Time running out for Cary mobile home residents forced to leave; residents demand new owners help

CARY, N.C. (WTVD) -- Hundreds of residents in the Chatham Estates mobile home community are facing an uncertain future as they scramble to relocate within the next three months or risk losing their homes.

Ann Curlee and her husband, Steve, have called Chatham Estates home since 1988.

"It's kind of hard to pack up boxes everywhere, and you don't know what to pack and what not right now," Curlee said.

The couple, who have raised their son in the neighborhood and have lived in their current home for 17 years, are among hundreds of residents who received a January notice that they would have six months to move out.

The property was sold in 2023 to Toll Brothers, a developer that plans to redevelop the area with 300 multifamily units and 97 townhomes. The cost of the new units remains unclear, but the average apartment in Cary now rents for more than $1,700 a month.

For the Curlees, who currently pay $400 in rent, their new living situation will be significantly more expensive.

"It's going to be tight, but we've got to move somewhere," Curlee said.

Their next apartment is expected to cost three times as much, around $1,200 a month.

The sounds of construction have become a daily reminder for residents that their time in Chatham Estates is coming to an end.

"It's been stressful. Not going to lie. Yeah, six months. It's crazy," said Fernando Perez, who, along with his twin brother David, has lived in the community for two decades.

Since the park's sale, signs advertising "we buy mobile homes" have appeared throughout the neighborhood.

The Town of Cary has pledged $800,000 to help residents with relocation expenses, with local nonprofits such as NeighborUp managing the distribution of funds.

"We're talking about finding a place to put the trailer, and all those costs add up to a lot more than it takes to move between two regular single-family homes," said Wesley Spears-Newsome of NeighborUp's Clergy Advisory Council. "So everyone's lives will be immeasurably easier if we can raise the funds to help them."

With the deadline approaching, residents such as the Curlees and the Perez brothers are left weighing their options and bracing for the financial strain. When asked what would happen if they can't find a new place in time, David Perez replied, "Probably just lose the trailer."

For many, the redevelopment marks not a fresh start, but the end of a chapter in a place they have long called home.

Last week, residents gathered to demand that Toll Brothers help cover the moving costs. They are asking for $2 million.

ABC11 reached out to Toll Brothers but has not heard back.

How you can help: https://neighborup.org/