TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – The deadline to move out has now passed, but some residents are still living in a Toledo mobile home park “unfit for human habitation” that is set to be demolished.
Residents living in the Riverside Mobile Home Park in South Toledo, off the Anthony Wayne Trail, were given notice in May that they needed to find a new place to live.
City leaders said years of owner neglect left the park dangerous and unsanitary. With park owners still nowhere to be found to clean up the property, the mobile home park was set to be demolished.
The original deadline for residents to move was June 23, but that was extended to Sept. 22.
As of Sept. 24, four trailers were still occupied.
“We’re trying all the time to find a place,” said Susan Luttrell, one of the residents. “We’re not trying to just stay here.”
Even with the extra time, she still hasn’t found a place.
“All the rents are so high, when you’re on social security, under $1,000 a month, you can’t pay 800 a month on rent. You can’t do it,” Luttrell said.
Neighbor Chuck Parker said budget aside, it’s hard to find a place that can accommodate his wife’s mobility scooter device and their dogs.
“She can’t walk, she can’t do steps,” Parker said. “You gotta find something that’s suitable for her and the pets.”
A City of Toledo spokesperson said it is now a violation to remain at the property. City leaders have been trying to connect residents with resources and support to find a safe place to live.
The spokesperson told 13 Action News that “conditions have become increasingly unsafe, but we have not physically removed residents or restricted entry.”
City leaders said one person was able to find a new home on Wednesday. When 13 Action News was at the property, he was still in the process of moving out of Riverside.
Luttrell said she’s looking for a trailer at a different park to fix up, and Parker said his plan is to move into a camper with his wife.
“It’s disappointing that this could’ve been a nice place if the owner would’ve put money into it,” Parker said.
Parker said he hasn’t heard from the Chicago-based landlord since last month, when they asked him to clean up the park so they could sell it. He felt like the owners let Riverside become beyond saving.
According to a website the City of Toledo uses to search for contract bids, city leaders are currently accepting bids to demolish the trailers at Riverside and restore the park at the property owner’s expense.
The city spokesperson previously told 13 Action News that city leaders have not made contact with the property owners since late 2024, but the cost to clean up the park would be added to the park owner’s property taxes.
Property tax records show that River Side Mobile Home Estate LCC has not paid taxes at the property since at least 2019.
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This article was published by WTVG on 2025-09-24 23:23:00
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