Residents of unsafe mobile home park face possible eviction
Old, dangerously damaged septic system endangering residents, North Grenville says
Eighty people may be forced to leave their homes because their mobile home park near Kemptville has been declared unsafe, the trustee of the bankrupt owner has abandoned it, no one wants to buy it, and the city doesn't have the money to fix it.
The owner of Fetherston Mobile Home Park in North Grenville — J. Edwin Brown Holdings Inc. — declared bankruptcy in 2008 and its head later died. The bankrupt company then fell to the responsibility of a bankruptcy trustee, Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton.
But the city said the trustee has abandoned the mobile home park, as is its legal right, because the costs associated with fixing its septic systems — the city said it's about $750,000 — outweigh what the trustee could make by selling it.
"The trustee essentially abandoned the property, and the reason for that is that the costs associated with any of the repairs required … exceeded the value of the property," said North Grenville CAO Brian Carré.
Aged, failing septic systems in 'critical state'
North Grenville council said Tuesday in a news release and letters to residents that Fetherston's septic systems are in a "critical state" and that the municipality doesn’t have the $750,000 required to fix them.
No potential buyers have come forward to buy the land and pay for the repairs, the municipality said.
The municipality said its giving the owner of the mobile home park 30 days to identify the issues and another 60 days to fix them.
If that doesn't happen, and the municipality admits it's unlikely, residents will be asked to leave.
"Unfortunately we see no viable options which would allow the residents to continue living on the property," the news release said.
'No idea what I'm going to do'
Fetherston resident Cyril Stuckless said he's a senior with health issues and has neither the time nor the energy to move.
"I've got no idea what I'm going to do here, to be honest with you. I don't have the money to go rent a place in town. … We're on a fixed income," he said.
"I don't want to move out of here, that's for sure. That's the last thing I want to do. It's a nice, quiet spot. It's mostly seniors in here … there's never any problems here."
An information session for residents is scheduled for July 18.