INDIANAPOLIS — Tonia Clark has been a vocal resident of the I-70 Mobile Home Park and the end of a six-month battle arrives.
"Blue Lake says they're coming in at midnight (Friday night) and cutting the power lines and the water lines," she said. "And we had a sheriff here yesterday that said that they were coming through and sweeping at midnight and anybody that was going to jail."
Clark was up against the clock Friday night as she worked to pack and load everything she planned to take with her into a moving truck.
Clark moved to the mobile home park last May and paid her lot rent for a year until she and the park's residents were told they would have to vacate the property last fall.
"I took the rent money that would've been going to Blue Lake, moved it from one account to another and pretended it wasn't there as if I paid my rent every month," she said. "Then added the check from the attorney general's office to that to purchase another trailer, so I'd have a place to move."
But in order to get enough time and money to find a new place to live, Clark had to take a stand. She became vocal and fought to get back the money she and her neighbors paid for their mobile homes Six month later, her persistence made the difference.
"I'm tired of being low man on the totem pole and being walked on by everybody because I don't have a fancy job and my body is falling apart and I can't go out there and make the money. I gotta do what I can do and I do the best I can," Clark said.
Clark is now looking forward to a few day's rest and starting a new chapter after some of the most exhausting days of her life.
"It's enough running to the attorney general's and the trustees, and here and there, then running to every house that's open every apartment that's open and fill out applications and waste thousands in application fees in money that you don't have just to put another roof over your head," she said.
TIMELINE
- Aug. 22, 2019: Mobile home park residents want answers after they're told they will have to leave
- Aug. 23, 2019: Indianapolis mobile home park repairs blamed for evictions, but are not mandatory
- Aug. 27, 2019: Indianapolis mobile home park residents forced to move out get answers from local attorney
- Sept. 4, 2019: Indianapolis mobile home park residents receive assistance from community
- Oct. 9, 2019: Indiana Attorney General files lawsuit following RTV6 report on I-70 mobile home park
- Oct. 10, 2019: Judge grants temporary restraining order on I-70 mobile home park that was forcing people from homes
- Nov. 11, 2019: I-70 Mobile Home Park residents waiting for answers from court hearing from Indiana AG lawsuit
- Nov. 12, 2019: Agreement reached between Indiana Attorney General and I-70 Mobile Home Park owners
- Nov. 27, 2019: 'Roller coaster ride' continues for I-70 Mobile Home Park residents
- Jan. 16, 2020: I-70 Mobile Home Park residents raise health and safety concerns
- Jan. 21, 2020: Proposed bill could help protect Indiana mobile home park residents
- Jan. 30, 2020: I-70 Mobile Home Park residents being forced from their homes receive payment from AG’s office
