BOSCOBEL - A five-month state investigation into conditions at Cozy Acres Mobile Home Park has uncovered violations of Wisconsin statutes, according to a notice of violations and orders dated June 9, 2023.

The park owner, Michelle Gillette of Baraboo, has until August 9 of this year to bring the park into compliance and could face fines of up to $250 a day for each violation if she fails to do so.

The investigation was launched in January by the Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS), the agency charged with licensing mobile home parks at the state level.

By law, Gillette has the right to request a variance of any rule. She also has the right to a hearing to appeal the orders. Gillette did not respond to a request for comment.

Violations identified

According to the notice, issued by the Division of Industry Services and signed by attorney Matthew McCasland, four violations of Wisconsin statutes need to be corrected:

• Three trailers at Cozy Acres are spaced closer than 10 feet apart, the legal minimum.

• Septic tank covers are missing chains and locks.

• Some lots in the park had dangerous items present—broken glass was cited as an example.

• A yard hydrant used to spray pesticides and herbicides had no back-flow valve, presenting “an acute risk of contamination to the groundwater and water supply of the park and surrounding areas.”

Additionally, the department identified “an old open and unsecured well casing” in the mobile home park and requested that the owner cap it in compliance with Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) personnel.

Numerous tenants have complained about the drinking water and two told the Dial they had become sick after ingesting it. Data on water test results collected by the DNR show no record of contamination.

Penalties ordered

The document states that Gillette “is not maintaining the community in a clean, safe, orderly and sanitary condition” because there are “no apparent penalties to occupants who leave their site in disrepair.”

Under the terms of the order, the owners must devise a way to compel residents to maintain their sites through either penalties or “appropriate and prompt action.”

Second probe “ongoing”

A second state agency, the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP), is also investigating Cozy Acres. The focus of the second probe is on the business practices used by management and remains ongoing, according to a spokesperson for the department.

At eviction hearings held in October of last year, Cozy Acres resident Matthew Turner told the court that he’d been illegally charged $2,000 to cover back rent owed by a former resident, a practice prohibited under state law. In 2016, DATCP had issued a warning to Cozy Acre’s manager, Bruce Zinkle, over a similar dispute.

Another resident, Steve Woodside, claimed at the October hearing that he was being evicted as retaliation for complaining to the Dial about conditions in the park. State law specifically prohibits evicting tenants in retaliation for complaints.

Both men, according to court records, owed back rent; tenants at Cozy Acres own their mobile home and rent the ground it’s parked on, as well as access to power, water, and septic.

Following these hearings, Representative Travis Tranel reached out to the investigating bodies to request they look into the conditions and management of Cozy Acres.

In an email statement to the Dial, Tranel expressed satisfaction with the results:

“Child safety is a priority and we recognize the Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) plays an essential role in efforts to ensure a clean, safe, orderly, and sanitary environment for children and families living in manufactured home communities. Addressing issues such as accessible opening covers to septic tanks and requiring them to remain locked and secured is common sense in order to prevent a potential tragic accident. We also appreciate the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) for their due diligence to ensure the wellbeing of these communities in Wisconsin from unfair business practices.”

Next steps unknown

Conditions at Cozy Acres were first reported by the Dial in August 2023. Tenant complaints included ill-kept homes, poorly maintained roads, rowdy neighbors, inadequate trash service, erratic fees, and the persistent threat of eviction if they complained about conditions to management.

Operated by Zinkle, Cozy Acres is one of six owned by Gillette, who also owns a wedding and event center in her adopted hometown of Baraboo.