Last night, during a comment session in the "Huckleberries" on line Spokesman-Review, the subject of older trailers came up. One anonymous commenter called them "Slum Trailers". While I'm certain that many trailers are of slum quality, we here, in Northern Idaho have thousands of people living in pre-1979 mobile homes.
I chose the year 1979, because that's the year the federal government passed a building code, requiring copper wiring, 40" snow roofs, etc. The reason I titled this post as unintended consequences, is that while the county is merrily taxing us at a ficticious value, the state is refusing permission to move any of these older homes. That essentially, brings the value down to zero.
While many folks think like the commenter last night, that we that live in these homes are, trailer trash, blights on the neighborhood, well, you get the picture.
As property values have increased, more and more trailer parks are throwing these homes out into the streets, of which they are forbidden to use. Without either the right to move them, or compensation from the park owners, we, who live in these homes are living on borrowed time. Soon we will be homeless. Many of us are seniors, living on limited incomes.
We have no protection from eviction, or from the state who tells us we can't relocate them. It's a classic case of condemnation and confiscation. Recently, here in Bayview, Idaho, Waterford Park Homes is and has already evicted home owners that have had homes here for decades. Many are being torn down as I speak...More will follow, since they bought out the main trailer park here in town.
If lawmakers want the respect and support of their citizens, then they had better legislate a solution. Otherwise most of the trailer trash will continue to not believe their government is here to represent and help them, and injustice will continue to triumph.
Currently, the only due process we get is, "don't let the door hit you in the ass."
DFO Day in CdA
7 years ago
2 comments:
I think our 'mobile home' is a 1980. I wish someone would do A Mobile Makeover Show! Just think of the tons of trailers that could be fixed up for so little. Some folks can't deal with a 2000 a month mortgages when you have a limited income. A lot rent payment makes life livable when you own a trailer. What's funny is all the retired richies eventually live in one in a summer park somewhere anyway.
Saturday, we had to take a taxi home to get our second set of keys. (I won't go into detail about locking the keys in the car.) The taxi cab driver said old mobile homes in Aspen Colorado were selling for $100,000.
It is sad, as the trailer was the way those who could not afford to own land, could own their own homes. Why people/government have to interfer with that, is beyond me. As long as they keep the place neat, it shouldn't be anyone's business...
But they won't be happy until people are all in the people warehouses... known as apartments.
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