LAURINBURG — 63-year-old Tina Perry has lived at the Town and Country Estate mobile home park, situated between the new and old Hillside Cemeteries in Laurinburg, for 36 years.

The land was recently acquired by Park Haven Management and, along with new ownership, an order to vacate the park. Perry, who owns her home but rents the plot of land it sits on, remains undaunted and is currently crusading against the new owners to keep her home where it has been for over half her life.

Town and country mobile home park is comprised of homeowners and renters. Approximately eight to ten individuals own their homes and rent the land, whereas six to eight people rent both their homes and the land it sits on.

The entire park was turned on its head when Frank Rizzo arrived on Jan. 7.

According to Perry, Rizzo went door to door claiming to be the new owner of the property and telling its residents they have 30-45 days to leave the park. “He left, and everybody was in shock,” Perry said. He did, however, according to Perry, extend an olive branch to the community.

Rizzo promised homeowners that Park Haven Management would cover the cost of moving their mobile homes to another park, Highland Village. Additionally, Rizzo told tenants that the cost of underpinning their trailers, cool sealing their roofs, and constructing a deck and stairs would also be covered. Perry stated that all claims were verbal, and no commitments were produced in writing.

It’s unclear exactly what the future plans are for the current property at the Town and Country Estate. Laurinburg Planning and Community Development did not have information available on the future land use of the property.

Shortly after, all vacant trailers were moved to Highland Village. Residents received an email stating they had to move their trailers out of Town and Country by April 15 but did not receive an official eviction notice until March 30.

Perry wanted nothing more than to stay at Town and Country Estate. “I didn’t feel, when I first moved out on my own — I didn’t feel comfortable having a mobile home out there on the road, and I found this lot, and I liked it, and I loved where it’s located on the lot, and I can feel comfortable out there,” she said.

She wasted little time getting in contact with Legal Aid of North Carolina, procuring representation for the eviction hearing, and by proxy, advocating for the other residents at Town and Country Estate.

On April 28, Magistrate Mike Nobles, presiding over the Scotland County small claims court heard an initial eviction hearing for Town and Country Estate. Perry was represented by Legal Aid of North Carolina. Park Haven Management, the plaintiff, failed to hire an attorney but was represented by Jerry Jacobs, who claims to hold a management position in the Park Haven organization.

Jacobs was initially recognized by Magistrate Nobles, but Perry’s attorney immediately requested that he be sworn in before the court. The judge went on to attempt to parse out the ownership structure of the park in question.

Jacobs stated that he had been the prior owner of the Town and Country Estate but had sold it to Park Haven Management.

Magistrate Nobles requested Jacobs’ points of contact at Park Haven, to which he said he only knew first names. The Magistrate ultimately ruled that Jerry Jacobs does not have standing to bring an eviction claim to court on behalf of a property that he no longer owns.

Jacobs, flummoxed, reiterated that he managed the property. Magistrate Nobles responded that it did not matter; Park Havens attorneys are required to file for and oversee the eviction of Town and Country residents.

“Well, I guess that takes care of everyone else here,” Jacobs said, referencing the other Town and Country residents being evicted. The Magistrate concurred and threw out every eviction claim before the court involving Town and Country Estate.

Perry, visibly pleased, exited the courtroom with her legal aid attorney to discuss next steps. “I expected to be totally depressed today,” she said, thinking the Judge would not rule on her behalf. The small victory for those living at Town and Country Estate is, however, only temporary.

According to Perry, as per her attorney, Park Haven plans on re-filing the eviction notices and continuing the process of ultimately moving all residents to Highland Village.

Numerous attempt to reach out to Frank Rizzo, Jerry Jacobs, and Park Haven Management have been unsuccessful.

“I love where I live, and I have been there so long,” said an undeterred Tina Perry, insisting she would continue to fight Park Haven Management to stay in her home.

This is a developing story.