Do you know what is living underneath your mobile home? If you are lucky and your entire mobile home is resting on a cement slab this doesnt concern you. But if your mobile home is sitting in the dirt or half on and half off cement? Read on.

What is living under your mobile home? Did you know there is a whole animal kingdom living under your home?

Wild animal love to dig and tunnel their way underground stopping under your mobile home to rest. They also like to dig from the outside of your home jump inside and get trapped and die.

DOES THIS HAPPEN OFTEN?

The answer is yes. The second year I lived in my mobile home I woke up one morning with the worst odor possible squeezing my senses. Even though I had lived in my home for a year I had never encountered this stench before.

I called a friend and he investigated and found a dead animal lying on the ground underneath the skirting on my mobile home. He though it was a opossum. Luckily it was close to the side and he just had to reach in and retrieve.

A few months later I once again woke to this wonderful aroma of another dead animal under my mobile home.

I called the local pest control place and they sent a representative to remove the dead skunk. The man said to me he had retrieved the dead skunk and the charge was $100.00 which I gladly paid to be able to live in my home and breathe.

RIPPED OFF:

That is not the end of this story. One week later on Mothers Day I woke once again to this horrific smell this time 10 times worse. Of course it was a weekend and holiday so I could not call the same company that had been out seven days ago.

I made several phone calls until I found a man that was willing to come out to my home on a holiday and remove the skunk.

He was a wonderful man who immediately bent over and entered the world of animal life and whatever habitats under my mobile home. He removed the dead skunk and called me out to see it. I had already explained about the other visit from the other company.

THIS IS WHAT HE TOLD ME:

This is the same skunk that was supposed to have been removed seven days prior. The man was either to lazy or thought he would run some kind of scam by being called back and get paid twice for removing the same animal. All he did was squirt some kind of chemical under my house to mask the odor.

He showed me the animal and I watched as he placed it inside his truck. He charged me $150.00 and drove off.

MIRACLES DO HAPPEN:

I received a telephone call from this man about an hour later. He told me he was ripping up my check because he felt that I had been ripped off and he was ripping me off a second time. taking payment.

I argued with him to please cash the check I was grateful for him taking his time and coming out to my house and help me.

In the end he ripped up the check. I thank him from the bottom of my heart.

PEST CONTROL COMPANY:

On Monday morning I called the Pest Control Company. I spoke to the lady in charge. She said the paperwork stated that the animal had been left and not removed.

Now I ask you, why would I lie about something like this. Anyway, the bottom line is I should have taken the extra step to make sure the animal was indeed removed. Also I had never received any paperwork from this representative of the company who supposedly removed the dead skunk.

This all happened a couple of years ago when the area I was living in was alive with fires. The animals were running for their lives and ended up dead under numerous mobile homes.

The city will send animal control to removed dead animals off the city streets or freeways but they do not enter private dwellings.

The reason I have written this story is for you the mobile home owner to be aware of what lurks beneath your mobile home.

SECRET:

After I had gone through this horrible mess twice my neighbor said to me. I have lived here for thirty years and I have never had a dead animal end up under my home. I use moth balls every six months, I throw moth balls under my mobile home. The animals hate the smell and do not bother with your home and go on to another victim.

I do not know whether this is a true fact or not but two years later I am happy to report NO DEAD ANIMALS UNDER MY MOBILE HOME!

IMPORTANT BULLETIN:

Now that I have your attention I would like to discuss something as a Mobile Home Owner is now crucial for all Mobile Home Owners that live in Parks.

Our State Legislatures are now reviewing the facts and fictions on mobile home parks.

We want our State Legislatures who represent us the voters to know what the facts are.

(1) Gouging rent increases. Rent increases any amount,or time. We are truly at the mercy of the Park owners.

(2) We want a sealing or freezing on the rent.

(3) Many Mobile Home Owners are now abandoning their homes and losing their money and home.

(4) If you move and leave your mobile home you still have to pay rent space.

(5) We would like the option to be able to purchase the park for ourselves. Who better to run and manage our Mobile Home Park but the people who live in it.

Those are the issues and many more. Please write, call, fax, or email your representatives.

If you do not know who they are ask your representatives of your Home Owners Association.

Please do your part. I am an owner of a Mobile Home and live in a Mobile Home Park.

Please feel free to check out any of my articles. I would love to hear from you.

Copyright 2006 Linda Meckler