PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Over the years we've shown you the numerous challenges of people living at Twin City Mobile Home Community. In the fall, after Hurricane Idalia, residents were told their homes were considered substantially damaged and had until June 1 to come up to code or move out.
That was until county leaders sent a letter to Erin Roth and her neighbors stating that they now have until the next hurricane season to make the changes.
"It's a joke. They're going to let water come in again, and it just depreciates the value each time and happens to eventually they're not going to have to pay anybody to leave," Roth explained.
We've covered residents' concerns with Lakeshore Management, and now Pinellas County leaders have said the company needs to get involved.
"The county, we have reached out to them many, many times... We also asked ownership, management, to provide us with some dates so we can begin having meetings to move ahead and begin talking about how we can find a sustainable solution to the park so we don't have those challenges every single time that we have a storm come through or a high rain event," Assistant County Administrator Tom Almonte said.
Roth knows all too well the damage heavy rain can do as she continues to recover from Idalia.
"Each year you replace refrigerators, washers, dryers, cars people have lost, clothes," Roth added.
Monte said that, ultimately, the extension was made to buy time with Lakeshore Management in hopes of coming up with a sustainable solution moving forward. However, because it's private property, Monte said they need to respond to the county's request in order for them to step in.
"We can begin enforcement, code enforcement elements, but at the end of the day, who is going to be impacted? It's the residents. The persons that are living in that mobile home. That's why our interest is not to be the heavy hand and enforce because ownership won't be penalized with that it's the resident that will be without a place to live," Monte explained.
We've also reached out to management and have not heard back. Monte said that in the meantime, the county is working with area businesses to set up a space where residents can meet with local leaders as they continue to call on Lakeshore Management to step up.
Extension or not, Roth said she simply can't afford another hurricane season living at Twin City Mobile Home Community.
"I don't know. I'm going to try to sell and if we can't sell them, I'll tear the house down so that no one else suffers," Roth said.
Last month, weintroduced you to Jimmy Klass, a Floridian who learned he was not a U.S. citizen after living here for 64 years. ABC Action News reporter Katie LaGrone is following through with updates to his story, while also sharing the story of another Floridian who learned she was not a U.S. citizen after 60 years in the U.S.
