advocate for immigrants, for higher minimum wage, for conditions at Wal-Mart, but if so, I have yet to hear about any. Trailer park residents are truly the forgotten poor.
For example, I spent some time on the phone with a woman from Fair Housing who was referred to me by another woman I met through an interfaith social advocacy group. Both women agreed that there is something shady about the fact that we send our rent to a PO Box out of state but have no other contact information, but--"it's not illegal" so they can't do anything about it. It's unethical but not against the law. And they can only act on cases that violate the law. They are trying to see if there are other avenues we can pursue, but have warned us that we run the risk of losing our homes if we press too hard. But we may end up losing them anyway.
Many people in the park are under the impression that if the park is condemned or shut down that the owners have to pay for us to move. That, unfortunately is not true. When I have tried to explain this to them they do not believe me. But apparently the only thing management is required to do is give us 30 days' notice.
Imagine paying your rent to someone whose name you do not even know and your only contact is a PO Box on the other side of the country. That is the situation we are in. We have some issues that urgently need attention, especially as winter is coming on, but we cannot address them ourselves and there is no one available that can. You would think that knowing the owners' names is some kind of top secret state secret the way those who do know it act. Yes, it's a matter of public record. The attorney for the village government knows who they are. Will he give us their names? No. I don't understand why. But apparently it is not illegal.
We have a "manager". He does not live in the park and seldom comes in. We have no way of contacting him when he is not there. All we have is his first name. He refuses to give out his last name. Just call me "Johnny", he says. The previous manager was much the same. First name only, and no, I can't give you any information about who I work for.
The woman from the interfaith advocacy group says she thinks that the owners are probably a group of investors who are deliberately letting the park deteriorate so that they can eventually sell the property to developers for a tidy profit. If so, the reason that they haven't already done so is because the economy around here hasn't really recovered from the crash of 2008. If the economy ever does get back to where it was, look out.
There are some good trailer parks out there but for the most part, to live in a park like mine is to be exploited, taken advantage of, ripped off, and just generally be treated with contempt because after all, we are "trailer trash". There may be groups out there who are advocating for us, like groups who advocate for immigrants, for higher minimum wage, for conditions at Wal-Mart, but if so, I have yet to hear about any. Trailer park residents are truly the forgotten poor.
