SWEETWATER, Fla. — Moving trucks were spotted Tuesday at the Li’l Abner mobile home park in Sweetwater as the eviction saga there continues.
The remaining residents have to be out by 4 p.m. The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office confirmed that 87 writs were served Monday and there are about 90 writs still pending to be served.
On Monday, deputies were at the mobile home park off Flagler Street, serving those writs and giving residents one hour to collect their things.
They were back at the mobile home park Tuesday morning and so were locksmiths.
Noon report:
One resident, John Parker, told Local 10 News that he, his girlfriend and their baby still have stuff in the house, but don’t have a place to move it to.
“They locked us out. We gotta come back and get it,” he said.
Another resident, Vivian Hernandez, sat outside one of the few mobile homes still standing. Despite being locked out, she said she’s not leaving yet.
“Many people are sitting outside because they’re locked out but their belongings are still inside,” Hernandez said.
This all comes after a judge ruled last month that residents must go.
When Local 10 first reported about the evictions last November, residents were told the land was purchased and they had until January of this year to vacate with a $14,000 payout.
But residents say that wasn’t enough, many of whom added that they’re on a fixed income with nowhere else to go.
In an effort to keep their homes, residents filed lawsuits and even protested on the streets.
Miguel Herrera, who has lived at Li’l Abner since 2014, was seen loading a moving truck Tuesday.
“I’m going to live temporarily with my son,” he said.
Others aren’t sure where they’ll go next.
“Right now we’re trying to see about getting into a shelter,” one man said.
For Hernandez, that’s not an option.
“I would have to get on a waiting list to be notified if a bed is even available. Such a series of procedures,” she said. “It is laughable that the government is saying that it is helping us.”
The city of Sweetwater also stepped in to help relocate many families.
But for those that were holding onto hope, they will now have to leave immediately.
“We don’t really have anywhere to go as of right now, because the Luther House isn’t ready yet, where we’re going to move to, so we’re just putting ourself in the U-Haul and we are going to see how things play out,” resident Andrea Obando said.
Attorneys assigned to this case told Local 10 the fight still isn’t over, but now folks are working to figure out where they’ll be sleeping tonight.
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