Forum Tribune 03/02/06

We would like to thank Mike Schmieman for this follow-up article regarding the hundreds of mobile home owners in Rancho Margate Mobile Home Park in Margate Florida.

The Forum Serving Margate and Coconut Creek
Thursday, March 2, 2006. Vol. 16 No 46

(Headline) New Town Houses Send Residents Packing
Margate & Coconut Creek Forum March 2, 2006
by Michael Schieman
Forum Staff Writer

Affordable housing in North Broward County continues to shrink said Jack Tobin, spokesperson for United Homes, which plans to demolish Rancho Margate Mobile Homes Park and replace it with town houses. He also stressed that the trend of turning apartments into condominiums is part of the shrinkage as well.

Residents of the park recently received eviction notices after it was sold to a developer who intends to build town houses.

The residents were told of the Urban Group, an urban redevelopment and acquisition company that specializes in providing services to developers, explained the options to about 200 residents, who attended a meeting recently at Northwest Focal Point Senior Center to hear what the future holds for them.

The meeting was sponsored by United Homes, a Miami Lakes-based developer that is in the process of buying the mobile home park.

"We wanted to make sure the residents know their options," said Bob Briele, the company's chief financial officer. "We hired the Urban Group to hold one-on-one sessions with each of the residents to make sure they understood what is available to them."

The options include a $4,000 bonus to residents who move out by April 30. The bonus is in addition to the state mandated moving assistance. Residents who relocate before June 30 will receive a $2,000 bonus.

In addition, all residents will receive a $5,000 credit toward the purchase of a home in any United home community.

"we have communities in Dade, Broward and Martin Counties," Vice President John Mijares said.

Altogether, early movers will receive about $10,000 to relocate a multi-section mobile home and about $7,000 to abandon them, not including the $5,000 credit toward the purchase of a United Home property.

"That's not nearly enough," said Tim O'Leary, 59 an unemployed laborer who has lived in Rancho Margate for the last four years. "I just got through investing $6,000 in a new roof and storm windows after the hurricane."

Though unemployed O'Leary said he is in better shape financially than some of his neighbors.

"People are scared," he said. "A lot of older people on fixed incomes had their financial future planned. Their remaining years and then this happens. Getting those eviction notices was like getting a dagger stuck in your heart."

The planned demolition of Rancho Margate comes on the heels of the pending demise of Coral Lake Mobile Home park in Coconut Creek.

Briele said United Homes' application to rezone the property to allow the construction of town houses is still pending approval from Margate city officials. If approved, the prices of the town houses to be built will start at $270,000.

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Michael Schmieman can be reached at 954-420-m955, ext. 337 or by e-mail at mschmieman@tribune.com

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