Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Residents Sue Over RV Park's Squalid Conditions
David Website Replacement
By David Taub, Senior Reporter
Published 7 years ago on
August 23, 2018

Share

Residents at the squalid Jack’s Bayou Resort are fighting back.


Phyllis Marin
In the latest development at the RV park on the outskirts of Mendota, three women filed suit against the park’s owners. The 11 allegations range from breach of quiet enjoyment of the premises to negligent failure to provide a livable rental space.
In addition, on Aug. 9, Fresno County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Y. Hamilton granted a preliminary injunction ordering the owners to repair the items listed in a state report, refrain from retaliation, allow access for sewage removal and refrain from turning off electricity and water. The judge also ordered the owners to provide relocation benefits if repairs cannot be made.
Today the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office said that it is aware of the conditions there and it is consulting with other agencies to resolve them.
The lead plaintiff, Phyllis Marin, first spoke to GV Wire last April. She revealed wiring problems, poor water quality, exposed wires and other problems.
The story prompted a state agency to look into the park’s compliance with applicable law.
The Department of Housing and Community Development found 161 health and safety violations. Among the allegations in the initial report, HCD said that the owners illegally rented spaces and used illegal electrical, water, and sewer hookups.

Lawsuit Alleges Squalid, Unsanitary Conditions

According to the lawsuit filed in Fresno County Superior Court, Marin has lived at the location since April 2015. The park’s owner, identified in the suit as Adel Mohamed, kept deplorable conditions, overcrowded the park to “collect as much rent as they could from the impoverished residents, and use virtually none of the money to maintain the Park in habitable condition.”
Past GV Wire stories identified Saeed Mohamed as the owner (also referred to sometimes as Mohamed Saeed). Attorneys for Marin say that Adel and Saeed are two separate individuals.
Adel Mohamed is listed on county property records as the owner of the property on 30440 W. Whitesbridge Ave. (Hwy 180). Park residents, though, say they mainly dealt with Saeed and on-site park manager Mike Roberts.
Roberts is also listed as a defendant in the suit. He told GV Wire he is not being sued and did not provide any further comment.
Marin alleges that Jack’s Bayou Resort rented her a defective RV, with problematic wiring that rendered the air conditioning useless. The RV, she says, has no heater, windows without locks, holes in the floor, and pest problems.

Allegations in Lawsuit Backed by State Report

The suit echoes the complaints in the HCD inspection such as inadequate water utility, plumbing, sewer, and electrical systems.
The park did not act on HCD’s inspection notices of Apr. 5, June 18, June 26 or July 11. The reports listed violations and deadlines to fix them. Potential consequences for failing to comply included fines and referring the case to the district attorney.
The case has come across the Fresno County district attorney’s desk.
“A criminal case has not been submitted to my office for prosecution.  However, the circumstances have been brought to our attention and we are consulting with other agencies in an effort to resolve the issues,” Assistant District Attorney Steve Wright told GV Wire via email.
The park finally began removing the defective sewage tanks July 17. That created more problems for the remaining residents, the suit alleges, by forcing residents to store waste in their own RV systems. Also, the removal of the external tanks leaked sewage into the wading pool of Marin’s children.
Marin says that Roberts threatened her with turning off power and water to her unit.
Even after the inspections and filing of the lawsuit in July, nothing changed at the park. HCD ordered the owners to provide adequate water and bathroom facilities. That hasn’t happened yet.

Residents Hit With Eviction Notices

After the April warning from HCD, the park distributed unofficial eviction notices to leave within 30 days. Some did, but others like Robert Escalante’s family stayed.
“There’s nowhere else to go. Out here, it’s hard to find like an apartment or house,” Escalante said.

“There’s nowhere else to go. Out here, it’s hard to find like an apartment or house.”Robert Escalante, whose family lives at the RV park
The April inspection report required that the park “shall not collect rent from any space until the Permit to Operate is current and shall not collect rent from any illegal space until approval for any additional spaces are approved by the Local Enforcement Agency and the Department of Housing and Community Development Codes and Standards.”
While HCD said the owner finally updated his permit, the illegal spaces have not been made legal.
In July, Escalante’s family received a three-day notice to pay rent or leave, a precursor to eviction. The park followed up with a 60-day notice to leave the park by Sept. 30 or be formally evicted.
The notices aren’t scaring Escalante, he said.
“If something happens, we are going to wait and see what happens. We are waiting to hear from the lawyer,” Escalante said. He is not part of Marin’s lawsuit.
The entire episode frustrates Escalante.
“It gets me mad. They knew that they didn’t have a permit to (collect) rent here. They didn’t care. They kept on doing it,” he said.

Seeking Relief

Marin is joined in the lawsuit by her daughter Gabriela Marin, and Brenda Herrera, another resident at Jack’s Bayou Resort. Attorneys from Central California Legal Services represent the plaintiffs.
The Marins and Herrera did not list an exact dollar amount they are seeking, but because the suit is filed as a civil unlimited case, it would be at least $25,000. They are asking the court for damages for emotional distress, restitution for rent paid as well as punitive damages.
A case management conference is scheduled Nov. 13.
[tnc-pdf-viewer-iframe file=”http://www.gvwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/18CECG02715-FAC.pdf” width=”750″ height=”800″ download=”true” print=”true” fullscreen=”true” share=”true” zoom=”true” open=”true” pagenav=”true” logo=”true” find=”true” current_view=”true” rotate=”true” handtool=”true” doc_prop=”true” toggle_menu=”true” language=”en-US” page=”” default_zoom=”auto” pagemode=””]  

DON'T MISS

Elon Musk Reclaims Top Spot on Forbes’ Billionaires List

DON'T MISS

California Just Blew Its First Deadline for Voter-Approved Healthcare Measure

DON'T MISS

Trump Administration Halts Dozens of Research Grants at Princeton University

DON'T MISS

Fresno County Sheriff’s Pilot Takes His Last Flight as He Retires After 31 Years of Service

DON'T MISS

A Palestinian From the West Bank Is First Detainee Under 18 to Die in Israeli Prison, Officials Say

DON'T MISS

How Safe Is It to Walk to School? Fresno County Wants to Find Out

DON'T MISS

Baseball Is Back! How to Listen to Your MLB Favorites and the Grizzlies

DON'T MISS

Trump Says He’s Settled on a Tariff Plan That Is Set to Take Effect Wednesday

DON'T MISS

Auto Sales Surged in Anticipation of Trump’s Tariffs

DON'T MISS

Raid Or Rumor? Reports Of Immigrations Sweeps Are Warping Life In CA’s Central Valley

UP NEXT

California Just Blew Its First Deadline for Voter-Approved Healthcare Measure

UP NEXT

Fresno County Sheriff’s Pilot Takes His Last Flight as He Retires After 31 Years of Service

UP NEXT

How Safe Is It to Walk to School? Fresno County Wants to Find Out

UP NEXT

Baseball Is Back! How to Listen to Your MLB Favorites and the Grizzlies

UP NEXT

Raid Or Rumor? Reports Of Immigrations Sweeps Are Warping Life In CA’s Central Valley

UP NEXT

Can CEMEX Dig a 600-Foot Hole and Not Harm the River? Arambula Says No and Writes a Bill

UP NEXT

Three Missing Fresno Teens Found Safe After Nine Days

UP NEXT

State Center Trustees Vote for Special Interest Giveaway Over Students: Opinion

UP NEXT

Lakers Hold Off Rockets With 6 3-Pointers Apiece From Dorian Finney-Smith, Gabe Vincent

UP NEXT

Athletics Bat Boy Stewart Thalblum Takes Down Drone in Left Field

David Taub,
Senior Reporter
Curiosity drives David Taub. The award-winning journalist might be shy, but feels mighty with a recorder in his hand. He doesn't see it his job to "hold public officials accountable," but does see it to provide readers (and voters) the information needed to make intelligent choices. Taub has been honored with several writing awards from the California News Publishers Association. He's just happy to have his stories read. Joining GV Wire in 2016, Taub covers politics, government and elections, mainly in the Fresno/Clovis area. He also writes columns about local eateries (Appetite for Fresno), pro wrestling (Off the Bottom Rope), and media (Media Man). Prior to joining the online news source, Taub worked as a radio producer for KMJ and PowerTalk 96.7 in Fresno. He also worked as an assignment editor for KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, California, and KSEE-TV in Fresno. He has also worked behind the scenes for several sports broadcasts, including the NCAA basketball tournament, and the Super Bowl. When not spending time with his family, Taub loves to officially score Fresno Grizzlies games. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue! You can contact David at 559-492-4037 or at Send an Email

Fresno County Sheriff’s Pilot Takes His Last Flight as He Retires After 31 Years of Service

6 hours ago

A Palestinian From the West Bank Is First Detainee Under 18 to Die in Israeli Prison, Officials Say

7 hours ago

How Safe Is It to Walk to School? Fresno County Wants to Find Out

7 hours ago

Baseball Is Back! How to Listen to Your MLB Favorites and the Grizzlies

7 hours ago

Trump Says He’s Settled on a Tariff Plan That Is Set to Take Effect Wednesday

8 hours ago

Auto Sales Surged in Anticipation of Trump’s Tariffs

8 hours ago

Raid Or Rumor? Reports Of Immigrations Sweeps Are Warping Life In CA’s Central Valley

8 hours ago

House Speaker Johnson Fails to Squash a Proxy Voting Effort From New Moms in Congress

8 hours ago

UN Agency Closes Its Remaining Gaza Bakeries as Food Supplies Dwindle Under Israeli Blockade

9 hours ago

Hooters Goes Bust and Files for Bankruptcy Protection

9 hours ago

Elon Musk Reclaims Top Spot on Forbes’ Billionaires List

Elon Musk has reclaimed his position as the world’s wealthiest individual, according to Forbes’ 39th annual World’s Billio...

3 hours ago

3 hours ago

Elon Musk Reclaims Top Spot on Forbes’ Billionaires List

5 hours ago

California Just Blew Its First Deadline for Voter-Approved Healthcare Measure

Nassau Hall at Princeton University is in Princeton, N.J., Oct. 8, 2024. (AP File)
6 hours ago

Trump Administration Halts Dozens of Research Grants at Princeton University

After 31 years of service, Fresno County Sheriff’s Deputy IV and Pilot Michael Sill is retiring, having logged over 10,000 flight hours.
6 hours ago

Fresno County Sheriff’s Pilot Takes His Last Flight as He Retires After 31 Years of Service

Khalid Ahmad holds a poster of his 17-year-old son, Waleed, who died in an Israeli prison, that reads in Arabic, "The hero prisoner Martyr, mercy and eternity for our righteous Martyrs," in the West Bank town of Silwad, northeast of Ramallah Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (AP/Nasser Nasser)
7 hours ago

A Palestinian From the West Bank Is First Detainee Under 18 to Die in Israeli Prison, Officials Say

7 hours ago

How Safe Is It to Walk to School? Fresno County Wants to Find Out

7 hours ago

Baseball Is Back! How to Listen to Your MLB Favorites and the Grizzlies

Vehicles at an Audi showroom in Miami, March 29, 2025. President Donald Trump has said that tariffs would encourage auto companies and their suppliers to move to the U.S. (Saul Martinez/The New York Times)
8 hours ago

Trump Says He’s Settled on a Tariff Plan That Is Set to Take Effect Wednesday

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend