Carson mobile-home park residents facing eviction amid redevelopment plans

CARSON, Calif. (KABC) -- Dozens of people living at a Carson mobile home park are working to fight, or least postpone, their eviction as the property is set to be redeveloped.

The residents live at Imperial Avalon Mobile Estates, a property which was bought by a real-estate company four years ago and is slated to become a mixed-use development.

On Tuesday, the tenants asked a judge to stop their evictions. They got a reprieve for at least one more month.

"These are their homes and it's their lives, and they stood up for them," said park resident Jeff Steinman, president of the Imperial Avalon Mobile Estates HOA. "And it has not been easy for any of them."

The park had been set to close Wednesday.

Since it was bought by the developer four years ago, many people have in fact moved out. But some remain. They say they're on fixed incomes and cannot afford to live anywhere else.

"They couldn't deal with the stress," said resident Valerie Porizek. "They didn't know where they would go. I believe there are three or four people who have passed away and we have others that are very ill because of the stress that's being put on them."

Residents own the mobile homes, but not the land they sit on. The homes aren't as mobile as the name implies: They say the homes can't be moved so when they relocate they have to leave them behind.

Tim Tatro, the attorney for the homeowners association, said: "It's not a simple problem because, for example, many places for rent require two to three to four times the monthly rent and income just to qualify. These folks don't make that."

In court Boyd Hill, the attorney for Imperial Avalon DE, LLC, said the company tried to work with the remaining residents for relocation assistance. He said residents refused to cooperate.

In a statement he said in part: "We have tried for more than three years to assist the remaining residents, and today, a judge ruled that those residents are now required to meet with our relocation specialists."

The judge issued a temporary restraining order, stopping the park from closing while the two sides try to work out an agreement

"We're eager to do that so that they can move on with their project and we can move on with our lives," said Tatro.

With the judge's order residents can stay at the park for about a month. They are scheduled to be back in court on Dec. 1.