BRADENTON BEACH, Fla. – The Pines Trailer Park in Bradenton Beach has weathered many challenges, but the park’s owner is now informing residents of impending evictions.
Initially, they faced the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and the necessary clean-up efforts. Following that, they worried about the potential for being red-tagged by FEMA.
Local perspective:
For residents at Pines Trailer Park, the past six months have been a tumultuous journey of emotions. They are exhausted but determined to fight for their homes.
“It felt overwhelming, but we knew we had to persist to move forward,” expressed Elayne Armaniaco, a park resident.
Following approval from the City of Bradenton Beach’s officials, 83 out of 86 homeowners were allowed to rebuild under FEMA’s 50% rule, prompting them to begin cleanup and recovery.
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The property owner, Pines Park Investors LLC, overseen by Shawn Kaleta, sent a letter stating in part: “We take pride in owning Pines Park and are looking forward to its recovery and longevity.”
The other side:
After the start of the new year, residents received a six-month eviction alert.
“It hit us hard. We never saw it coming. It was a shocking and tough situation,” said Armaniaco.
Residents, including Armaniaco, feel deserted. She and her husband moved in back in 2019.
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“This is really perplexing for us. We’ve attempted to work with the landowner. I have personally reached out to Shawn Kaleta as the manager, hoping for a dialogue, but unfortunately, that has not resulted in any cooperation,” Armaniaco stated.
Dig deeper:
Moreover, residents reported that the park owners have not carried out any cleanup, with visible flood lines in community amenities and debris hidden by tall weeds.
“Our living areas are unsafe and unkempt,” expressed Armaniaco.
Big picture view:
Residents of this 55-plus community own their mobile homes but do not own the land beneath them.
According to a lawsuit filed by The Pines Trailer Park Homeowners Association, the property was acquired by the LLC in 2023, with residents assured they could remain for a minimum of five years.
“This has taken an emotional, physical, and financial toll, especially on our senior residents, who tend to have more vulnerabilities,” said Armaniaco.
What’s next:
Residents are hopeful their legal battle will allow them to remain in their cherished community.
“They recognize we are excellent tenants. We always hoped that would lead them to treat us like a community rather than mere buildings. They bought a community, yet sometimes it feels as though they regard us just as structures,” said Armaniaco.
Residents expressed that they did not desire the situation to escalate to a lawsuit. Prior to the eviction notices, the LLC proposed selling purchase rights to residents for $75 million—more than four times its appraised value from March.
The Source: Information collected by FOX 13’s Kimberly Kuizon for this story.
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