Trailer park future unclear Hillcrest Commons residents face move unless sale approved
By TREVOR JONES, Special to the Times Union First published: Wednesday, January 30, 2008
DUANESBURG -- Residents of a trailer park here face the reality that they can keep their houses, but lose their home.
Hillcrest Commons Mobile Home Park homeowners have until June 1 to move their trailers off the land after the owner decided to close because of sanitation issues, property manager and park resident Richard Dickershaid said. But they also have a glimmer of hope -- a change of ownership could keep the park open. The state Department of Environmental Conservation ordered the park's owner, Morgan Management LLC, to fix Hillcrest's substandard sewage treatment system or close the park. Dickershaid said it's legal to close the park, but it's not fair to those who call the park home. Residents are devastated by the prospect of having to move, Dickershaid said. Most of the residents of the roughly 50 trailers at the park are senior citizens. "I'm heartsick. Where are we going to go? What are we going to do?" Dickershaid said. The issue has received the attention of state Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco, R-Schenectady, and Assemblyman George Amedore, R-Rotterdam. In a November letter to Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, the legislators write that the owner may have committed consumer fraud by "falsely representing that the homesites they rented would include adequate water and waste-water system." The letter also asks Cuomo to intervene in order to "send a message that this type of injustice will not be tolerated in the State of New York." Morgan Management has offered residents $4,000 to cover the costs of relocating. Those costs will only cover moves to one of the company's three mobile home parks in Saratoga County. The parks are more than a half hour away and many residents fear the money will only cover a fraction of the moving costs. Morgan Management's regional manager, Bryan Dibble, did not return several calls left at his office. The septic problem was first documented by the Schenectady County Health Department after sewage overflow was discovered there in 2002. The park was cited by the DEC in 2005 and was ordered in November to repair the system or close. The Hillcrest sewage system runs into the Norman's Kill, which empties into the Watervliet reservoir in Guilderland and provides water to several communities in the Capital Region. "The septic discharge is a public health problem. We cannot have that continue," said Andrew Suflita, Schenectady County environmental health director. DEC spokeswoman Lori O'Connell said Morgan Management has said it does not have the money to fix the problem. She also noted the June 1 deadline is a two-month extension given, in part, because another investor is interested in buying the park. The DEC will only approve the deal if the new owners can show they have funds to fix the septic system. Dickershaid hopes the park will stay open, adding that no matter what the outcome, he will continue to fight for the rights of the mobile home owners. "This is our sanctuary. It may be in a park, and we may not own the land, but we do everything any other homeowner does and we deserve our rights," Dickershaid said. Trevor Jones is an intern. He can be reached at 454-5420.
The issue has received the attention of state Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco, R-Schenectady, and Assemblyman George Amedore, R-Rotterdam. In a November letter to Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, the legislators write that the owner may have committed consumer fraud by "falsely representing that the homesites they rented would include adequate water and waste-water system."
Now, isn't that sweet....that could be applied to ALOT of developements.....
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
The septic problem was first documented by the Schenectady County Health Department after sewage overflow was discovered there in 2002. The park was cited by the DEC in 2005 and was ordered in November to repair the system or close.
I find this 6 year time span unacceptable. The Schenectady County Health Department discovered this 6 years ago and what did they do with this information? This raw sewage was basically seeping into the water that provides drinking water to many. So 3 years after the Schenectady County Health Department discovers this overflow, it then took 3 more years for the DEC to get involved? And then another 2 years to take action? And now all of a sudden they discover it is a health issue and the people are booted out? There is clearly enough blame to go around this sewage mess!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
I wish I had an explanation too. I have not been in the loop on this one except to speak with some of the residents and the manager of the park. Some of the people who live there are friends of mine. I wish I could tell you more.
The trailer park in Duanesburg is being closed due to sewage leaking into the Normanskill Creek, the ground and surface water coming out of Masullo Estates has sewage in it and it flows into the Normanskill Creek via Becker's Brook so you would think that something would have to be resolved with this issue as well. Who is checking on our checkers?
Morgan Management LLC's offer of $4,000 to each resident to relocate to another of the parks owned by the company doesn't address the issues of children who attend the Duanesburg schools, residents of the park who are employed in the town, etc.
I question if the residents entered into long term land leases as is often the case with sites in mobile home parks. If so, it would seem that Morgan Management LLC must either provide the agreed upon services (e.g., adequate water supply and sewage/septic systems) or face litigation for breach of contract. Such legal proceedings may result in the displaced residents receiving settlements greater than the $4,000 being offered by the property owner. Are the residents of the park required to sign an agreement that they will not bring about litigation if they accept the $4,000?
Like Rene, I also have friends who live in Hillcrest Commons. They are good people who will be missed if they should be forced to relocate out of town.
I can’t understand why the hours being cut in several county libraries are morning hours. If a poll were taken on when libraries are the busiest, my guess would be the morning — especially in the small libraries. So why not cut some of the afternoon or early-evening hours? Maybe then there wouldn’t be so many unhappy users. I live in Delanson and use the Quaker Street Library; they just changed their hours and now include Wednesday mornings. I was very pleased because now I can go to the library in the morning and still get in a nap in the afternoon. PEG LAPO Delanson
DUANESBURG Library branch rehab to be delayed County financial stress is problem BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter
Schenectady County Library officials said the proposed expansion of Duanesburg branch will have to wait until the central building project in the city is completed sometime in late 2009. County legislators included $1 million in the 2006 capital budget to build a modern 7,000-squarefoot structure for the Duanesburg branch to replace the much smaller Quaker Street building. But Library Director Andy Kulmatiski said the goal is to finish the proposed $7.7 million expansion of the 38-yearold building at Clinton and Liberty streets in Schenectady before moving on to other projects. "We really want to finish one thing before we start another," he said. "The feeling is we don't have the resources to do two projects at one time." Kulmatiski said the Schenectady project is expected to go out to bid sometime in March. He said the project is expected to take about 18 months. The county is in a budget squeeze, which already have led to a $90,000 reduction in the system's hourly budget and resulted in four branches — including the Quaker Street Library — reducing weekly operating hours. Kulmatiski said the library's Board of Trustees also would like a representative from Duanesburg before moving forward with the project. Former Trustee Caroline Herms resigned her position from the board in June due to personal reasons; Kulmatiski said the trustees have made a recommendation for her replacement, which is awaiting approval by the Legislature. “They don't want to do anything without someone representing the community on the board,” he said. Built in 1984, the Quaker Street branch has about 2,000-square feet and is among the smallest in the county system. Library offi - cials have deduced the branch is too small to meet the needs of the community it serves. Jean Frisbee, a member of the Duanesburg Town Board and the ad hoc committee reviewing sites for the new library, said discussion of an expansion for the branch have all but ended. She said the Duanesburg library is a critical resource for resident in western Schenectady County because there are no other branches nearby. "It's pretty crowded," she said of the Quaker Street branch. "But I don't think we have any other choice in the matter."
Gee, how about that, going to be open less hours AND you can't have the money you were promised before. If taxes just went up AGAIN, why don't we have the money to do what was promised? 1 word/name. Kosiur.
Spare Hillcrest trailer park residents from cruel eviction
This concerns Hillcrest Mobile Home Park on Western Avenue in Duanesburg. Because of inadequacies in the sewer system that the town allowed the owner of the property to ignore for some time, the mobile home park has to be shut down. With little notice, the tenants of the park have been told to vacate by June 1. These people are homeowners like you and me. It just so happens that they rent the land their home is situated on. The majority are elderly, and some have been there for 30 years or more. Some of these homes are either too old to be moved or too large for other parks to allow. I ask you to place yourself in their position, having to wake up every morning not knowing how long you will be in your home or where you can go. These homeowners are not indigent, impoverished or poor, as we have been led to believe in newspaper articles. They own their homes and take pride in them. They trusted that their monthly rents were used for upkeep on the land on which they sit. They have been severely cheated by the landowner and the town that allowed this to go on for years. These are our neighbors, friends — some young, mostly elderly — and they need our help. They pay their taxes just like all of us. We can’t allow the state or town to just toss them out with the trash. I am asking anyone who can, to step forward and stop this devastation! CATHY SHAFER Glenville
I'm afraid Cathy Shafer does not understand that the town does not have jurisdiction over private septic systems. When a septic needs to to be improved or installed it must be designed by an engineer and approved by the health dept. at the expense of the landowner. The Town does not have an engineering department on staff to do this and it has been the responsibility of the county for as long as I can remember. There is a definate distinction between a Town Sewer District and private septics. Private septics fall under the authority of Schenectady County Health and apparently DEC at some point. There is another property in the hamlet area that just went through the same thing. The private septic was faulty, the owner was told to have an engineer develop a septic to be approved by the health dept. The owner had the septic system designed and approved by County Health, but neglected to implement the plan. After a few years the property was condemned. It is indeed a horrible thing that is happening to these good people and I realize Ms. Shafer needs to lash out, however the key words in her letter are "cheated by the landowner." My guess would be that the health dept. and/or DEC did not simply allow this to go on, but was hoping and planning that the landowner would step up to the plate and take care of his responsibilities. LANDOWNER. I would hope they were giving him every opportunity to take care of the issue and the condemnation was the last resort after this much time passed. I feel bad enough about this and..........well we will just leave it at: I feel bad enough
There should be a way to force the land owner to put in a new sewer treatment facility for the trailer park that meets the county codes. The owner is going to give each resident of the park $4000 to move why not apply that money toward fixing the problem.
I agree Shadow. Do the math, $4,000 times 53 homes.....$212,0000 would go a long way toward repairs. I suspect the owner is banking on the fact that many of the mobile homes will be either too old, too large, or the people won't want to move to "his" parks in Saratoga County. I also think, and this is totally unofficial, because I have had no contact with anyone nor any reason to think this other than my personal thoughts,,,,but I think the owner probably had this planned and perhaps is thinking of a different use for the property. The property is zoned mobile home park and can not be used for any other purpose unless he seeks a zone change from the town. I had also heard a rumor that the new owner had to take this park as part of a bigger deal to acquire other properties. It is sneaky and nasty. One of the residents told me a family bought a mobile home the day before the initial letter telling the residents they would have to move was received. This is of course all hearsay, and I probably shouldn't even post it, but the whole thing stinks.
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