Holidays Canceled for South Carolina Trailer Park Residents After New Property Owner Sends Eviction Notices

Families at a South Carolina mobile home park are reeling after the community's new owners suddenly told them they had only 30 days to vacate their properties — just in time for the holidays.

Neighbors at the Mustang Village Mobile Home Park in Greenville said they had to abandon their holiday plans after learning in early November that they needed to be out by Dec. 3. Some said that with nowhere to go, they could soon end up homeless, news station WYFF reported.

“No one was prepared to move, especially with funds for deposits and moving expenses," resident Anthony Thompson told the outlet. "We didn’t even do Thanksgiving just because of what’s going on. Christmas is the same. We haven’t planned for Christmas either because we have to find somewhere to go."

The previous owner told WYFF he had no clue that the new owners planned to kick out the community's occupants, some of whom had lived there for years.

But he said he didn't plan on returning any of his former renters' security deposits, claiming none of them fulfilled their obligations as tenants. The former landlord did not specify which parts of the lease the tenants allegedly violated.

Meanwhile, the new owner said he "didn't have time" to answer the station's questions.

Thompson said he is trying to make the most of the situation, despite facing dire choices in the months ahead, when most families gather together for the holidays.

“This situation is like a blessing and a curse," Thompson said. "A blessing that yes, we need a new place, but the curse is we don’t have anywhere to go. The homeless rate in South Carolina, especially Greenville, is as bad as it is, but now we’re about to become part of it.”

Homelessness appears to be rising across the state, which counted about 13,400 unhoused individuals in 2021, up 18% from the year prior.

Thompson has set up a GoFundMe and hopes to raise $40,000 for the families affected by the last-minute eviction.

On the campaign page, he wrote that as many as five families may end up homeless without the community's generosity and support.