Posted on Apr 16, 2021
Losing It All: Mobile Home Owners Evicted Over Small Debts During Pandemic
294
3
4
2
2
0
It was a pretty brutal holiday season for Barbara Gaught in Billings, Montana. Back in December, just a week before Christmas, she got an eviction notice.
"It was at like six thirty at night that a sheriff came and taped a notice on the door," she says. "On a Friday night."
Gaught hadn't responded to a court summons the month before. She didn't think she could be evicted so soon. After all, she owned her home outright. But she'd fallen behind on the relatively small amount of money she pays in rent for the patch of grass and driveway her home sat on. And because of that, she now had just a couple of days, till Monday, to be out of her home.
"It was at like six thirty at night that a sheriff came and taped a notice on the door," she says. "On a Friday night."
Gaught hadn't responded to a court summons the month before. She didn't think she could be evicted so soon. After all, she owned her home outright. But she'd fallen behind on the relatively small amount of money she pays in rent for the patch of grass and driveway her home sat on. And because of that, she now had just a couple of days, till Monday, to be out of her home.
Losing It All: Mobile Home Owners Evicted Over Small Debts During Pandemic
Posted from npr.org
Home
Housing
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 2
1
1
0
That sucks! I lived in Billings for a number of years.. I really don’t understand this. I thought Mobil homes had titles. It is personal property. In an eviction the evicted person retains their property. When I lived in Helena a friend used to move and set up Mobil homes.
(1)
(0)
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
LTC David Brown Yeah they "Own" the Homes but they Lease the Land and it You Fall behind on the Rent for the Land?
(0)
(0)
LTC David Brown
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel - I guess the laws on mail homes are different. I lived in one in college, my ex and I’s first home was a mobile home. That sucker was very warm and well constructed.
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
So... you didn't pay your bills. Then you skipped out on the court date about those bills. And you want me to pity you?
This isn't being a couple bucks behind for a few days. By the time you are late on your rent long enough to schedule a court date, then HAVE the court date, then process and post the eviction notice, we are talking at least 3 months, often more. During this entire process, the renter has ample opportunity to get right with their rent. Even if she had shown up to court, she very likely could have arranged a forgiveness or re-payment program, but shew chose to skip it because "she didn't think she could be evicted so soon." That is like a guy going 100 down the freeway getting pissed at a ticket because "I didn't think there would be any cops" - or a guy getting pissed at a ticket for 75 in a 65 because "I was only going 10 over."
Pay your darned bills, and you don't have to worry about eviction. Pretty simple. If you are unable to do so, talk to your landlord. Most are willing to work with you if it is a temporary situation. We would rather lose one, two, or even three month's rent over the course of a 5 year satisfactory arrangement than have to continually evict folks, clean up the property, and find new renters. And if you can't do ANY of that, AT LEAST go to your gosh darned court date. AT WORST, you will have some definitive idea of when you are going to be out, rather than getting a notice at 6:30 on a Friday evening.
This isn't being a couple bucks behind for a few days. By the time you are late on your rent long enough to schedule a court date, then HAVE the court date, then process and post the eviction notice, we are talking at least 3 months, often more. During this entire process, the renter has ample opportunity to get right with their rent. Even if she had shown up to court, she very likely could have arranged a forgiveness or re-payment program, but shew chose to skip it because "she didn't think she could be evicted so soon." That is like a guy going 100 down the freeway getting pissed at a ticket because "I didn't think there would be any cops" - or a guy getting pissed at a ticket for 75 in a 65 because "I was only going 10 over."
Pay your darned bills, and you don't have to worry about eviction. Pretty simple. If you are unable to do so, talk to your landlord. Most are willing to work with you if it is a temporary situation. We would rather lose one, two, or even three month's rent over the course of a 5 year satisfactory arrangement than have to continually evict folks, clean up the property, and find new renters. And if you can't do ANY of that, AT LEAST go to your gosh darned court date. AT WORST, you will have some definitive idea of when you are going to be out, rather than getting a notice at 6:30 on a Friday evening.
(0)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google