City of Menifee Orders Baileywick Mobile Home Park To Close
The City of Menifee, California has taken the unusual step of ordering the closure of Baileywick Mobile Home Park after 18 years of continuous code violations, the largest being a non-working septic system that leaves large pools of sewage on the ground, as well as an electrical system often held together with string and plastic bottles.
Community Development Director Carmen Cave called Baileywick a “a detriment to public health and welfare”. Code Enforcement Office Wayne O’Gara said “I’ve seen things on the ground there that I have not tasted or touched, but I can tell you by the smell it’s not something I would want to”.
Nelson Moyle, owner of the property, blamed the problems on his tenants and plumbers who had misled him on repairs. The council, however, was unmoved, citing almost two decades of problems that have never been repaired.
The impact of closing the park will be minimal, as there is only one mobile home remaining in the 12 space park – the rest of the tenants being RVs.
Frank & Dave’s Analysis of This Story:
When we’ve been talking about city governments having a new-found love for mobile home parks, it does have its limitations. You cannot own and operate a park and refuse to make basic repairs, such as a working sewer system, and expect a happy ending. The park owner’s excuse that it was the “tenants’ fault” had as much hope of success as Flip Wilson’s “the devil made me do it”. Whenever we read an article like this, we just have to wonder what the owner was thinking. Slum-lording is not a recipe for success in the mobile home park business.
May 20, 2010 10:17 am