A local attorney has stepped forward in the story involving the relocation of tenants of a Piatt Township trailer park.
John Person, of North Penn Legal Services, wants to see the Riverdale Mobile Home Park residents receive more adequate funding from Aqua PVR LLC to move.
"We are trying to get Aqua to be more generous so as not to create a further hardship. For a lot of people, they have been there 20 to 30 years," he said.
Aqua agreed to provide $2,500 per household for moving expenses as long as tenants leave by June 1.
But Person said that is not nearly enough to relocate a home.
"One individual told me he had to borrow $10,000 to move his mobile home," Person said. "Someone else cashed in a 401(K) to move."
In mid-February, tenants were informed that the park was sold to Aqua and a water-withdrawal facility was planned for the site. The plan is for water to be piped to natural gas drilling sites north of the township.
Person believes there's no reason why a company with the deep pockets of Aqua cannot do better for the Riverdale residents.
Park tenant Kevin June said the whole experience has been "a nightmare" for everyone who lives there, adding, "$2,500 is not near enough (money) to move."
Many of the residents are hardly well off.
June, for one, said he depends on disability to live.
"I have no retirement funds," he said. "I would not be able to move."
He said it can cost up to $9,000 to move a mobile home.
Person said he has letters out to elected officials to intervene on behalf of the residents.
He said it's bad enough that residents, many of whom already have moved, are facing a heavy debt, but they also are being uprooted from a place they've known as home for a long time.
Prudential Hodrick Realty was hired by Aqua to ensure park residents find another place to live.
Orginally, tenants were informed they had to be out of the park by June 1.
"That originally was the eviction date," June said. "Now, we are under a no-eviction clause. They stated they won't evict us."
June said residents will hold a picnic and prayer service at 1 p.m. Sunday at the park site.
