Former Trails End Mobile Home Park set to close, residents worry about next move

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Residents at a northeast Fresno mobile home park have been given notice that they have one year to sell or move their trailers out of the La Hacienda Mobile Estates, formerly known as Trails End Mobile Home Park.

Now, tenants are worried they'll have nowhere to go and will end up homeless.

"I don't think there's a place in this town I can afford to rent on my income - on my social security," Leslie Wright said.

Wright is worried about where she's going to live this time next year.

About a week ago, she received a letter from the La Hacienda Mobile Estates saying the company was terminating the tenancy to permanently close the mobile home park.

Action News reached out to Harmony Communities, the company that owns the mobile home park, to ask about the decision.

In a statement, Chief Operating Officer Sherrie Johnson said:

"After two years of lawlessness, no rents paid and people moving in and out without any registration or applications, we are attempting to restore order within the scope of state law and according to our agreement with the City of Fresno and the courts. Legal Aid's attempt to circumvent state law leaves this community and the surrounding community less safe. We will continue to honor our obligations and comply with state law at every turn."

But Wright says those allegations aren't true, at least not for her.

"We lost a room and shed. Everything we own, almost, is gone. That's how willing we were to comply because it's easier to live here with them than it is to try to go find a place we can afford," Wright said.

The mobile home park changed ownership last year.

In 2021 there were two fires at the mobile home park which was called Trails End Mobile Home Park.

Five homes were destroyed and a man was left dead.

The city took control of the park before Harmony Estates agreed to purchase it last year, at the protest of residents.

Mariah Thompson with California Rural Legal Assistance is representing some of the residents.

She previously argued Harmony Estates was known for buying mobile home parks and increasing rent.

She spoke at the Fresno City Council meeting last week and asked the city to step in and help.

"You were advised about what this company does. We presented hundreds of pages of evidence to you that they do this everywhere and they did it here." Thompson said.

For tenants like Wright, they're working to stay in compliance while she, her son, and grandson, try to figure out what to do next.

"We're going to fight it, if we can, we'll fight it until we can't," Wright said.

Action News reached out to Councilmember Garry Bredefeld and the city attorney's office for comment on whether or not there are plans for the city to step in.

In a statement Tuesday morning, City Attorney Andrew Janz said, "The California Government Code dictates procedures for the closure or change of use of a mobile home park, including a report on the impact to displaced residents. At this early stage, state law does not provide the City an active role with that process. The City Attorney's Office will continue to monitor La Hacienda Mobile Estates, LLC's compliance with the state law relevant to the potential closure of the mobile home park."

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