WOES STYMIE PARK TENANTS.Byline: Amy Collins Daily News Staff Writer Residents at a mobile-home park facing closure because of rampant sewage violations are wondering why the park's owner is not in jail, despite a 4-month-old warrant for his arrest. ``He's at his house. Why can't they get him?'' asked Laurie Riggen, a seven-year resident of Hacienda Vasquez Mobilehome Park in rural Agua Dulce Agua Dulce is Spanish for "sweet water". It also refers to various locations: In Mexico:
Since Nov. 1, there has been a warrant out for the arrest of Rancho Palos Verdes Rancho Pal·os Ver·des A city of southern California on a channel of the Pacific Ocean west of Long Beach. Population: 42,100. resident Mitchell Salmonson for a probation violation related to his failure to fix more than 40 sewage violations at the mobile-home park, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. court records. Riggen said she has continued to pay her rent faithfully, despite her all-too-rancid run-ins with the sewage problems on the property. About two months ago, she was taking a warm bath and suddenly felt a surge of cold. Raw sewage burst up through the tub's pipe, knocking away the drain plug. ``I couldn't believe it. That was the most devastating dev·as·tate tr.v. dev·as·tat·ed, dev·as·tat·ing, dev·as·tates 1. To lay waste; destroy. 2. To overwhelm; confound; stun: was devastated by the rude remark. day of my life,'' Riggen said. The park has been accused of numerous violations by state and county agencies since April 1994. The park's recently hired chief executive, Don West, said that about 95 percent of the complaints have been solved and that he is in the process of resolving the expensive sewage problems, which leave the park reeking reek v. reeked, reek·ing, reeks v.intr. 1. To smoke, steam, or fume. 2. To be pervaded by something unpleasant: "This document ... in some areas and raw sewage puddling puddling: see Henry Cort. in some spots. Although some residents at the park said they had been told their water was too contaminated contaminated, v 1. made radioactive by the addition of small quantities of radioactive material. 2. made contaminated by adding infective or radiographic materials. 3. an infective surface or object. to drink, Jack Petralia, the director of environmental protection in the county's Department of Health Services Department of Health Services may refer to:
supply of water available to animals for drinking supplied via nipples, in troughs, dams, ponds and larger natural water sources; an insufficient supply leads to dehydration; it can be the source of infection, e.g. leptospirosis, salmonellosis, or of poisoning, e.g. at the mobile-home park is safe and monitored monthly. ``You may drink the water, bathe in the water or do anything you want with the water. We have excellent purity, and the area is known for the wonderful sweet water that comes from the wells on our property and others in the surrounding area,'' West wrote in a letter to the Daily News. West filed an appeal to the state last week, which has halted a move by the Department of Housing and Community Development to withdraw Salmonson's operating permit on March 25. Riggen was disappointed to learn of the appeal. ``That's like pulling my lifeline,'' she said. Riggen said she and her neighbors are hoping Hacienda Vasquez is forced to close and that the residents will be compensated for their losses. She said her attorney told her it is likely the state or county will compensate the residents who would be forced to move, possibly abandoning their privately owned mobile homes. Riggen said she and her husband still owe about $15,000 on their mobile home. Many of the residents in the park are in a similar situation, making a payment of about $700 a month on their home and an additional $414 to rent the space at the park, which was once billed as a botanical garden. Even though Riggen has a lot of money tied up in the mobile home, she said the cost of moving it would exceed its value. But she does not want to wreck her credit by just abandoning it. Neighbors of the park say they also have had problems with its sewage. Ron Zega, who lives south of Hacienda Vasquez, said raw sewage ran from the park down the hill and up to his house. ``It was running right down the driveway,'' Zega said. |
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