Two Mobile Home Parks Face Foreclosure In Parkland

PARKLAND, Wis. — Two mobile home parks just outside of Superior will be closing next Monday.

Many residents are long-time homeowners at Country Acres North and South Parks in Parkland.

Douglas County says the shutdown was forced by health concerns and the owner’s failure to pay-up. Now, homeowners have less than one week to pack up, pick up, and leave the property.

The parks have been around for over 50 years. Douglas County took possession of the property through the tax deed process in June of 2022.

According to County Administrator, Anne Doucette, the county has been working for more than a year to help the owner cleanup the site.

Doucette says nothing changed, and residents were then given notice to vacant the property by August 1st. Residents like Jennifer Wicklund say that it’s been difficult to leave.

“It’s really hard. Just trying to find a place took a long time. I wasn’t thinking that I’d be able to move my home, and everything just seems to stop when you’re trying to get into places,” said Wicklund.

The Wicklund family has called Country Acres North Park home for the last nine years. Fortunately, they have landed on their feet and have a new place to go, but they say some of their neighbors have not been so lucky.

Jennifer Wicklund says rumors started flying last year regarding the parks’ closure, but says the official closing notice came just 30 days ago.

“We started applying to move into a trailer park way before we got the notice. So if you didn’t apply way back then you don’t have enough time.”

There are still 26 mobile homes on the North and South Park properties. While some have been boarded-up, 12 remain occupied.

Douglas County Board Supervisor, Susan Hendrickson, says residents have been given resources regarding relocation.

“The county has been trying to proceed in a lawful manner. To help the owner improve the site. It’s been very frustrating, lots of visits, lots of disappointments, lots of promises that weren’t kept. So we finally ended up taking it because she didn’t pay the taxes,” said Hendrickson.

County Administrator, Anne Doucette, says the Health Departments file on the property is inches thick. The estimated cost for cleanup is 80 thousand dollars.

Hendrickson tells us the town of Parkland was offered the option to take the property, but they passed. Third parties have put down offers on the land, but Hendrickson says she thinks potential buyers will want the county to pay for the clean-up first.

A statement from Hendrickson, “the sad thing is that there are people there who have been following the rules and taking care of their places, but we can’t just abide with the total mess that’s there.”

Residents say that a select few homeowners who can and who plan to move their mobile homes have been given an extended date to do so.

The Sheriffs Department will continue patrolling for any sign of activity in unoccupied homes. Once all the homes are vacated or removed, the county will begin the cleanup process.

The county will be updated on the situation at its august 18th board meeting.