TOLEDO, Ohio — A Defiance family is three days away from being put out on the streets and into the cold.
The city of Defiance recently slapped a notice on their trailer that their home is to be torn down on Friday, Jan 19.
So, McKenna Murray and her family came to Call 11 for Action for help.
Murray said she was excited when she saw a now-deleted Facebook post in late October, advertising vacant trailers at the North Towne Estates, located at 844 N. Clinton St., and contacted the woman who made the post.
"She held an open house, had people come in at their own will to come in and look at the trailers," she said. "If you found one that you thought that you could renovate, make it a home, you just had to put your application in."
Murray, who has three children, said she paid the $40 application fee, a deposit including rent for $815, the lot fee of $350, a required fee of $30 to the city to inspect the electrical and about $2,000 to renovate the trailer.
"We had to put up new pieces of siding along the back half of our trailer. It was open to the elements. There was insulation but no siding," she said. "We put in all new flooring; the sink was not here. We had to put a new sink in and we had to put up a lot of drywall."
The family moved in on Thanksgiving Day only to find out a couple of weeks later that their new home wouldn't be theirs for long.
"I came home from work and there was a bright pink sign on my trailer saying that it was up to be demolished," Murray said.
She said she contacted the property manager who told her on more than one occasion not to worry about the situation.
"We're being told 'The attorney is on it, we're taking care of it, nobody's going anywhere,'" Murray said.
Weeks went by and another notice appeared on the trailer. The notice said that Murray's trailer was going to be torn down on Jan. 19.
"We're three days away and we don't have anywhere to go," she said.
Call 11 for Action reached out to the city of Defiance's law director, Sean O'Donnell, who sent us multiple documents dating back months.
One document is a "Demolition Notice of Violation," dated Sept. 15, 2023, and cites nine city code violations pertaining to 18 trailers at 844 N. Clinton St.
In the document, City Administrator Ryan Mack wrote "As per section 1317.04(C) of the Codified Ordinances of the City of Defiance, Ohio, the property owner has thirty (30) days from receipt of this letter to do the following: (a) Fully and completely abate the above-described nuisances by demolition; or (b) Work out a schedule with the Residential Building Official for the demolition of the structure."
According to the document, a public hearing was set for Oct. 16, 2023, for a panel to review the decision that the properties are indeed a nuisance and demolition is necessary.
A document executed on Dec. 6, 2023, regarding that panel review, states that "a representative of property owner, Defiance Partners, LLC, was present with counsel."
Additionally, it was stated that "The board took testimony that the parties had stipulated to a resolution. The parties agreed that the condition of the property is in violation of Sections 1317.01(a), (D), (e), (f), (g), (l), (t), (u), and (v) of the Codified Ordinances of the City of Defiance, Ohio."
The document also states that the parties "agreed to demolish" 17 manufactured homes and allow one owner of a mobile home more time to rehabilitate the home to the satisfaction of Defiance's fire chief and community improvement officer by Dec. 18, 2023.
On Jan. 3, 2024, residents of all 18 homes received a notice to vacate from the city stating, "Park management representatives were present at the October 16, 2023 Nuisance Abatement Board public hearing with council. Unfortunately, the park management did not communicate that prior development to you when entering into your lease agreement. The manufactured home on your lot remains a nuisance fire hazard and you are required to vacate the manufactured home immediately. The city will begin the demolition process as early as Friday, January 19, 2024."
Seeing that the demolition was decided at least a month before she and other families saw the Facebook post and paid money to move in, Murray said, "This is nothing but a scam."
"If this has been in the works for so long, why were people brought in here to try and fix these trailers up and make them a home if the park and the park management knew that this was gonna be happening? Why bring in more people just to be thrown out on the streets?" she said.
When asked how long she'll keep fighting, Murray said until at least Wednesday night. She hopes the city will give her more time to find another place to go or prove their home is safe.
"When you have kids, it's about them and they're my reason for making sure that they have a place to sleep at night and that's not laying out on the frozen ground," she said.
Call 11 for Action talked to a woman identified as Stacy at Defiance Partners, LLC, the owners of the property, based out of St. Petersburg, Fla.
She called the situation a "witch hunt" by Defiance Mayor Mike McCann, who she said has been trying to get the trailers torn down.
Regarding Murray, Stacy said, "If she and her family get thrown out, it's on the city."
McCann has not yet responded to a call and email from Call 11 for Action. We are also still waiting on additional answers from O'Donnell as to why the city sent an inspector to Murray's trailer to perform an electrical inspection if it also knew the property was slated to be torn down and whether it's possible to give her more time before her trailer is demolished.
Here is the full statement from City of Defiance Law Director Sean O'Donnell to Call 11 for Action on Jan. 15, 2023:
"The City of Defiance went through condemnation proceedings on vacant mobile homes located on eighteen lots at the mobile home park at 844 N. Clinton Street. The Fire Chief identified these homes as fire hazards due to their condition in violation of both the City Fire and Nuisance Codes. Before the mandatory three-member citizen review panel for demolition, the City and park officials agreed to abate these eighteen mobile homes by demolition and presented that resolution to the review panel on October 16, 2023. The panel took that proposed resolution under advisement and on December 6, 2023, the panel decided that the park management had thirty days to demolish and remove the mobile homes from the property or the City would be able to come onto the property and demolish them.
Unfortunately, the mobile home park management took advantage of the City's and the citizen review panel's good faith and filled some of these mobile homes with new residents during the interval period. This was despite the park management's presence at the October 16, 2023 abatement and demolition hearing with counsel and the park ownership's stated willingness to go along with the demolitions. Nor does the park ownership possess title to most of these mobile homes. A few days after the hearing, one park manager who attended the hearing even went so far as to advertise on social media that the park was looking to fill these mobile homes despite lacking title to them and with full knowledge of the demolition order. The park was then able to charge these residents lot rent.
While it is regrettable that the park management took these actions, the underlying nuisance conditions and fire hazards remain. The safety of residents is of primary concern to the City. The City will begin demolishing and removing noncompliant mobile homes on Friday, January 19, 2024 and encourages those impacted by the park's misrepresentations to make other accommodations as soon as possible."
If you have a problem you need Call 11 for Action to look into, email us at 11investigates@wtol.com.
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