Ivy Burdette jumps on a trampoline with her daughter, Carol, 4, in their backyard. Burdette is unemployed and raises her two daughters with the help of welfare checks. She moved to Maple Grove two months before she received her eviction notice. Now she has to move again.
Uninhabited trailers stripped of their salable materials. After receiving their eviction notices, many Maple Grove residents realized that their new homes would inevitably be more expensive and stripped the uninhabited trailers of any materials that might bring them extra money for the future. "Most of the trailers out there were in bad condition, not habitable," said Mark Dorsey, township zoning officer. "The new owner is probably interested in revamping the entire park."
Karen Vandiver sits in frustration after trying to navigate through the cable company's phone system. Since the eviction notice, stress from mundane tasks has intensified. Between finding a new home, fighting the landlord, packing and maintaining daily responsibilities, Vandiver feels she never has a day off.
Refrigerator magnets lie on the ground outside the trailer next to Ive Burdette’s trailer. Burdette plans to move within 30 days of the eviction notice, but she will leave some objects behind, including her daughter’s magnets. The new landowner has said nothing about compensating the tenants.
Karen and Bill Vandiver sit outside a vacant 4-bedroom house in Weirton, Wv., 25 minutes from Maple Grove. The rent is more expensive, several windows are broken and the basement needs some repairs, but it still offers temporary relief from their troubles.
Karen Vandiver inspects the closet in the master bedroom inside the vacant home in Weirton. They agree to move to this home even though their monthly rent will double. The Vandivers made an arrangement with the landlord where Bill and a friend will revamp the basement for a reduced security deposit.
Bill and Karen Vandiver adjust to their new settings. They view their recent move as a test of their health and relationship. They unwillingly spent their anniversary unpacking.
Karen and Bill Vandiver hold hands while walking along a road in Maple Grove. After spending their anniversary moving to a new house, Karen turned to Bill and said, "We have our love for each other. We are losing our home. No matter what we still love each other and we can muster through anything."