Regina trailer park tenants in shock after rental agreements terminated

Tenants at the Glen Elm Mobile Home Community are keeping a close eye on the calendar after some residents were told they need to be out of the park by the end of April.

“No one knows what’s gonna happen,” said Edward Balzer, who lives at the trailer court. “We’re on edge.”

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In a letter delivered to tenants, Glen Elm Properties Ltd. said the main water and sewage infrastructure leading to some homes has reached a “state of catastrophic failure.”

The letter explained that due to the cost and frequency of repairs, the company has made the decision to terminate rental agreements early.

Balzer said he and his family first moved into the park after buying a trailer for $30,000 two years ago. He said reading through the letter left him with feelings of fear.

“Shock,” Balzer said. “Still am in shock.”

Since he received the letter on January 21, he said it has been a challenge to find a company to move his trailer to a new location by April 30.

“It’s been a nightmare, to tell you the truth,” Balzer said. “Trying to find people to move our home is like pulling teeth.”

Balzer said he’s contacted 15 different companies so far, and is quickly running low on options.

According to a letter from Glen Elm Properties, the company is offering $10,000 to help relocate homes to another trailer court. Based on his conversations with different companies, Balzer said that will only cover half about the cost.

Edward Balzer is concerned about the time frame in which he needs to move his home out of the trailer park. (Gillian Massie/ 980 CJME)

“I’ve tried everyone,” he said. “I have a few left, but we’re not sure if they’re gonna pan out.”

Tenants who have been served notice to leave do have the option to sell their dwellings, but it would still be up to the buyers to relocate the homes by the April 30 deadline.

Balzer the price to move his home will “drain everything we have.”

Dorothy Wilcocks has only lived in her trailer since July, after purchasing it from her sister. She said she hoped the trailer park would be the place where she enjoyed her retirement.

“It’s been difficult, but I can’t change what I can’t change,” she said. “We just go one day at a time.”

Right now, Wilcocks said she’s still trying to determine if her home can be moved.

Management with the trailer park has offered tenants $6,000 for homes that can’t be removed, waiving demolition costs.

Dorothy Wilcocks said she’s still trying to stay positive despite not knowing if she can move her trailer. (Gillian Massie/980 CJME)

Wilcocks said if she can’t move her home, that amount wouldn’t cover the cost of what her home is worth.

After receiving the letter telling her she had to leave, Wilcocks said she was uncertain that the water and sewer lines leading to her home would hold out that long.

In the letter, the company noted that if the sewer system were to fail before April 30, tenants would be given a notice to vacate immediately.

“It’s very unfortunate that we have to move, but I totally understand there have to be upgrades,” she said. “It’s unfortunate they couldn’t do one row at a time and then move us back, but I don’t think that’s gonna happen.”

Wilcocks said she has support from her family if she has to leave her home behind, but the experience has still been a disappointment.

980 CJME reached out to the manager of the Glen Elm Mobile Home Community, but he declined to comment.