Residents at a Vernon trailer park are at risk of having their power shut off on Friday due to a faulty and unsafe electrical system that the park’s owner says she can’t afford to repair.
And as the deadline nears, the residents are looking for support wherever they can find it.
The electrical infrastructure at Crown Villa manufactured home park on Okanagan Avenue has been non-compliant with Technical Safety BC (TSBC) standards since at least 2021, when an inspection was done. Since then, the owner of the park has not made the necessary repairs, saying she doesn’t have the money to do so.
Carolyn Goldstone, the park’s owner, faces administrative penalties of $5,000 for each of the park’s 11 units, totalling $55,000, which was due March 10. Goldstone has been unable to pay either the $55,000 or the roughly $200,000 she said it will cost to do the electrical work and bring the park back into safety compliance, she told The Morning Star on Tuesday, April 7.
As a result of the non-compliance, TSBC informed Goldstone it will be shutting off power to the park on April 10.
It’s a situation that has put the residents and homeowners at Crown Villa in a tough spot, with some planning to make do with backup generators for as long as they can, and others fearing they may have to abandon their homes and walk away from their investments.
According to the Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB) and confirmed by Goldstone herself, Goldstone has never raised the pad rents at the park in the 37 years she has been the owner. Those rents remain in the range of $260 to $295.
“That was a mistake, wasn’t it?” Goldstone said by phone on Tuesday.
Goldstone said she had long wanted to provide affordable housing for Crown Villa residents, but wishes she had raised rents gradually to build a contingency fund. The RTB said in its penalty decision that would have helped ensure proper maintenance of the park.
Goldstone pointed out that she herself lives at Crown Villa and is in the same position as the other homeowners there.
Community rallying support
With the park owner unable to pay for the repairs, the Vernon community is doing what it can to fill the need.
A GoFundMe online fundraising campaign has been launched by Rhonda Poffenroth, a concerned citizen who knows some of the people living at Crown Villa. As of April 8, $750 has been raised.
That’s not nearly enough to fix the park’s electrical infrastructure, but the total amount needed could be lower than the $200,000 estimate Goldstone said she faces.
Charmaine Wadsworth, whose son lives in the trailer park, has been advocating for the park residents since news came of the power shut-off. She said a family member told her about an electrician and general contractor based in Vernon who could possibly help. She called him and confirmed he was willing to fix the park at a reduced cost, and set the GoFundMe goal at $80,000 based on his cost estimate for repairs.
The electrician, who was reached by The Morning Star on Wednesday and requested anonymity, said he is willing to take on the contract and complete the work as cheaply as possible, but added he’s not sure how much it will cost as he has only been granted brief and limited access to the park to assess what needs to be done.
It could cost upwards of $100,000 to complete the work, the electrician said, adding he can’t afford to work on the project for two weeks at a loss.
“It’s a rough spot they’re in,” the electrician said. “I can probably come in and fix this for a lot cheaper than most guys can … because I’m an electrician that has all the equipment that also is a general contractor.”
It’s far from a done deal, and a lot of money would still need to be generated. Wadsworth said she’s spoken to all of the owners in the park and has about $12,000 committed from their pockets. Not nearly enough.
So far, no official repair plan has been submitted to safety regulators. The TSBC said that as of April 8, no permits for regulated electrical work at Crown Villa have been obtained.
“We have seen media reports that efforts to make the necessary repairs appear to be underway, but no evidence to support this has been provided to Technical Safety BC,” the regulator said, emphasizing that the park owner is responsible for ensuring the park is repaired, and the owner has not communicated any such plans.
The TSBC also warned that while it is open to considering alternative solutions, “tenants or other third parties wanting to make repairs on property and equipment they do not own could be subject to legal, financial, or liability risks, and may want to seek independent legal advice before proceeding. All repairs must be made by a licensed electrical contractor, with the necessary permits.”
The regulator added that Goldstone is behind schedule on hiring a licensed electrical contractor and obtaining necessary permits. That was supposed to be done by Jan. 9.
The TSBC confirmed it will follow through with its Dec. 16, 2025, safety order and shut off power to the park on April 10.
That leaves homeowners in the park worrying about their investments and where they’re going to be living next.
“He took his entire life savings at 20 years old and bought this,” Wadsworth said of her son’s home. “Speaking to these people in the trailer court, this is all that they have.”
Goldstone told The Morning Star she has a potential solution, though it’s unclear how likely it is to be finalized.
The park owner said she’s offered a partnership to an individual whereby they would take ownership over 50 per cent of the park and make the repairs, while she would use her half of the equity to secure a new place to live.
“I’m waiting to hear back because I know they’re doing their due diligence,” she said, adding she never received paperwork when she took ownership of the park and “the whole title is a mess.”
“It’s kind of a situation of if they can figure it out legally, then things will move ahead with that plan.”