Grass grows thigh-high on abandoned property, empty aluminum cans and garbage bags line the road and accessorize the lawn, and the pungent scent of sewage and cigarettes hangs in the air.
This is the scene that greets visitors to the Regency of Iowa City Mobile Home Park south of Iowa City, which is being investigated by officials suspecting consumer fraud.
Monday marked the first time Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller toured the property, and he said conditions were “difficult.”
Miller held a meeting Monday with Johnson County officials and a Regency resident.
Officials began investigating the park last month; they said it would be several more months before issues were resolved. They did not discuss specific plans at a Monday press conference.
Some residents at the park are angry at the lack of upkeep. One-year resident Mike Roe Jr. said he believes miscommunication is to blame for the rundown appearance of his neighborhood, saying there have been at least six changes in managers since he moved in to the park. Roe casually crossed his arms as he scanned the length of the abandoned home across the street.
“Managers say one thing and do another,” he said.
Across the street, the empty trailer had no door, one broken window, and an unkempt lawn.
Although he has only lived at the Regency for a year, Roe said he’s had friends at the mobile park for a long time.
“It’s been like this for years,” he said.
Many residents also said they do not drink the water at the park, putting their trust in bottled water. Roe only uses the water on the property to cook with.
Miller said a Department of Natural Resources test found the water safe enough to drink according to state standards. But, Miller said, that doesn’t make it OK.
“People have a right to better drinking water,” he said, adding he finds the unpleasant scent and discoloration of the water is not acceptable.
At least two children on the street have been bitten by loose dogs — and many of the empty trailers have “cockroaches the size of pit bulls,” he said.
Several residents, including Roe, have received eviction notices, even though they say they have paid their rent on time and in full.
A judge overturned 18 eviction notices earlier this month.
Miller said he had a chance to look at the rundown mobile homes and speak with some of the residents. With many issues to address, he said, he plans to first focus investigating and correcting the payment process and the transfer of properties. This will ensure that residents are getting credit and mobile-home operators are not profiting from any transfers, he said.
Regency has been “somewhat cooperative” in negotiating solutions so far, Miller said — but a lack of change could prompt the Attorney General’s Office to intervene.
Although Miller said his visit to the park was “constructive,” Regency is still under investigation, and Miller is working with partners to give those in charge incentives to take action and clean up.