Agenda Packets - 1993/05/03 - Laserfiche WebLink

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New Brighton Bulletin April 28, 1993 Searching for a new home, family finds leaky ceiling, faulty furnace in their path MOUNDS VIEW . by Jim Schwartz Joe and Beth Cowell, like many oth - BUT THE APARTMENT was THE COWELLS tookoss- r young couples,just wanted to getting to be too much. And too ession of their new home later that get on on their feet. With a new-born little. "We knew we couldinto a August. The roof still leaked. son, they wanted to go from renting getg an apartment to owning a home. [mobile] home immediately," Beth Because of the damaged window That is when the Cowells met said in a recent interview, seals, drafts— turning ever colder Harold Olson, a sales representative ;_ In August of 1992, the couple with the onset of winter— were a for Manufactured Homes Inc., began looking again for larger constant presence. The ceiling and (MHI) quarters. With MHI's help. They floor were still stained. looked at a house in Town's Edge "They [MHI] never came and Up to that time, the Cowells hadfixed it," Beth said. "Master Motor- been renting an attic apartment. But Terrace Mobile Home Park in the recent additon to the family made Mounds View. They looked at it home [a repair firm] did an estimate those cramped quarters even more again and again.They decided to buy for the water damage and said it so. Then there were the steps. Joe it. The couple agreed to pay $9,900 would cost$2,000 to repair. Cowell had recently had part of his ($14,000 with interest) for a 14-foot "MHI refused [to make or pay leg amputated because of an by 70-foot 1972 Wickcraft mobile for repairs] except for the roof infection. While he now walks well home with three bedrooms and one sealcoating," Beth continued, "if we with a prosthesis, the stairs, lots and bathroom. - • did it ourselves." MHI, she said, lots of stairs,proved to be too much = Of courseit wasn't perfect, Beth agreed to supply the roof coating and of an obstacle. recalls. During one of their visits, pay the Cowells$10 an hour for two Finances, what with Joe's oper- rainFater was leaking into the home hours of work to repair the roof. A ation and the birth of the couple's along a seam between the house and relative of Joe's pitched in to fix the son, were a shambles. The Cowells covered porch: There were water roof. knew they would not be purchasing a Mains on the ceiling as well as the But the Cowell's problems were fancy split level home in a new carpeting. Some window seals had just beginning. housing development Heck, even a been broken. Joe noticed that the water heater good used house was out of the ` "They [MHI] put some stuff in was actually one for a house built on question. the contract" to fix the leaking roof a permanent foundation. It wasn't Instead, they looked for some-t• hins more affordable. ceiling and floor,as well as repair the windows and until the day the Cowell's moved in correct the stained that it was replaced with a mobile They viewed several mobile Beth said.If they had talked to some home water heater. Further, the fumes in the north suburban area. other Town's Edge Ten-ace residents, building code-required firewall Just to be sure, they took a couple of the Cowells would have discovered surrounding any kind of water heater mobile home-owning friends with. the checkered history of that par- was non-existent. The Cowells also One particular home caught their discovered, later,that the wiring in eyes—more from the standpoint of ticular manufactured home. One the house was aluminum, after they price than anything else. But the neighbor of the Cowells' new home were assured by an MHI represents- friends told them they would be told the Bulletin that the Cowells five that it was not. ripped off. Following were just the latest in a long line to The drafty windows were another getting the Cowells pulled out of thea move in—and then move out—of deal with MHI. this mobile home. One family with story."During the first couple of . three children, he said, complained weeks, they said they would repair that the house was infested with the windows,"Beth said."'Then they coclroaches. came and only put on storm win • - dows. You could see right through the house where the windows weren't sealed.