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Highlands Today

Abandoned Lake Placid Trailer Park Worries Neighbors

Bill Rettew Jr./Highlands Today

Donna Guzman checks out "Viking Village," a former senior mobile home park, outside Lake Placid. She maintained on Wednesday that the 15 to 20 former homes are "deteriorating and crumbling," causing hazards and lowered property values.

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By Bill Rettew Jr. | Highlands Today

Published: September 20, 2007

LAKE PLACID — Abandoned trailer homes. Long grass. Broken windows. Strange candles burning in the night in what should otherwise be empty homes.

In its better days, the "Viking Village," used to be a trailer park for seniors.

Now, this abandoned mobile home is Donna Guzman's nightmare – 20 yards away from her frame home.

She minces no words when she talks about the trailer park.
"(It's) degrading and disgraceful ... an unhealthy unsightly eyesore."

Donna, and her husband, Sergio, recently mailed letters to several government officials and publications, complaining of rats, raccoons and snakes at the intersection of County Road 17 and Lake June Drive site.

Donna Guzman estimated there are 15 to 20 abandoned mobile homes at the development, which features a view of Lake June.

"We are terrified many nights when we see candles burning in these trailers and abandoned buildings; quickly extinguished when we call police or (the) sheriff to come," wrote the couple. "One spark from a fire in these abandoned houses and trailers, in this dry weather, our home would be gone."

The neighborhood eyesore did not just worry the two. Its presence has punctured the value of her home, Donna Guzman said.

"What should have gone way up in value with work and improvements – no Realtor will go past here and people won't get out of the car," said Donna Guzman.

Neighbor Jean Dunn claimed on Wednesday that four people are living in one building, with no electricity.

Bonnie Pruitt, code and police officer for the town, said that while the property is outside the town borders, it impacts Lake Placid.

"It's a blight to the neighborhood – with homeless people possibly seeking shelter," said Pruitt.
April Hartseil, Highlands County lead code enforcement officer, said the process to condemn 12 of the buildings is under way, but she could not estimate when the homes might be demolished.

"At this time the code enforcement office is in the process of declaring 12 of the structures a nuisance and then taking the matter to the board of county commissioners to declare the structures a nuisance before we can bring condemnation," said Hartseil.

The mobile homes were owned by individuals and the land was rented to homeowners. Plans for a development of 32 single family homes was proposed during the spring of 2005.

Hartseil said that the property owner, as of 30 days ago, was Sebring Property LLC. A lien would be placed on the property following a title search by the county. The property owner is currently still able to clean up the property and could retain it as an investment.

The development has a new owner, with a "For Sale" sign listing Wild Horse Realty as the listing broker. Calls were not returned by press time.

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