News

Trailer park could be shut down as 'public nuisance'

A 26-year-old mother of a newborn lives in a trailer with no running water.

By Bill Moss, Published: April 3, 2015

'Rent to own'

Nicholas Faherty, who works for a program through the schools that helps migrant families, stood outside the trailer of a young mom who had just come home from the hospital with her baby. Standing on her deck, she cradled her newborn and described her troubles.
Last week Newell came over to try to collect rent, which she's withheld because she's had no water.
"He offered me if I paid back rent, he'll give me the trailer and all I'll have to pay is lot rent," she said.
Faherty nodded in agreement.
"You see that sign when you go in. It says rent to own," he said. "Nobody actually believes that he owns these trailers even. These trailers have DMV titles."
Newell said he's not sure if he has paperwork proving ownership of all the trailers but added that he is no longer offering a rent-to-own option.
"I don't have any left," he said. "Nobody's come in to buy any."
Even with the new focus on his operation from nearly a dozen agencies, Newell continues to sign up tenants.
"People are still moving in here, right?" Faherty said. "They're condemning places and he's tearing the sign off and renting them out. (Inspectors) wanted to know. They said, 'Tell us when people move out, so we can go in and condemn it.' There's not anything you can do. Housing laws are so vague."
Newell denied renting condemned trailers.
"Have I? No," he said when asked whether he'd removed the stickers. "You're not allowed to do that. We follow regulations here pretty good."