BRADENTON BEACH – Pines Trailer Park residents Mary Mox and Lesley Mullaney are among those who’ve been told their mobile homes are considered uninhabitable, mostly due to flood damage sustained during Hurricane Helene.
Citing FEMA substantial damage guidelines and the city’s floodplain ordinance during the Oct. 17 city commission meeting, Bradenton Beach Building Official Darin Cushing offered his assessment that the flood-damaged mobile homes in the Pines Trailer Park are uninhabitable; as are the flood-damaged homes in the Sandpiper Resort Co-Op mobile park at the north end of the city.
After Thursday’s meeting, Mox and Mullaney sat on fellow Pines resident Joe Klingler’s swinging chair and lamented what’s transpired since back-to-back hurricanes struck the mobile home park they’ve long called home.
Trying to find a glimmer of joy in a devasting scenario, Mox and Mullaney joked about the amount of time they’ve spent on Klingler’s swing over the years.
“We’re the two old ladies that constantly bothered him, and he loves it,” Mullaney said.
Mox, an Ohio native, lived in the Pines seven months a year. Mullaney, a New York native, lived there full-time and has no other home.
When asked about the city meeting, Mox said, “I was disappointed. I really was.”
“At one point I felt we were being scolded, and that they felt that it was all about them and how hard they’ve been working,” Mullaney said. “Yes, they’ve been working hard every day and night. I get it, but these are our homes. This is my only home.”
“How long do we have to sort through stuff to try to keep pictures and stuff like that?” Mox said. “We don’t know.”
“We don’t know anything. I feel defeated and sad,” Mullaney said.
“I feel very let down,” Mox said.
Mulaney and Mox hold little hope that park owner Shawn Kaleta and his investment partners will provide any assistance or relief.
“I think we all know that,” Mullaney surmised.
During Thursday’s meeting, a Pines resident noted many in the park had already paid their October lot rent by the time the back-to-back hurricanes struck.
“I was wondering if there was any way to get our money back from the owner,” one resident said. “Our places are unlivable.”
In response, Kaleta representative Sam Negrin said, “It seems there’s a misconception there is just one owner. There are over 10. It’s an investment conglomerate. We cashed the October rent checks because we still have to pay our very high mortgage on the property. This will have to come up for discussion and there will be compassion shown.”
Then, now, next
“My husband’s been coming here for 76 years. We’ve been married for 54 years,” Mox said. “We came every year with our kids and we bought in here 32 years ago. We have supported this Island with our hearts and souls and the gal that spoke up for us at today’s meeting is to be commended. She said everything perfectly. We’ve been working for two solid weeks, pulling stuff out and trying to do things right and no one ever came along and said you might want to hold up. Basically, we’re out here by ourselves with no guidance from anybody.”
“My mom lived in #2 for over 17 years,” Mullaney said. “My husband and I would come down on vacation. We just loved it here. We couldn’t wait until we retired so we could buy a place here, and that’s what we did. I’m glad my husband just passed away because this would have killed him. He loved this place.”
Mox is currently staying at a friend’s vacant mobile home in Palmetto. Mullaney didn’t say where she’s staying.
As for what’s next, Mullaney, said, “I have no idea. This is my only home. Everything’s gone. When the claw came to pick up the stuff that we had emptied from the house, it was just a sickening sound. It went right through your bones. It was awful. I keep thinking I’m going to wake up from this nightmare and it’s not happening. I’m just going to put on by ‘big-girl’ panties and move forward.”
(Sun reporter Leslie Lake contributed to this story. The Oct. 17 city commission meeting video is archived at the Anna Maria Island Sun Facebook page.)
Related coverage:
Sandpiper Resort evaluating FEMA guidelines, damage assessments
