SCHOFIELD, WI (WSAU) — The handful of residents left in the Hidden Lakes Estates mobile home park in Schofield are quickly running out of leeway with the legal system.
On Tuesday the City Council heard an update from City Attorney Shane VanderWaal, who says many of those residents have now been served formal eviction notices from the park’s owner. But it wasn’t easy, as the city had to file a contempt of court motion to get Christopher Reeves and Sustainable Resources to take action.
“The agreement is those people [remaining] will be removed through eviction process and then a gate or a cable will be placed across the entrances [to the park,]” said VanderWaal. In exchange for that action, the city backed off on the contempt of court filing.
Court records show five eviction notices were served between December 8th and 10th. Those residents now have until early January to act. VanderWaal told the council that there are another couple of residents who haven’t gotten the notices but have given assurances that they would be out by December 15th.
VanderWaal says Marathon County Judge Michael Moran has made it clear that this is the last gasp for those who refuse to leave. “[Moran] has made it clear this is it. We go back in in the middle of January [and someone is still living there,] something’s happening. Someone’s paying forfeitures or going to jail.
“I have never had to go to this extreme all based on a failure to have a license,” added VanderWaal.
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Alder Joan Joss, whose district includes the park, remained in touch with many of the residents throughout the process and notes that many left on their own even though they didn’t like the court’s decision. The handful of residents who remain have not been so kind to her or the officers with the Everest Metro Police Department that have been keeping an eye on the park since the move-out date came and went.
“The ones that are left are either so drugged out that they don’t care, they don’t know where they are. Or, they are just belligerent. They swear at me, that’s fine, I’m just an alderperson. But when Officer Martin [with EMPD] went there and they did the same thing to him, it shows they have no respect or regard for anyone,” said Joss.
What’s next for the land remains up in the air, as neither the city nor Marathon County owns the property. It’s still in the hands of Sustainable Resources and Reeves. Mayor Kregg Hoehn says he has caught wind of at least one developer who would be interested in purchasing the property, but Reeves stood that developer up when the two sides arranged a meeting.
Hoehn adds that the county is prepared to take over the proceedings after the eviction notices have wrapped up in January. “It’s my understanding that the County will then take over the procedures of cleaning up the property if they [Sustainable Resources] haven’t done it, [or started it,] by then. The county has said they would go in and start procedures of removing trailers and cleaning up on their dime.”
The Hidden Lakes Estates Mobile Home Park was shut down due to a lack of an operating license by the city. Sustainable Resources sued to get a license in return, but Judge Moran upheld the city’s decision last summer and gave residents a final move-out date of November 8th.
Problems in the park date back nearly ten years including hundreds of health and safety violations that were never cured by a previous owner. The park was sold, and granted a new license in late 2018 when a new group bought it and began working with the city to correct many of the violations. That positivity was short-lived after Reeves and his group took over, leading to the parks’ ultimate demise this summer.
