no more trailer park homesteading

[aprilconnett]

Some of you might remember that I was "homesteading" in atrailer park last year. That has been put to an end. Even though we own the trailer, we are renting the land. The land lady has made me get rid of my compost bins and all of my garden beds. :'(

april

[Anon001]

I'd move. Or... see if there is anything in your lease that allows her to make you get rid of it all. If not, I would keep right on using it just as you did last year.

[jen_in_southtexas]

April,

I am so sorry to hear that. That is terrible. Maybe you can look around in your area and surrounding areas for a piece of land that you can set your trailer on and pay the land payments towards ownership. It would be like you are paying rent for the trailer lot only you will own it.
But like Paul said, I would be looking thru my lease to see if it prohibits use of container gardening. Im sure others around there have stuff laying around that really is an eye sore. Id much rather look at a garden. Damn rules.

[aprilconnett]

There really isn't a lease, exactly. AND when we made the move to this trailer, I specifically made sure I could have my garden. That was a deal breaker for me. . .

I actually kept two of my beds, and didn't think there would be any problem with the bins. They are small, and out of the way. She claims someone saw rats at the bins. There are at least twenty each of wild dogs and cats running loose in this park. I'm pretty sure there aren't any rats.

Our credit is too bad to get a loan on any kind of property, and our trailer is too old to move. I believe it is a 1974 model. We have had to do a LOT of work on this place, but now I am just tired of it after only two years . . .

[CarolAnn]

April,
If there's no lease, the landlady is just blowing wind. If you pay your lot rent there's really not much she can do. One thing, though - if a neighbor is gunning for you ("saw rats by your compost bin") - you have exactly the same amount of power to turn it back on them - your hard work so far is worth fighting to keep! So watch for something you can nit pick on THEM and show 'em what it's like.

As far as your compost bins - are you allowed to have any outside storage buildings? You might be able to hide the compost in there. What they don't know they can't complain about.

Some folks are kind of twisted and grew wrong, like a plant in bad soil. About all you can do is walk around the unhealthy fruit they drop and try not to partake of it.

Don't let anyone rob you of your joy in YOUR garden! ;)

[bookwormom]

I hope you have not gone ahead and taken the beds out. some folks are just plain foolish, she should be glad to have reliable renters who pay on time. Make sure you plant some flowers up front and make it pretty. Best wishes

[cinok]

There really isn't a lease, exactly. *AND when we made the move to this trailer, I specifically made sure I could have my garden. *That was a deal breaker for me. . .

It is really a bad idea to rent with no lease, the landlord can charge the rules at any time or even the rent. I would be careful about pushing the issue, with no lease you could find your self on the street at the end of the month. I would start looking for an owner financed property, bu make sure the paper work is clear.

[Anon001]

Our credit is too bad to get a loan on any kind of property, and our trailer is too old to move. *I believe it is a 1974 model. *We have had to do a LOT of work on this place, but now I am just tired of it after only two years *. . .

Aprilconnett,

You don't have to have credit to buy land. You can always buy on contract from a seller. The interest may be a bit higher, but they will usually take a smaller down payment and have reasonable terms... There are ways to also protect yourself from the seller selling it out from under you. I' check that out... But, I certainly wouldn't stop my gardening if it isn't prohibited in a lease.

[12vman]

You don't really need to compost to have a garden...

If the garden is connected to your mobile home, what can they say then.. ;)

http://www.backwoodshome.com/forum/yabb/forum.pl?board=flo-farm-garden;action=display;num=1242750749

[johnny]

Can you or have you tried to sit down with the owner/manager and see if this can be worked out?

Most trailer dealers will take your home in trade and many or most do have land home packages available. Little or no credit is needed most times. Might be something for you to look in to as your lot rent may well cover the new place including the land--right?

[NCLee]

April, don't assume that your trailer is too old to move. Get that checked out. About 4 years ago I moved a 1966 model that was in poor shape. It successfully made the move with no damage to it. A reputable mover can advise you if some extra bracing is needed, if you've had a major structural defect, such as a severe leak.

The only thing that I can think of that would be a material problem is if the chassi has been damaged in a way that would prevent moving it.

One of the key's to moving one is to pack up everything that's heavy and put it on the floor, centered over the wheels or just forward of them. (Especially upper cabinets in your kitchen.) Your mover can give you advice on weight distribution that's best suited to your unit.

Once you determine that you can move your trailer, more options will be available to you. First of all, look for single site locations to rent, rather than mobile home parks. These are available around here. Hope they are in your area. Usually, you'll have a larger yard and more freedom on the property. Around here, as long as you're in compliance with county codes and keep the lot neat and clean, most landlords will go along with your useage. The further you are away from high density, high income areas the more this applies.

Hope some of these thoughts help. I understand your situation, as we once had a neighbor who complained loudly about EVERYTHING. (sigh)

Lee