Forum Tribune 12/23/04

We would like to thank Enma Leyva for excellent reporting in bringing this story to light.

--------------- Developers hope to build town homes on land. ---------------
by ENMA LEYVA
Forum Staff Writer
12/23/04

COCONUT CREEK - Janet Parr does not know what she will do with her home. An eight-year resident of Coral Lake Mobile Home Park, she is waiting for the planning and zoning board, which will decide whether the park will be rezoned to a mixed residential area.

If the property is rezoned, the residents may have to move. The issue was tabled until the planning and zoning board receives additional information.

Parr said she has not had a voice in the making of the decision that could change her life.

"We were all told this would stay a mobile home park," she said.

"This involves more then 1,000 people's lives."

The park is owned by Cliff Dolvitz and Todd Rosenzweig. Several attempts to reach park owners for comment were made, but attorney Michael Moskowitz said he could not release his client' phone numbers.

About 200 residents attended the recent board meeting at which Calvin Giordano and Associates, made a presentation of the proposed Paloma Lakes community, a residential neighborhood that would contain 244 town homes.

Parr said she could move her mobile home from the park, but many others can not.

"It's not economically feasible for the others," she said of her neighbors.

"The home as to be split in half, All of it's contents removed including major appliances. And if it can be reassembled, we may have to wait for a certificate of occupancy," resident Robert Perkins said.

The city should protect it's residents instead of favoring out-of-town landlords and developers."

Although the park's residents were mailed letters about the meeting and there was a sign in front of the park displaying the meeting information, some residents said they felt they were betrayed by the city.

"I think people are taking advantage of the common people, the low-income people," resident Joe Franco said.

"People have spend so much money in their home."

Franco said that after the recent hurricane season, residents had to make a lot of repairs to their homes and that the city was ignoring the cost of those repairs.

"Some residents have already come together and hired attorney Lee Schillinger to help them.

Schillinger said the residents would not be fully compensated for their homes.

The debate continued at a recent City Commission meeting. Moskowitz represented park owners and asked for a reduction of $475,000 in fines they have accrued due to code violations over the years.

Mayor Lou Sarbone said he was against a reduction in fines.

Moskowitz said some code violations involve park tenants who do not have up-to-date decals on the windows of their mobile homes.

(Editors note: The law says mobile homes without decals auto-convert to real property taxed as real property, the fines for missing decals are bogus.)

Moskowitz proposed that the city lower the fines and the bulk of the money go into a fund that would be dispensed to the residents by a separate (eviction services) company.

Vice Mayor Marilyn Gerber said she was in favor of idea, because it would help the residents if they had to move.

I thought we could be a little bit helpful," Gerber said.

Unfortunately they have very few means and I understand that, which was why I wanted the fund."

Commissioner Jim Waldman disagreed because the park had brought down property values in the past. He said the city had a responsibility to all its residents, not just those in one neighborhood.

I lived next door for a long time," Waldman said.

"The park caused a depreciation of the surrounding property."

Waldman said residents of the surrounding area were not compensated the the loss of value on their homes.

(Editors note: The park was here first since 1974 when it was just us and the stench from the Pompano landfill. Could Mr. Waldman's property values been lowered by buying too close to the dump? Even so I would gladly accept the same percentage off the fair market value of my home as Mr. Waldman can show he took for his, unless a savvy guy like him received a better deal up front for buying near a mobile home park downwind from a dump. Funny how the misdirected desire for revenge can get in the way of getting what you want, especially when the city is the cause of the park not replacing decaying homes with new. ;-)

Waldman made an amendment to reduce the fines by $75,000 and to not have a separate fund setup.

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Enma Leyva can be reached at 954-420-0955, ext. 330, by fax at 954-420-0415, or by e-mail at eleyva@tribune.com

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