Collapsing Trailers Raise Safety Concerns at Walden Pond
City officials are exploring ways to improve conditions at the deteriorating mobile home park.
Three vacant trailers at Walden Pond Mobile Home Park in New Port Richey collapsed recently, and conditions at the park have triggered concerns about public safety issues.
People have been taking pieces off of trailers at the park.
On Monday, New Port Richey Code Enforcement Officer Liz Nichols expressed concerns to city officials. She sent an email to the New Port Richey Police Chief with pictures of collapsed trailers that have missing siding, walls and floors.
“This is the result of the constant scavenging/scraping of the abandoned trailers at Walden Pond,” Nichols said in the email. "As of this morning there are three trailers that have collapsed over the weekend. The (mobile home park) is deteriorating at a steady pace.”
Walden Pond, owned by Walden Pond, LLC, has been a problem for awhile.
Residents were informed by the park’s owners in July that the park was “closing.” They were told they had to leave by the end of July or face legal action.
To legally evict residents, a property owner needs to file eviction paperwork through the court system, Nichols said. The eviction can only be served to tenants by the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office. As of Wednesday, Sept. 26, Nichols has not seen any legal eviction notice filed through the court.
Some residents remain at the park. One resident estimated there are still 10-12 people living at there. There isn’t a property manager on premises.
Nichols is concerned about the structural integrity of trailers. “You can see the issue” if a police officer needed to go into a mobile home or a curious child wandered inside, she said. Insulation is exposed to the open air because the walls are stripped.
“I’d like them (the mobile homes) knocked down and removed,” she said.
She has expressed to officials concern about the conditions at the park.
“I have issued five citations to the individual scrapers that I catch in the park but, the citation system does not seem to be a deterrent,” she said in her email to the police chief. “I think we should approach the city attorney about Nuisance Abatement procedures since we now have numerous safety issues at the (mobile home park)."
Doug Haag, New Port Richey’s acting city manager, said city officials are exploring whether the city nuisance abatement ordinance can help allleviate problems at the park. The collapse of trailers at the park triggers health and safety concerns, he says.
The city has had to deal with a plague of enforcement issues at Walden Pond.
Park owners removed dumpsters from the park in August. Earlier this month, the city had to spend six hours removing the large amount of trash that residents left on the ground. It took three 20-yard dumpsters and six hours to remove the trash, Nichols said.
The park ownership could face a lien if they don’t pay a fine for the cleanup.
Paul Beraquit, managing partner of Walden Pond, LLC, declined comment.
Nichols hasn’t heard from him, either.
However, the people responsible for the park are having their day in court. A series of citations have been issued to the park owners. Another series of citation has been issued to a park resident for demo’ing without a permit.
The city has scheduled arraignment today, Sept. 27, for some of the citations.
Beraquit has been cited for removing the dumpsters at the park, and that citation is on the docket for today's arraignment.
Walden Pond is registered to Paragon Capital Partners, LLC, on the Florida Div. of Corporations website and is listed as being managed by Paragon Real Estate Holdings. Beraquit is named as the founder and president of Paragon on the company website.
Sachin Patel is listed as vice president of Paragon. He was issued two citations for refusing to pick up trash and debris. Those two citations are also on the docketfor today's arraignment.
See also
Dumpster Removal at Walden Pond Raises Concerns
Pasco Seeks to Connect Walden Pond Tenants with Aid
Residents Continue to Occupy Walden Pond After Closing Deadline
Pasco Exploring Ways to Help Walden Pond Tenants
Tenants Oppose Removal from Walden Pond
Mobile Home Park Closing Leaves Residents in a Bind
cindy
8:17 am on Thursday, September 27, 2012
Such a nice piece of property and what an eyesore it now is, these trailers should have been removed a long time ago. No wonder people think of New Port Richey as trash, when they drive past this area, what else would they think. Pasco needs to buck up and do something about this.
Carol
9:33 am on Thursday, September 27, 2012
I feel bad for those residents of that park who had to leave their homes, and now watch it fall apart, and those owners that were fined for "demo-ing" their property without a permit. These residents were of a lower income in the first place. Who is watching out for them?
Dwan
2:22 pm on Friday, September 28, 2012
You know Cindy it is hard to watch this place come down the way it has done but the hardest part of living all of this is the way we were done not the fact that the tailor park was closed but how it was handle for me yes I have move on although I still have family still there waiting to get out and friends waiting for the state to send there money to them from the state but for me the hardest thing is getting over the injuries that I sustained getting out of there I had injuries to my back and neck and foot while trying to get my stuff out of there and because of all the things that went on there I now suffer from Post dramatic stress due to the way this whole thing was handle for instance no one had a vechale and I remember having to drive a van that went down due to the storm with one foot on the gas and the other one on the break to get people to Fema and after about the second week I told them I was unable to do this any more that is when they sent people to the park and then t
Dwan
2:22 pm on Friday, September 28, 2012
Donna and also Laura and myself went and seek help in other places I am so glad this whole ordeal is almost over once I see the rest of my family and friends out of there I will finally be able to rest there is only 12 houses left and I am praying and also have my church praying that they all get out soon without any deaths. However I would like to thank Mike Glass and the Mayor and other people who has helped us all out with food and assistance any way they could and I would also say at this point that I have lived there for four years and that is one place that needs to be closed down because they have never had maintance work done and the up keep on that property done since I have lived there and when it came to managing tha
Dwan
9:11 pm on Friday, September 28, 2012
I believe we only had one manager in the whole time I have been there who even cared and when it comes to the closing I know a lot of people got help but the owner should had given us our deposit back and not had taken our rent for that month that he was telling us to get out by
Pedro
10:50 pm on Friday, September 28, 2012
Such a sad situation, when we lived there it wasn't that bad, the manager at that time Edgar helped us out with groceries and school supplies for the kids, this place went down really fast, good luck to all those involved.
BlFalconskeep
9:23 am on Saturday, October 20, 2012
At one time Walden Pond was a beautiful place that many people wouldn't mind living at. It had a dock going into the pond, well maintained common areas and yards, flowers. It was a very nice place to look at and from what I have been told by an 11 year home owner in Walden Pond, a nice place to live with breezes coming off the Gulf to cool things down while the rest of the city baked. Osprey and Bald Eagles nest in some of the trees and fork-tailed kites swept down to the pond to feed.
It is a shame that the owners let if fall into the ruin it is now and I hope the city takes it back and brings back the beauty that once existed.