Edmonton mobile home owners ask politicians for help addressing concerns

In January a collapsed sewer line spit up sewageinto the mobile homes of Crystal Dawson and her neighbour.

"It collapsed so bad that there was feces in our bathtubs, feces in our sinks, feces in his dishwasher," said Dawson, who has lived in Maple Oak Ridge Communities in southeast Edmonton since 2008.

"He actually had to renovate his entire bathroom because it came over the tub, and down onto the floor."

Dawson'sfamily went aweekwithout plumbing before the line was fixed, she said.

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According to residents in thecommunity of about 1,200 a mix of renters andmobile home owners it's one of manyexamples showingwhy theyneeda way for their concerns to be addressed.

Lots areowned by the property management companyParkbridge Lifestyle Communities. It is responsible for maintenance of the ground below the lots, as well as roadways, playgrounds and community spaces.

But when disputes arise, mobile home residents and landlords don't have access to the same legislated arbitration mechanism as tenants in apartments and homes.

Plumbing is one of the ongoing maintenance concerns long raised by Dawson, president of the Twin Parks Community League, and other residents who spoke to CBCNews Thursday.

'There was feces in our bathtub'

5 years ago

Duration 1:15

Edmonton mobile home owner Crystal Dawson describes how she ended up with feces in her bathtub and sink after the collapse of a sewer line. Parkbridge Lifestyle Communities officials say it can take some time to locate and repair sewer line blockages.

"We have these laws in place from the city and the Mobile Homes Sites Tenancy Act but nobody is enforcing them," Dawson said.

Shepays $600 monthly in mortgage fees while Parkbridge receives $130 for sewage and water and $600 for lot fees.

In a recent letter asking city and provincial politicians for help, Dawson said poor maintenance of roads and sidewalks has damaged vehicles while flooding has rotted the foundations of homes.

Drained financially making repairs, as well as emotionally, Dawson told CBC moving isn't an option and taking acompany with deep pockets tocourt isn't affordable.

She and other residents pointed to a nearby empty lot, one of dozens they saywhere owners have abandoned their mobile home.

"You are physically stuck, you are financially stuck," said Dawson, noting that raising her concerns publicly has had its drawbacks. "Who's going to buy it ... and how could I find the heart to sell that to somebody?"

After hearing some of the concerns, Laughlin MacLean, vice president of property operations for Ontario-based Parkbridge, said he drove up and down the tree-lined streets of Maple Ridge last month.

MacLean said the potholes areconsistent with what he wouldsee in any other Canadian municipality coming out of winter.

Sewer lines are flushed on an annual basis, but it can take some time to locate and repair blockages encountered from the roots of mature trees or non-biodegradable flushed items such as diapers, he said.

"At the end of the day, it doesn't suit us or our homeowners if we skimp on maintenance, most notably because if we short cut on maintenance it typically ends up costing more to fix the problem further down the track," he said.

Parkbridgehas extensivereal estate experience,owningmore than 30 mobile home parks across Canada.

The company is owned by British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI) through its real estate arm, QuadReal. BCI manages pensions for clients including B.C.'s Teachers' Pension Plan.

MacLeanwould also like to see Alberta'slegislation updated to better deal with property challenges.

"I'm not aware of another jurisdiction in Canada where there's not a step before court for mediation or hearing of concerns between the landlord and the tenant," he said.

No arbitration mechanism

Last month, Edmonton city councillorMike Nickel wrote an open letter to provincial candidates asking them to givemobile home residentsthe same rightsas renters.

Legislation under the Residential Tenancy Act offersrenters and landlords an arbitration mechanismto resolve disputes whichthe Mobile Home Sites Tenancies Act doesn't have.

"When a problem crops up on these sites, what happens is they come to the city and the city doesn't have jurisdiction, so we shift it to the province and then the province throws it back,"Nickel said.

Thecity's power of enforcement is very limited because Maple Ridge is private property, he said.

"There are legitimate concerns that are being raised on these sites that the city does not have the legal ability to go remedy.

"And conversely the park management side, they have rights too. And so we need clarity, we need assigned roles and responsibility," said Nickel. "It's an easy fix."

A spokesperson for Service Alberta said officials plan to meet withNickel to discuss concerns.

Anemailed statement noted that under the legislation, mobile home landlords and tenants have fewer avenues to resolve disputes than those in traditional residential dwellings.

"This is something we will monitor and take a closer look at so we can determine the best course of action," the statement said.

"We have heard about a number of challenges facing mobile home site tenants and landlords in many areas of Alberta, and are committed to ensuring a safe living environment for everyone."

In January, former MLARobyn Luff called on the previous NDP government tochangehow mobile home parks are governed.

andrea.huncar@cbc.ca

@andreahuncar