MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) — Fifty families in Frayser are not giving up. They have filed a class action lawsuit against their mobile home park manager in a dispute over flooding during the past two years. They claim management lied, never telling them they live in a flood zone. The families met with their lawyers Wednesday night saying if they win, it may take years before they see any money.
More than 100 families lost everything in the floods at the Memphis Mobile City trailer park. Some families received help from FEMA, but they say it's time for park management to pay up. For months Memphis Mobile City has been a ghost town. Only a sign remains saying they're “rebuilding.”
Charles Blatteis is representing 50 families in a class action lawsuit against park management. He says these families have been victims 2 years in a row and blames management for not allowing them to move their trailers. It's been a long, drawn out case and a tough battle against the park's manager.
"They have not settled or done anything other than to respond to move for dismissal,” said Blatteis.
Abc24 News attempted to speak with the manager, but she wasn't at her office. We tried calling, but there was no answer. Federico Lopez lived in the park. He says management never told new tenants about the possibility of flooding.
“Since last year, the owner should've done something. She shouldn't have allowed anyone to live there,” Lopez told abc24 news.
Some families received $30,000 from FEMA while others received nothing. Management also received FEMA money. Blatteis says the park can avoid court if it uses its share of the FEMA money to compensate residents.
"We would hope the trailer park owners would work with us on that. We're open to that. Any day they can pick up the phone and do that; if they wanted to resolve this, then they would,” Blatteis said.
He says in the next few weeks a judge will decide if the case will move forward.
