![Westgate mobile home park residents Gary Clayton and Melissa Nason stand at the broken septic tank site. [Ramon Rios | Press Gazette]](http://127.0.0.1/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ghows-DA-71c0ebd8-acab-108e-e053-0100007f109b-16c1643e-scaled.jpeg)
MILTON — A broken septic tank at Westgate Mobile Home Park has led to a judicial order to turn off the water to all of its residents forcing them to move. Santa Rosa County United Way has offered to help displaced residents cover moving costs.
Several residents filed an emergency motion against the water shut off proposing they pool their money and buy individual septic tanks for each trailer. First Circuit Judge David Rimmer denied the motion because the residents need the owner’s permission to make any changes to the property.
However, the owner of the property, has failed to make repairs or respond to a civil complaint filed by the Florida Department of Health. Because of the septic system failure, the park cannot be permitted as a mobile home park.
United Way grants and major gifts manager Kyle Holley estimates it will take $10,000 to $15,000 to move all the families that are still living at the mobile home park. The money will come from their disaster funds.
"Poverty is a daily disaster," Holley said. "We have to help them because no one else will.”
Holley interviewed each family and while they all appeared to have income to meet their monthly bills they do not have the extra money required to make an unexpected move. Deposits for rent, utilities and moving furniture can run well over $1,000, according to Holley.
The disaster funds are available now. But Holley wants to replace that money in case a natural disaster strikes our area. Some donations from private donors have already started coming in to augment the disaster fund. In this particular case, donations from trailer moving companies are welcome. Two of the families own their mobile homes and the cost to move them is significantly higher.
Besides financial assistance for the move, United Way is also helping the families find affordable housing.
“We review where they want to go live, to make sure they don’t get involved with predatory lending,” Holley said.
Of the 12 families that are still at the park, one has the financial means to move. During Holley’s interviews he found neighbors consistently looked out for each other. Younger families asked that Holley take care of the older residents first and those with disabilities get aid before themselves.
“My initial perception is these are very humble people. It's working-class people helping working-class people,” Holley said.
Sept. 2017: The Westgate Mobile Home Park’s broken septic system lets raw sewage out onto the ground creating a public health hazard. The Santa Rosa County Department of Health initiates proceedings to have Lear correct the problem.
May 2018: The Florida Department of Health files a civil complaint against Lear in the First Circuit Court of the First Judicial Circuit for Santa Rosa County for the broken septic tank system.
June 2018: A judicial order to turn off the water is issued after a June hearing.
July 2018: That order becomes final July 10. Residents are notified by mail of the order and the park’s water is turned off July 13.
Westgate mobile home park timeline
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: United Way offers help to displaced mobile home park residents