Residents of a Palm Harbor mobile home park are still without power, but that's not their only worry tonight.
ABC Action News has learned residents there are upset because they’re being told they have to pay to have trees that belong to the park pulled off their homes.
“We had the tree come down, draped over the car,” said Steve Kunde, pointing to the tree that fell on his mobile home in the Frontier Village Mobile Home Park in Palm Harbor.
“I can't even get into my front door,” he said.
Trees crashed down on several mobile homes.
And even though residents own their own units, they rent lots from the company that owns the park.
“I came back and found this and I asked the management to help me, and they wouldn't,” said Grace Pineyro.
The manager told us the tree that fell on her mobile home was from another adjacent mobile home park and was not their problem.
“Well right now they're telling you to pretty much take care of everything yourself is what they're saying,” said Keith Ward.
He doesn’t believe many residents of the 117 units in the park will be able to afford to pay to have trees removed from their homes.
“Not able to do it whatsoever. They're older folks who are on fixed incomes,” he said.
“I'm looking at $3,500 to cut a dead tree down, which I thought was a little high, but at the same time, I’ve got to get this off my house,” Kunde said.
He said he doesn’t thing he should have had to pay to have the tree removed.
“Well, it's their tree. And I can't take the tree with me when I leave,” said Kunde.
The manager wouldn’t talk on camera, but said the company is in touch with its insurance carrier.
She said they can't remove trees themselves from homes for liability reasons.
Several volunteers and residents are working hard to quickly clean up as much hurricane debris as they can.
The property manager said that the Kundes and the other families with out-of-pocket expenses can expect to see that money come back through rent credits and other means in the coming months.
She said the most important thing for now is to get everyone back in their homes as soon as possible.
If you have a story you’d like us to investigate, contact us at adam@abcactionnews.com.
