BOURBON CO., Ky. (LEX 18) — In January of 2024, LEX 18 reported on a lack of running water at a Bourbon County mobile home park. One year later, the issues have returned.
“It's cheap living and it's kind of rough, but it shouldn't be like this,” William Chaney said to one of his neighbors.
For weeks now, residents claim they’ve had little to no running water. All the while, some tenants say their landlord has threatened to increase rent.
“I haven't had any water for about a month, month and a half. We've been having to buy gallons of water to do what we need to do out here,” said one neighbor who wished to remain anonymous.
“Toilets have been disgusting. It's been awful,” said Alba Maurice, who’s lived in the park for years. “Please, do something,” she said.
When asked how their landlord responds to complaints and requests for maintenance, one resident responded, “They say they'll put in a ticket and they never show up.”
In July, the property, which is home to just over 60 units, was purchased by Maple Grove MHC LLC, based out of Sevierville, Tennessee.
According to Bourbon County Code Enforcement, Maple Grove MHC LLC has been cited for issues against county regulation – everything from water and plumbing to debris.
Bourbon County gave Maple Grove MHC LLC 90 days to rectify the issues.
LEX 18 attempted to reach the company but hadn’t heard back at the time of this publication.
“It's sad for the lower class people who can't survive to start with,” said Chaney.
Chaney owns his home but rents the property it sits on. He claims that his rent increased from $300 to $500 since Maple Grove took over the property.
“It seems like if you're gonna pay more rent that they would try to make it a better place to live, and they're not,” he said.
Left high and dry in the dead of winter, Chaney and his neighbors feel they’ve been taken advantage of.
Confiding in a neighbor, Chaney remarked, “We're already poor, we're already struggling, then they gotta go make it worse for us?”
