County to seek court order for property cleanup

Supervisors refer trailer park violations to county attorney

After confirming that Bann Mobile Home Park is still in violation of several zoning codes, including junk on the property, the Yuma County Board of Supervisors referred two cases to the county attorney, who will seek an order of abatement from Superior Court.

“What that means is that Superior Court would have reviewed the case and determined that the order was warranted and to order the owner of the property to clean up the violations,” said Craig Sellers, the county’s director of development services.

The two cases were brought before the supervisors last month after the property owner, JJCT LLC, appealed the violations brought by the county against Bann Mobile Home Park in 2020. The Yuma park is located at 3390 W. 5th St. and 402 S. May Ave.

Two previous cases were opened against the property due to mobile homes being placed without permits and improper anchoring. This case was closed without compliance.

A second case was opened due to lack of maintenance of yards and open spaces, and this case was brought into compliance and closed.

Sellers explained that it’s two cases because Bann Mobile Home Park is on two different parcels, although under one ownership.

Most recently, another two cases involving five violations were brought against the property owner for park models installed without permits; junk consisting of discarded furniture, appliances, miscellaneous household items, tires and trash; and dilapidated manufactured homes throughout the property in “unsafe conditions dangerous to human health or the public welfare.”

The hearing officer found the property owner in violation in both cases and

imposed a combined sanction of $15,000. The property owner appealed to the supervisors on Oct. 3, and the supervisors upheld the hearing officer’s decision.

On Nov. 7, Sellers asked the supervisors to refer the cases to the county attorney for the purpose of obtaining an order of abatement. He said that staff had gone out to the park the Friday prior to the Tuesday meeting and still found violations. He shared photos of the park conditions.

“You’ll notice in the pictures that some of the streets are a little bit cleaner, but we’re still seeing the trailers and we’re still seeing trash,” Sellers said, adding that there are still multiple abandoned trailers as well.

“(The) trash seems to be a little more organized, but it’s still there,” he noted.

Supervisor Martin Porchas asked if the park has trash service. Sellers replied that it doesn’t have a trash service and that it takes care of its own trash.

Porchas noted that the county should pass a future ordinance that requires trailer parks to have trash service and not leave it up to the individual tenants.

During the October appeal hearing, the supervisors upheld the violations, noting that they need to send a message to property owners that “enough’s enough” and they will no longer tolerate junky properties.

Attorney Jeremy Claridge represented 76-year-old property owner Oluwantoyin J. Oduyale, who lives in California and was unable to be present due to issues with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Park manager Donna Bly was present at the appeal as his representative.

Claridge acknowledged the “blight” and “eyesore” conditions, but blamed them on criminal damage by school kids and others. He noted that 42 families live in the park, with more than half receiving rental assistance.

“Some people call it, ‘Oh, the slumlord,’ but we call it an opportunity for people who need low rent, who need government assistance to stay in their home,” he said.

Claridge also argued that the park doesn’t have the authority to take things in front of the tenants’ trailers. He unsuccessfully asked the board to either remove the fine or give the park 90 days from the date of the hearing to fix the violations.

“I feel that this has been a problem for a long time. The owners should be paying attention to this, and the fine will bring attention to it,” Chairman Tony Reyes said.

“I’m hoping this sends a very loud and clear message to the people that keep their residences this way. It’s not going to be tolerated anymore,” Supervisor Darren Simmons said, noting that if they kept giving extensions, “at what point do we say enough’s enough?”

“I think right now,” Reyes said. “The only option left is to send a very clear message to the owner: you either pay attention to this for you or you end up in court, which will cost you more than solving the actual problem themselves.”