The Forum 09/14/06

We would like to comend Michael Schmieman for his indepth reporting on Aztec Mobile Home Park in Margate.

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(Aztec) Park wants zoning change
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Park Wants Zoning Change
by Michael Schmieman
Forum Staff Writer
The Forum 09/14/2006

When Helene Trivilis was evicted from Rancho Margate Mobile Home Park in April, she said she felt lucky to find a comparable unit at the Aztec Mobile Home Park, just a few miles away.

To make sure the new park was not in danger of closing anytime soon, Trivilis checked with The Urban Group, a private consulting firm that assists mobile home park owners in relocating displaced residents, and obtained similar assurances from the Aztec Staff. Then she said she took here savings and the relocation money and bought a new mobile home.

Two weeks ago, Trivilis received notice that Aztec was closing. She has six months to move out. "I've lost all my money," she said. "I don't know what I'm going to do."

Several hundred people, some with similar stories, attended recent forum at the Aztec clubhouse, hosted by Uniprop, the company that owns the Aztec park. Representatives from 11 mobile home parks in Broward and Palm Beach counties were on hand to talk to the residents about moving to their parks.

"We wanted to let the residents know what their options are," said Milton Rines, a Uniprop regional vice president. "We want to let them know that we are sensitive to their needs"

But many of the residents were not buying it.

"We're all upset," said Barbara Gaffney, a four year Aztec resident. "I was planning on retiring in November. Now I've got to move and I have no place to go."

Unlike Rancho Margate, Aztec has not been sold. Instead Uniprop plans to ask the city to rezone the property and then the company will build townhouses and condominiums on the site," said company spokesman Jack Tobin who is also the official Margate City Lobbyist to the Florida legislature in Tallahassee.

"The corporate decision to close the mobile home operation was not known by either The Urban Group or Aztec's staff until recently," Tobin said.

"Frankly, Uniprop is losing money on Aztec as a mobile home park," he said.

One factor in the company's decision to close the mobile home operation, Tobin said, is the devastating effects of Hurricane Wilma last year. The park has a capacity of about 600 mobile homes. Of the 446 mobile homes in the park at the time of the storm, about 200 were significantly damaged. Subsequently, about 150 FEMA trailers were brought in to provide temporary housing for the affected residents.

"With the park operating at two-thirds of capacity, there is no way they could make any money." Tobin said. "If they convert to townhouses and condominiums not only will Uniprop make money, but the city stands to make a lot more tax money too."

A date for the Margate City Commission to consider Uniprop's request has not yet been set. (end)

Copyright The Forum September 14, 2006

(Editors note: FEMA pays $800.00 per trailer per month, almost double the usual lot rent giving Uniprop up to two years to fix park occupancy. As Uniprop closed two of their other parks in South Broward since Wilma, they could have filled Aztec with those homes instead of closing a third park.

Usually older wind zone II mobile homes can't be moved in Wind Zone III South Florida, but the DMV makes an exception for older 1976-1994 homes allowing them to be moved to another park when their park is closing due to change of use.

The closing of Aztec and Rancho Margate is probably being done illegally because Mr. Tobin and his associates have convinced the city attorney and commissioners the proper way of closing a mobile home park under s723.061 and s723.083 isn't, housing study, rezoning, closing, as Coconut Creek did with Coral Lake Mobile Home Park, but instead is closing, rezoning, forget the study they're gone. This is not the proper way to treat Margate city residents and should be remembered if you expect fair treatment when they want your property.)