Bulldozers have finally rolled into the long-troubled Lazy Wheels Mobile Home Park in Ceres, where crews this week started tearing out old trailers, sheds and mounds of debris. The long-awaited cleanup is a major shift for a property that residents and city officials have complained for years was both an eyesore and a safety hazard.
As reported by CBS Sacramento, demolition teams have been pulling units off their pads and scraping foundations, with video showing heavy machinery working the park north of Whitmore Avenue. Neighbors told the station they watched as entire trailers and piles of junk were hauled out along the park’s interior roads.
Years Of Neglect, Lawsuits And Utility Cutoffs
For more than a decade, residents and local officials flagged sewage spills, electrical problems and rolling outages at Lazy Wheels, problems that eventually led to a class action lawsuit in 2022 alleging substandard living conditions. According to the Modesto Bee, a 2025 settlement required that utilities be restored, that pending evictions against the plaintiffs be dismissed and that a court be allowed to appoint a receiver if the owner failed to make needed repairs.
Owner And City Clash Over Cleanup
The owner of the park told city leaders he planned to reclaim the property after shutting the operation down, while the city ordered remaining tenants to move out by Nov. 1, 2025 and pushed for the site to be fully cleared instead of lightly repaired. The Ceres Courier reports that the owner and city officials have been negotiating over cleanup and potential future uses since the park was taken out of service.
State Oversight Keeps Local Hands Tied
Because mobile home parks fall under the authority of the state Department of Housing and Community Development, Ceres officials have had limited power to crack down on conditions at Lazy Wheels despite years of complaints. State records list the park among those with suspended permits to operate, a status noted in an HCD mobile-park task force briefing that showed Lazy Wheels under suspension as of mid-2024. The California HCD task force report explains the enforcement process and the agency’s oversight role.
Residents' Settlement, But Uncertain Futures
Residents who sued the park’s owners secured a settlement that, as reported by the Modesto Bee, tossed out eviction cases for plaintiffs, required utilities to be turned back on within a month and included relocation payments for those named in the case. Even with that legal victory, several former residents told reporters they are still displaced or struggling to find stable housing while demolition moves ahead and redevelopment ideas are weighed. The Modesto Bee also detailed the court’s authority to step in if the promised repairs did not materialize.
What Comes Next For The Site
City officials say the land has been rezoned for Highway Commercial uses, so any new project will need city approval and is unlikely to bring back a mobile home community. "The park is a mess, it needs to be cleaned up," Ceres City Manager Doug Dunford told The Ceres Courier as the city and owner hash out costs and next steps. The Courier noted that the owner has pegged demolition and removal at several hundred thousand dollars and plans to work with the city on what eventually replaces Lazy Wheels.
