For residents of the East End Mobile Home Park in Manassas, Virginia, hopes for an extension on an order to vacate are hanging in the balance.

In a story that the Daily Business News has followed from the beginning, and through resident requests for a lifeline, Manassas city officials have now stepped in and asked the current property owner to allow families that have children to stay in the community until the end of the school year.

In late December, residents went to the city council to ask for help in a saga that has, according to them, been going on for a decade.

Residents claim that the property owner has neglected the community’s sewage system to the point that unless residents take action themselves, sewage comes up into their yards.

In a move that city officials considered the “best of bad options,” the city council voted to buy the property for $1.86 million.

While the option looked like a lifeline, it had a twist: the city said it could not act as a landlord, and therefore the deal could not close until all the residents were out.

“We have a contract and we’ve got to abide by that contract,” said Mayor Harry Parrish II at the time. “There are opportunities for the owner to work with the citizens. And I think that’s where the action should be taken place today.”

At the time, city officials said that the situation was unhealthy for residents and it could not continue.

They did not want to shut off water and sewer service, which would have led everyone to be evicted right away, so the city opted to buy the property and make repairs, as the current owner did not have enough money to cover the expense.

The city said that it now plans to repair the faulty sewer system after residents move out.

While city officials did step in and ask the current owner for an extension, they said that the owner will select a move-out deadline, not the city.

“We’re going to be moving them when they’re prepping for these tests, and that’s going to be detrimental to their education,” said resident Melissa Watson.

According to NBC4, the Save Our Homes Alliance, a nonprofit organization, has stepped forward to help residents stay. The Daily Business News will continue to follow this story and provide updates. ##

(Image credits are as shown above.)

Submitted by RC Williams to the Daily Business News for MHProNews.