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Mobile Home Park Raided in Fraud Investigation

Mobile Home Park Raided in Fraud Investigation - Friday, September 21, 2007 at 9:17PM EST

Reported by: David Decosmo
Friday, Sep 21, 2007 @09:17pm EST

ARCHBALD, LACKAWANNA COUNTY- A trailer park owner is in police custody and his manager is wanted by police after investigators raid their Lackawanna County property Friday afternoon.
The District Attorney believes the men have been selling mobile homes without validtitles to unsuspecting tenants.
The manager of Valley View Estates, 57-year-old George Merrifield found himself under arrest Friday afternoon after Lackawanna County detectives and Archbald Police raidedhis mobile home park in Archbald.

A second arrest warrant was issued for Eugene Egan Jr. of Douglassville who owns several trailers in the park owned by his mother. Assistant District Attorney Robert Klineexplained what the scam entailed. "This involves the sale of trailers that did not have titles in the name of the person that sold it. There are two instances where a trailer was sold that did not belong to the person that was selling it.

"Archbald resident Cheryl Romanskiwas one of the victims. Her complaints brought the case to light. "When I purchased it I didn't get the proper paperwork. I got a fake piece of paper that was supposed to be my title, which wasn't.
Then when I tried to sell it to getmy Section 8, they said ‘ Nobody will buy it because it’s not a legitimate paper’”stated Romanski. Other tenants, with rent to ownagreements, said they're worried they won't get legitimate titles for theirtrailers either.

Allegations of fraud aren't the only problems residents living in this trailer park have to deal with." The conditions are very deplorable in here. We have joined forces with a lot of the tenants who do reside in here. Now we're trying to join forces where we can get this park cleaned up. Our children cannot skateboard. Our children cannot ride bicycles because of the deplorable conditions in here" declared Valley View Estates resident Susan James.
The Lackawanna County District Attorney's Office said its investigation is on going. The office wants to hear from other residents who suspect they may be the victims of fraud. Investigators said they're trying to arrange for the second suspect, Eugene Egan Junior, to turn himself in.
 


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