TAMPA (WFLA) -Residents of a South Tampa mobile home park are frustrated and upset. On Saturday, the owner of the park, Henry Williams, told them they had to move out.
Karen Leutheuser has lived in the park for the last several years. “It’s devastated, everybody. Everybody’s having to scramble now and find something,” said Leutheuser. “Some people frankly don’t have anything or anybody.”
Williams has owned the park at 3011 West Gandy Boulevard since 1990. He says in the past ten years he’s had multiple offers from developers interested in buying the land, but has held on to it until now. He feels now is the time to sell it and move on.
Williams also explains each of his tenants are on a month to month lease with a two week out. That means they can give him a two weeks notice to move, or he can give them a two weeks notice. The latter is what’s happening.
Many of the residents at the park are elderly or disabled and on a fixed income.
Delores Mendez pays 560 dollars a month in rent. For any residence in South Tampa, that is extremely low. She now wonders how she will be able to afford to stay in the area.
“I only get a thousand dollars a month,” said Mendez. “And by the time you pay rent, pay for your phone, put gas in the car and pay for insurance. There’s not hardly anything left! “
Karen Leutheuser has lived in the park for the past several years and didn’t see this coming. “It’s devastated everybody,” said Leutheuser. “Everybody’s having to scramble now and find something. Some people frankly don’t have anything or anybody.”
The tenants of the park have until the end of the month to pack their things and move.
