'I'm out $15,000 and a home': Over 50 Houston families evicted from mobile home park — some were still charged rent after leaving, advocates say. How you can protect yourself as a tenant

Marta De La Garza, who lived in the park with her family for five years, says she had to shell out $9,000 — $3,000 for transportation and $6,000 to set up utilities — to move to a new location.

"We had to pay for the people who moved the mobile home. We had to pay a plumber again. We had to pay for electricity again," she told the local broadcaster in a story published April 9. "It was a nightmare."

Moving costs may also not have been the only financial challenges some residents had to face. Here's the story behind the challenging evictions, plus ways you can protect yourself as a tenant.

A horrible experience

Residents of County Road Mobile Home Park received eviction notices in September after the property was purchased by a company named Summit Acquisitions, per KHOU 11 News. They were first told they would need to vacate the property by the end of 2024, but that deadline was then extended until the spring.

The forced move has been devastating for several residents, including Frankie Schwarzburg, who says her trailer was damaged beyond repair during transport and is no longer habitable.

"I cannot live in my trailer," she told KHOU 11 News. "I'm out $15,000 and a home."

In addition, the broadcaster reports community advocates say some former tenants were mistakenly charged rent in March and April, even after leaving, while others have been kept waiting for their security deposits to be returned.

"They're being charged for a place they can't live anymore," Damaris Gonzalez of the Texas Organizing Project told KHOU 11 News.

Former residents are calling on legislators to strengthen rights for mobile home owners. State Sen. Molly Cook told the broadcaster she's introduced a number of bills aimed at addressing these issues.

"I don't hear people talking about manufactured homes enough," Cook told KHOU 11 News. "The reality is that this is what makes the American dream accessible to so many Texans."