The newsherald informs MHProNews from Panama City, Fla., a battle going on since June 2012 is pitting city commissioners against the owner of Mill-Village MHC, Katy Adair, for having two Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) park model trailers in the community in violation of a city ordinance. Code enforcement says Adair has a permit from Bay County for the structures but not permission from the city, making them illegal. The city’s magistrate had ruled since they were not mobile homes but were sited in a mobile home community, they were non conforming and authorized code enforcement to remove them and charge Adair for the removal. However, a judge decided since they are not mobile homes they could not be covered by the law that forbids mobile homes in the city. The city appealed the decision in August, 2012 but the appeal was denied. On March 21 city code enforcement told Adair to move the trailers in 30 days, appeal, or face a $250/day fine for each day they remain. Meanwhile, code enforcement officers arrived Tuesday morning, April 9, to take bids on removing the units, hours before commissioners voted to amend an ordinance restricting “FEMA Park Model Trailers” to be sited in the city to no more than a year. Adair says they want to take her property and charge her for removing it. Jim Ayotte, executive director of the Florida Manufactured Housing Association (FMHA), says not many cities explicitly ban FEMA trailers, placing them in a grey area, but he does note, “These were never designed to be permanent housing, and they shouldn’t be used that way.” As of April 11 Adair had not filed an appeal.

(Photo credit: Thomas P. Costello/app–FEMA trailers)