Residents of a Vermont manufactured home park are facing a September deadline to leave, even though some own the homes they may have to abandon.
The closure affects Green Mountain Mobile Manor in Fair Haven. According to VTDigger, the state approved an expedited closure after officials cited health and safety concerns tied to failing infrastructure.
Hope Turi moved her family of seven into the park about a year ago after leaving Maine. She told VTDigger the home cost $15,000, a price her family could manage while she worked part time as a substitute teacher and studied social work.
Manufactured-home residents can own the structure but rent the lot underneath it. When a park closes, that split can leave families searching for new housing while also trying to decide whether their existing home can be moved, sold, or kept at all.
The Park Can Close Faster Than the Usual Timeline
Vermont law generally requires a mobile home park owner to give affected residents and the state at least 18 months’ notice before a closure.
The law also allows the commissioner to waive some or all of that notice period if the closure is necessary to protect the health, safety, or welfare of park residents.
In this case, VTDigger reported that state officials allowed the park to close by September 1 instead of requiring the full 18-month timeline.
Infrastructure Problems Were Piling Up
The estate that owns the park has been tied up in probate court for more than a decade. VTDigger reported that the estate owed Fair Haven tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid property taxes and water bills, and local officials said water leaks were common.
A February letter from the estate administrator said the park’s water and septic systems had been prone to failures and handled with patchwork fixes.
Only nine of the park’s 20 lots were occupied, and the letter said only three households reliably paid lot rent.
Moving the Homes May Not Be Realistic
Residents have been directed to resources for buying or renting elsewhere, but VTDigger reported that neither the estate nor the state is required to compensate them for their existing homes.
That leaves residents with limited options if a home is too old, damaged, expensive, or difficult to relocate. The Eviction Lab notes that manufactured-home residents facing displacement may have to abandon the home, sell it for very little, or try to move it, which is often impossible or costly.
Residents in manufactured-home parks should keep copies of leases, lot-rent notices, utility records, park rules, closure notices, and any correspondence from owners or state agencies. A notice involving closure, infrastructure failure, sale of the park, or eviction should be reviewed quickly with a housing counselor, legal-aid group, or attorney familiar with manufactured-home park rules.