Michael Deady and Judy Marriott say there is a lot to love about living in a mobile home community.The reason most of us live here is the people. Our neighbors, said Deady.I recommend park living and parks where you own the land , added Marriott.Deady, Marriott, and John Thurnherr all serve on their homeowners' association.They reached out to Tampa Bay 28's Erik Waxler at the end of 2024 after seeing his coverage of issues at other mobile home parks following back-to-back hurricanes.At the time, they showed Waxler a binder documenting concerns at their Clearwater park, including rising lot rents, overall maintenance, and adherence to park rules.Their goal has been to secure better oversight to ensure that park owners comply with the laws governing mobile home parks under Chapter 723 of the Florida statutes.The underlying issue is the existing legislation has no enforcement proceedings, said Deady.Legislators are starting to realize that Florida law Chapter 723 is outdated, said Marriott.After the story aired, residents say they began to get attention from state lawmakers.You effectively opened doors for us. The legislators that saw the reporting met with us. And made a point of saying, yea I saw it, Deady said.The group is now hopeful because of House Bill 703, which would provide residents with more protections.It moves it over to the Attorney General's office and the Department of Legal Affairs. And actually makes them responsible for enforcing the law, said Deady.And thats huge, said Marriott.Residents also hope stronger laws will help control costs, an issue they say is especially difficult for the many seniors living in mobile home parks.If they keep raising the rent like they do its going to force a lot of people out of here. Theres people that say Im going to just walk away and let them take it, said Thurnherr.The group says it has invested significant effort into pushing for change. Deady said he appreciates Tampa Bay 28 bringing attention to the issues residents face.Thanks. Thats all you can say. Its been a long haul. Its been a hard road. But we are making inroads. ...read more read less