No charges filed after a mobile home in Lake County was destroyed 1 month ago

No charges filed after a mobile home in Lake County was destroyed

A mobile home in Lake County remains in ruins nearly a month after it was reportedly destroyed by heavy machinery, frustrating neighbors who say the property has been left exposed to the elements.

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. - A mobile home in Lake County remains in ruins nearly a month after it was reportedly destroyed by heavy machinery, frustrating neighbors who say the property has been left exposed to the elements.

What we know:

On July 25, deputies with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) were called to the home on Pine Island and Montevista Roads. The trailer home had reportedly been ripped apart by heavy machinery. The woman who lived there, identified by LCSO as Nicole Griner, was nowhere to be found.

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Deputies issued a missing person’s report, and Griner was later tracked down. The property owner told FOX 35’s Hannah Mackenzie that although he owns the land, he does not own the home and has not been in contact with Griner.

One month later

Neighbors are annoyed that nothing has been done with the destroyed home. It sits in the same field, open to the elements. 

"They haven’t even gotten the furniture out of it yet, they’re just letting everything rot," said Steve Glidewell. "Just trash that needs to be cleaned up." 

Another neighbor, Tom Tomarelli, lives next-door to the home. It’s visible from his front door.

"We got a nice property out here, and it’s upsetting to have to look at it over and over again every time we come out," Tomarelli said. "I’ve been in talks with the county and code enforcement, and they seem to be working on it and we’ll go from there and see."

What we don't know:

FOX 35 reached out to Lake County Code Enforcement for comment, but did not receive a response before air time.

After our report aired, a spokesperson for Lake County Code Enforcement sent FOX 35 the following statement: "Lake County has opened a code violation case for an unsafe structure. The case will follow our normal procedure for code enforcement.  If the unsafe structure is not resolved through voluntary compliance, the case will proceed to a Special Master hearing." 

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office has not released who is responsible for destroying the mobile home. LCSO said no charges have been filed, because no victim has come forward.

What's next:

Neighbors say they haven’t seen Griner around, but they’re tired of seeing the mess. Missy Canady said the whole incident may have been the result of a rental dispute. 

"To me, whoever owns that land should be cleaning it up. She was the tenant," Canady said. "I wish someone would clean it up; if something happened to my house, I’d have to clean it up."

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