Send Tenants: Change has come to mobile home park following News 12 investigation, baby death

Posted: 2:10 PM Jun 8, 2012
Reporter: Sheli Muniz

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News 12 First at Five / Friday, June 8, 2012

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- The mobile home park where a 5-month-old baby was found dead last month is now under pressure to meet deadline.

The Sheriff's Office and code enforcement officials have done a number of surprise inspections since the baby died. They say many of the homes don't even have basic needs like hot water or smoke detectors.

Richmond County Code Enforcement officials have given park owners 30 days to come up with a plan to clean up the mess.

News 12 has been keeping close tabs on Pine View Mobile Home Park off Gordon Highway since then and after checking in Friday, neighbors tell us they are finally seeing some changes.

"A large majority of the mobile homes do not meet the minimum requirements," said Code Enforcement Manager Pam Costabile.

So what does that really mean?

"Those are the things that are basic and necessary -- you need to have hot and cold running water," Costabile said.

Michael Bartley was one of the tenants living here without basic necessity.

"I didn't have hot water for close to a month," he said.

Bartley didn't even have a smoke detector, but since our last visit, things have changed.

"They are doing a lot more, they are doing a lot more," he said.

A lot more because a list with Richmond County Code Enforcement shows a number of violations -- failure to meet even the most basic requirements.

"That's safe electrical, that's safe fire safety, walls without holes, floors that are not fallen through, no exposed wiring, plumbing that works properly," Costabile said.

The home where 5-month-old Nicholas Womack Jr. was found dead a month ago now has a sign giving park owners 30 days to comply.

"To come back with a plan on what they are going to do with the mobile homes are open and vacant and in disrepair," Costabile said.

News 12 tried again to talk to owners but they referred us to their lawyers, however, tenants say our reports are getting things moving.

"If y'all wouldn't convene in this right here, they wouldn't have done anything," Bartley said.

That's good news for neighbors, and for Bartley, it means finally a warm bath for his family.

Before park owners asked us to leave, they did tell us they have hired two new maintenance workers and they are going door to door looking for tenant requests.

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