GOLDEN, Colo. – The hailstorm that ripped through the metro area this spring was touted as the most expensive hailstorm to hit the state, causing $1.4 billion in damages.
Seven months later, all that hail damage could soon cost neighbors living in Golden’s Mountainside Estates Mobile Home Park their homes.
Neighbors were told they either need to fix the damage before the end of December, or face eviction.
The “Cure or Quit” notices went out in late November. Neighbors told Denver7 they now must choose between celebrating the Christmas holiday, or repairing their homes.
On Tuesday, dozens of homes in the small community still showed hail damage.
“I lost five windows in my house. It got all my skirting, it got the skirting on the other side,” resident Patty Brown pointed out. “I haven't been able to replace anything.”
However, those repairs need to happen quickly.
“It said that we had 30 days to show them that we were either under contract, or receipts that we were purchasing the items. Or we had 30 days to get out,” neighbor Natasha Sims explained.
Her family’s trailer suffered $15,000 in estimated damages.
“We started trying to do it ourselves about 2-weeks ago, and hopefully we can meet the deadline,” she said.
She’s referring to the December 29 deadline— just a few days after Christmas.
“We haven't been able to buy any gifts,” Brown said, “I don't know what I could do -- I really don't know what I can do.”
A notice that was shared with Denver7, read:
We have noticed that repairs to your home have not started or been completed since the hail storm. Per the community guidelines: Management has the right to require Residents to make repairs to homes that are not maintained to Community Standards. Repairs to home from hail damage must start or be completed.
On top of the hail damage, Brown recently lost electricity to the front half of her trailer.
“I have electricity on the back half, but I can't fix that because I have to fix this,” she said, pointing to all the damage outside.
Relief was supposed to come in the form of low-interest federal disaster loans to those impacted by the hailstorm.
“I thought we'd be eligible for some kind of help, but I can't find any,” Brown said.
Denver7 reached out to the United State Small Business Administration’s Disaster Assistance Center for answers. This article will be updated once we hear back.
For now, Patty and her neighbors are trying to repair what’s hard to replace — their homes.
“I’ve been homeless. And it’s like, that’s not an option… to be homeless again,” she said.
Denver7 has also reached out to the community manager at the mobile home park.
