Mobile home residents are sent packing

J. Craig Anderson

Thursday, Feb. 16, 2006 | 12:34 p.m.

Irving Downer waited four months and spent thousands of dollars for a mobile home relocation that was supposed to take a few weeks and cost him nothing.

Amid the growing number of mobile home closures in Las Vegas, Downer's story is not an isolated one.

Downer, 65, had lived in La Jolla Mobile Home Park for 22 years when owner Icon Investment Group ordered residents to move out by mid-March so the property could be redeveloped. By state law, park owners have to pay for residents to relocate within 50 miles.

But Icon, based in Greenwood Village, Colo., went through three moving contractors while relocating Downer to nearby Millennium Estates Mobile Home Park.

Downer and other former La Jolla residents contend the first two contractors caused irreparable damage to their homes, and claim many items were stolen.

The second mover, Real Estate & Investments LLC, received a cease-and-desist order from state officials in late November because owner Ben Donlon did not have a required license to tear down and reassemble mobile homes.

"I've paid close to $3,000 myself for the damages they've done already," Downer said.

Park owners and state officials agree that mobile home relocations caused by park closures are taking too long and have put a strain on residents.

The problem, they said, is that there simply are not enough qualified and licensed contractors to do the specialized job.

Clark County officials are grappling with an unprecedented spate of mobile home park closures - at least 13 during the past year - and are looking for ways to minimize the negative effect on residents.

The County Commission last week backed away from a proposed 18-month moratorium on park redevelopment projects, opting instead for discussions between park owners and residents to find a mutually agreeable solution.

But Michael Morrissey, a former La Jolla resident who was relocated to Millennium Estates, is not confident park owners will take better care of residents without government intervention.

Morrissey, 56, moved out of La Jolla on Nov. 1 so his double-wide home could be disassembled and taken to Millennium Estates.

When his home was delivered to the new site, some items, such as aluminum gutters and stairs, were missing. Some repairs and reassembly still had not been completed as of last weekend.

Morrissey said other former La Jolla residents have experienced even bigger problems with damage and theft.

"Actually, I'm one of the lucky ones," he said.

Icon has focused on getting people out of La Jolla as quickly as possible, putting less effort toward getting residents set up at their new locations, Morrissey said.

He said Icon has not been responsive to his complaints, either dismissing them as frivolous or blaming problems on contractors.

"Nobody's responsible for what the other guys did," Morrissey said. "It's a bait-and-switch."

Renee Diamond, administrator of the Nevada Business and Industry Department's Manufactured Housing Division, said her organization issued a cease-and-desist order against Donlon on Nov. 30 after receiving a complaint and discovering he had no license.

Diamond said she has asked the attorney general's office to determine whether park owners should be responsible for damage or theft caused by their moving contractors.

"The law isn't clear, but I feel strongly that because it's the park that caused it, that they should be liable," she said.

The Manufactured Housing Division, though, lacks the authority to force park owners to pay. Residents would have to pursue the matter in court, she said.

Diamond said she believes many park owners are scrupulous and are trying to do the right thing, but because so many mobile homes are being moved at once, there are not enough specialized contractors in the state to perform the work in a timely manner.

Laws governing mobile home park closures do not include limits on the time taken to move residents, she said.

Both Morrissey and Downer said Icon compensated them for living expenses and some other costs during the transition period between parks.

"It was the length of time that it took to do everything that really upset people," Downer said.

Diamond said Donlon is no longer moving homes for Icon and reportedly has left the country.

Icon principal Robert Mordini could not be reached for comment Wednesday, but alluded to problems with contractors during an interview earlier this month.

"The movers understand that they kind of have you" because of the high demand for their services, Mordini said.

Another reason for the long delay between tear down and setup is that state inspectors must approve each reassembly, Mordini said. They, too, are swamped because of the increase in relocations.

"That creates more than a little bit of an inconvenience" for residents, he said.

Still, Mordini said his goal always has been to minimize the difficulties for outgoing residents, adding that Icon has gone well beyond the minimum assistance required by law.

"Everybody's heart is in the right spot," he said.

Morrissey, though, disagreed, saying his experience demonstrates that park owners are trying to save money at the expense of residents.

"This is about millionaires becoming richer," he said.

J. Craig Anderson can be reached at 259-2320 or at craig@lasvegassun.com.