I am a disabled Native lady in her senior years who has been pleading with the manager of my mobile home park to remove the eyesores in my back yard.
It started in 2012 when I wanted to sell my home. With my disabilities and lower income, I find it hard to maintain the yard and upkeep on my home.
I put my home up for sale on May 30, 2012. On June 1, I took pictures of what the neighbour behind me did. She took it upon herself to tear down my fence and screw untreated, unstained 2x4s to my fence posts and staple uneven chain-link fence to the 2x4s. A letter was sent to the property manager as well as the owner of the park. The letter fell on blind eyes and deaf ears. I feel that with this eyesore in my back yard, I was unable to sell my home since nothing was done in 2012 and the manager ignored the issue.
On April 20th, 2013, I received a call from a neighbour saying I better go into my back yard and see what was now going on. My neighbour once again took it upon herself to screw 4x8-foot sheets of untreated, unpainted plywood to my fence posts, creating a barrier 36 feet long and eight feet high. Letters have been hand delivered to the bylaw office and at least half a dozen to the property manager.
The park manager did come on April 30 to look at it, and in front of myself and five witnesses he said it would be removed. He told me in front of the witnesses if I wanted to put up a fence to apply for a permit and give it to the lady in the office. With a witness on May 17, I filled in the permit and gave it to the lady in the office. On Mother’s Day, May 12, the neighbour cut the barrier down by two feet. I had planned on putting my home up for sale again this spring but I don’t have a hope in hell of selling when it looks like the “slums.” Who would want to buy a home in the slums when rents are over $600 for anyone new moving in?
Judy Wilson
Penticton