Timmins mobile home owners being forced to move, but have nowhere to go

Barbara Ashe and her partner own a mobile home in the Pine Ridge Trailer Park on Highway 101 West in Timmins.

They’ve lived there for four years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they customized their home to suit their needs.

Ashe said they’ve always loved living at this location. But new owners bought the property and issued a notice last November that the park would be closing. Ashe is now one of 16 mobile home owners who must relocate their trailers.

“I basically I feel like we are being forced into an abandonment,” said Ashe.

“You've got people out here that lived here for 20 to 30 years. This is our retirement home. We built it specifically for that and it's a pretty big state of jeopardy right now.”

The owners have given the tenants until Nov. 30 to leave and were told that if they don’t move their homes, the trailers will either be sent to a storage yard and owners would be charged fees for that and/or they’ll be dismantled and scrapped.

“We looked into moving the trailers out of here and found it's costing $50,000 to $80,000 to get them out of here,” said Ashe.

“Now, issue No. 2, there are no lots, there's nothing. We would have to move to Unorganized Township.”

In an email to CTV News, the management of Pine Ridge Motel said all rules are being followed.

Mobile home owners in Pine Ridge Trailer Park on Highway 101 West have to be off the property by Nov. 30 or their trailers could be scrapped. (Lydia Chubak/CTV News Northern Ontario)

“Each lot will be given the required compensation, as per law,” the statement said.

“This is the risk that is taken when you are living on a leased land property. Unfortunately, as much as we understand the hardship, asking the owner to be responsible for the tenants and their lives is not reasonable.”

Ashe said the compensation is $3,000.

“Some people are very, very upset … you can't do this to people,” said Ashe.

A Timmins real estate lawyer said there’s not much that can be done.

“You’re basically at the mercy of the landlord,” said Suzanne Desrosiers.

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“The problem is, is if you're asked to get out is, where do you bring your trailer? When we're considering to purchase a mobile home is the fact that we also want to know the financial viability of the trailer park.”

Pine Ridge Motel officials said they can’t say what their plans are for the property. They said they had wanted to make major changes to build it better than it is now, but said that is not feasible.