Tenants of a Langford mobile home park say they face an uncertain future thanks to a “string of broken promises” made by developers who have served them with an eviction notice.
For the seniors living in Tri-Way Mobile Home Park, the latest development marks another milestone moment in an ongoing saga that first began in 2019, when the site was sold.
“I'm crushed, extremely angry,” said Mark Clark, who has lived in the park since 2015. “I’m worried – even if I get a buyout here, I'm not going to be able to buy in B.C. again.”
Clark’s home is one of 12 located in the park on land earmarked for development, which has to be vacated by Sept. 30.
Originally 12 acres in size, the mobile home park is part of 52 acres of land purchased by Starlight Investments in 2020, rezoned prior to their acquisition to allow for mixed-use development, including up to 1,000 new residential units.
As part of the redevelopment of the site, a portion of Tri-Way is to be retained as a mobile home park.
A five-storey affordable housing building, with 58 units, operated by the Capital Regional Housing Corporation, has already been built in the park, with some of the affected mobile home tenants choosing the option to move into the new development.
In February last year, Clark and his neighbours were served 12 months' notice to vacate by the end of March 2025 by management company Devon Properties – acting on behalf of owners Starlight Investments.
They were told they could either choose to move off-site or have their homes relocated to a new site in Tri-Way Park.
But tenants of 11 of the 12 homes affected, including Clark, disputed the validity of the notice with the Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB), raising concerns about a lack of information regarding the option to move within the park.
Clark says he and the other tenants have not seen a clear plan for where their homes will be relocated and are worried the lots will not accommodate the size of their units.
“Accepting relocation is like saying yes to a blank sheet of paper because they had nothing ready for us,” said another Tri-Way resident who asked to remain anonymous. “We don't know what we're accepting. We have, since the beginning, said we'd like to stay in the park, but we need more information ... we have nothing."
According to the tenants, shortly after they lodged their complaint, the options for Starlight to either purchase their homes or help them move their units within the park were withdrawn.
“They [Starlight] said everything that was on the table in March [2024] was taken away in May [2024],” said the anonymous Tri-Way resident.
The assessed value of their homes, plus 10 per cent and 12 months rent, was the original purchase offer on the table, say the tenants.
In an emailed statement, Starlight said they have never committed to purchasing resident homes, pointing to the Manufactured Home Park Tenancy Act, which states there is no legal obligation for the landlord to purchase mobile homes.
“They're saying nobody promised this stuff to us, that we misunderstood,” said Clark.
When RTB found in favour of Starlight in December, the tenants' eviction notice was extended by six months to the end of September.
But months of waiting for the RTB decision and a lack of information about their options has left the tenants in limbo, who are unsure if Starlight is still willing to allow them to move within the park.
The only thing certain for the residents, they say, is the date they have to leave their current sites.
“As far as we know, now we're down to the point where you get nothing – get your trailer out,” said Clark.
The recent news of the City of Langford’s decision to purchase Woodlands Park, giving mobile homeowners five years' notice to vacate and a clear option to sell their units for the assessed value plus 10 per cent, has left the Tri-Way tenants feeling hard done by.
“That’s close to what we were promised,” said Clark. “We're still here as we've followed Starlight’s promises from day one – I just want what they promised.”
Starlight Investments say they have and continue to follow the rules and regulations set by the Residential Tenancy Branch, and outlined in the Manufactured Home Park Tenancy Act.
“We value open lines of communication with our residents, and we work hard to ensure that members of our community are kept informed,” said Penny Colomvakos, vice president of residential operations.
“Residents are frequently provided updates and property managers are available to meet one-on-one with residents to confidentially discuss their residency. We will work closely with homeowners in Tri-Way Mobile Home Park to foster a smooth transition as we prepare to begin construction."
According to a spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs, under the Manufactured Home Park Tenancy Act, landlords are obliged to pay tenants $20,000 when closing a park, plus additional compensation if a manufactured home cannot be relocated.
Starlight Investments says they have offered compensation above the legal requirement of $20,000.
But Clark says the compensation offered will not cover the cost of dismantling his home, relocation and assembly.
“It won't cover half, a quarter, a third of what it’s going to take to move my place,” he said. “So really, I'm basically stuck unless something can change.”
One-on-one meetings with the affected Tri-Way tenants have been scheduled for early February, which Starlight says will address concerns “surrounding each unique situation and discuss relocation options.”
“This is going to be a turning point for us,” said Clark. “We've been waiting for this now for months and months … then we’ll know exactly what they've got in mind, if anything … it may be another ultimatum we don't know.”
