The impending sale of Leesburg Mobile Park, which likely would have resulted in residents being evicted, has been called off, at least for now, according to an email sent to residents by the potential buyer.
Darius Saeidi, the potential buyer, wrote that he decided not to move forward with the $11 million deal “due to the complexities with the county and our confidence in being able to work with them to successfully find a solution to relocating tenants,” according to a press release from New Virginia Majority, a community advocacy group that has worked with residents of Mobile Park.
While residents are thrilled that their advocacy efforts have succeeded, at least for now, Leesburg Mobile Park resident Americo Lopez said more work needs to be done to preserve their community.
“A lot of people are happy for this to happen, but people are wondering, what’s going to happen now?” said Lopez.
Despite numerous letters and inquiries from residents, owner Carol Nuñez and property manager Carol Konkel have not responded to find out if the property is still for sale or if another buyer has stepped in, Lopez said.
Residents of Leesburg Mobile Park began their fight to preserve their homes last August after receiving a letter from the property manager saying a buyer intended to buy the property, located within walking distance of downtown city of Leesburg. Residents – many of whom are immigrant families, low-income people or elderly people – said they could not afford housing anywhere else in Loudoun. Even if there was a property nearby where they could move their trailers, 95% of the 70 homes were too old or difficult to move, Lopez said.
After residents spoke for months at government meetings in Leesburg and Loudoun and staged protests, Saeidi and local government officials worked with them to find a solution.
Earlier this month, Leesburg City Council held a closed session to discuss legal issues related to the Leesburg mobile park, including the use of an undisclosed property as a new site for the community. Lopez added that locals had met with Saeidi and worked towards a positive solution.
Staying in their current location, however, has always been the residents’ goal, he said.
“We always fought just to stay home,” Lopez said. “We cannot let this happen again…. It’s a wake-up call that something needs to be done. »
Beyond seeking a response from the landlord, Lopez said he now plans to meet with residents to discuss options for the future and to prevent last year’s struggle from happening again.
“We want to open our doors, our arms and welcome every investor who is genuinely interested in working with us to try and buy the land,” Lopez said.
Sofia Saiyed, organizer of New Majority Loudoun, said that in other communities in Virginia, trailer parks were saved through purchase by a nonprofit organization or through funding from local governments, while in other states, trailer parks were owned and operated by the residents themselves.
For now, Lopez is hopeful for the future and hopes the Leesburg Mobile Park story will inspire both their children and others in similar situations.
“We want to be an example of when you stick together, you work together, you can win,” he said.
