Water cutoff averted for trailer park

More than 25 people and families living at Backwoods Trailer Court on Montana 35 spent the weekend wondering what to do after learning that Evergreen Sewer and Water District planned to disconnect their service today.

A reprieve, however, arrived late Monday afternoon.

Flathead City-County Health Officer Joe Russell said his department staffers visited the trailer park Friday after Evergreen utility officials advised him that they could no longer carry the account that owes about $7,500 in sewer and water charges for the 30-space facility.

Health department personnel either posted or gave notices to people living in the trailer court that said:

“Under direction of the health officer, we have no other recourse but to advise all tenant to vacate immediately if water service ceases. At this time, Evergreen Water and Sewer will terminate service to Backwoods Trailer Court on Tuesday, May 8, 2012, if the bill is not a paid.”

According to Evergreen Water and Sewer Clerk Rob Collier, the utility had posted 25 notices Monday morning. The utility company has a policy of disconnecting service after 90 days with no payment.

 He confirmed that the disconnection was planned today unless some arrangement was made.

“We’’ve been trying to contact her but we can’t get ahold of her,” Collier said of trailer park owner Kristine Wimsett.

But as of late Monday afternoon, Russell said he had word that a man who now holds the note for the trailer park was foreclosing on Wimsett and has promised to pay the water and sewer bill.

“I called him Friday and talked to his attorney today,” Russell said. “It looks like we’re out of the woods. I’m very confident it will all be resolved.”

He said the note-holder promised to expedite a check from Bellingham, Wash., to keep the water and sewer service going.

Russell said he had heard from a number of the residents who didn’t know what to do.

Most had not heard about the pending water/sewer shutoff until the health department posted the notice.

In an interview Monday before Russell’s announcement, a woman who lives at Backwoods Trailer Court said Wimsett had finally left a phone message with her saying that she couldn’t pay the bill. The resident, who didn’t want to give her name, said other services had not been paid.

“They took the garbage Dumpster last Tuesday,” she said.

Flathead Electric already discontinued the service that keeps outside lights on. Individual residents have the power connections to their trailers in their own names so they continue to have electricity.

The woman said she learned about the pending problem with water and sewer disconnection about a week ago. She also talked to Russell ,who told her that he was trying to work something out.

She said her options for moving were limited with an older model trailer, a  child, pets and a serious health issue that limits her to working part time. She said she was being treated for stage 4 breast cancer.

“I’m barely able to pay the lot rent,” she said. “I guess I’ll haul water.”

She had dropped her check for the May lot rent in a box on the grounds of the park but no one had picked up the checks. Her lot costs $275 a month.

“It’s cheap but it’s enough to pay the bills,” she said. “The whole place is run down. The roads are terrible.”

Ads placed on the Internet show that Wimsett has been trying to sell the 7-acre trailer court for more than a year. One ad listed the price at $750,000 and the trailer park’s monthly income at $10,000.

Backwoods Trailer Court has a mix of units owned by residents as well as rentals owned by the park. Larry, another resident who only wanted to use his first name, said the park charges about $500 rent for the trailers.

Larry said he and his wife, dogs and cats had just moved back two weeks ago after spending the winter at the KOA Campground in Whitefish. Larry said he had advertised to try and avoid coming to Backwoods Trailer Park because there were “a lot of undesirables living there last summer.”

He had no luck finding another place to set up his 1960s vintage camping trailer. His only response was from another person who hoped he had found a place where she could set up as well.

According to Larry, most parks won’t accept trailers older than 1995 and won’t take his three dogs and three cats. He was frustrated when he first learned about the water and sewer problem.

“She didn’t tell us a damn thing,” he said.

Faced with no other options, Larry found and installed a 200-gallon water tank in preparation for today’s shutoff. It’s full now and he said he would go buy a trailer to haul water to fill it.

“I’ve got plenty of water,” he said.

Larry also complained about the pothole-riddled roads that provide access to the trailer court. He said Wimsett had promised to fix them since last year but had done nothing.

He hoped that a new owner would take over and haul away a number of trailers that were trashed by renters. Larry said the demand for spaces continues to be strong.

“A lot of people, because of the economy, are living in trailers,” he said.

A message left for Wimsett was not returned.

Russell said the Backwoods Trailer Court needs many improvements, including repair of a leaking water line.  

He pointed out that it’s expensive to move a trailer, so most people don’t move often when they get established in a park. Russell said that he and Evergreen Water and Sewer officials felt positive that no one will be forced to move with the promised payment by the note holder.

“I think it’s resolved,” he said. “We talked to the right people in the right places.”

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by email at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.