Dumpster Removal at Walden Pond Raises Concerns

Residents of Walden Pond Mobile Home Park in New Port Richey still have water, but they no longer have dumpsters.

The trash receptacles have been taken out of the park. People are just leaving their trash and debris in the spots where the dumpsters once were. 

Residents were informed by the park’s owners in July that the park was closing at the end of July 31, and residents needed to leave. However, some residents are still there at the park as of Thursday, Aug. 9.  

Now there are new signs with big red letters saying “WARNING, PRIVATE PROPERTY. NO TRESPASSING” outside the park.  

“It’s just another scare tactic,” said Donna Griffin, who lives in an occupant-owned trailer on rented dirt in the park, regarding the signage, which went up this week.

New Port Richey Code Enforcement Officer Liz Nichols says that to legally evict people, a property owner needs to file eviction paperwork through the court system. The eviction can only be served to tenants by the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.

As of Wednesday, Aug. 8,  Nichols has not seen any legal eviction notice filed through the court.

Nichols says she is aware of the removal of the dumpsters and the placement of the signs. She visits the park regularly and says the dumpsters were removed Monday.

She said she’s seen flies around the trash and also dogs ripping at bags.  She said she’s notified health officials about the trash issues.

“It’s going to be a public health issue,” Nichols said

She said that two dumpsters were removed. She says she has written Walden Pond, LLC, which bought the deed to the park in 2005, a ticket for the lack of dumpsters and also cited Walden Pond for trash and debris throughout the property.

She had issued a warning about trash and debris throughout the park back in July, when the park still had the dumpsters.

Regarding trash disposal on a parcel that has multi-family use, city code says: 

“Multifamily uses with three (3) or more residential units shall provide volume for a minimum equivalency of at least two (2) 30-gallon refuse containers per unit or at least one 1.5-cubic-yard bin for each five (5) units.”

The park has the capacity for 92 units.

Paul Beraquit, managing partner of Walden Pond, LLC, declined to take questions from Patch.

Nichols said she’s advised residents to leave the trash at the spots where the dumpsters once were. 

Griffin says that “You can walk in the park and feel the tension. ...We’re all in a limbo right now."

Shea and Brent White live with their infant son Alexander in a trailer and have stayed put past the closing deadline. The Whites also have three dogs and live near where one of the spots that used to have a dumpster.

“He’s (Beraquit) just doing everything he can to make it harder on everybody here,” said Brent White.

See also

Pasco Exploring Ways to Help Walden Pond Tenants