While the future of the four mobile home parks in Kewanee remains uncertain, the City of Kewanee plans to discuss the water issue at the April 28, 2025, city council meeting. On the agenda is “Bill 25-36 Resolution expressing the intent of the City Council regarding water service related to multiple properties owned by Kewanee Properties LLC.” At the April 14th meeting, the city council indicated they intended to vote to shut off water service to all four properties as early as the April 28th meeting. Mr. Lund from Project Now attended the last council meeting and asked the city for more time to talk with the tenants of the mobile home parks and formulate a plan should the water service be terminated and the properties be condemned. While the council will not vote to terminate water service at the four mobile home parks tonight, it is not clear if there is a long-term solution in place for the residents.
While some residents have expressed disdain for mobile home parks on social media, many residents in the four mobile home parks have very nice homes and take pride in keeping their properties nice and clean. One resident, Anna “Bodanna” Tate, invited Regional Media to tour her home and listen to her concerns. Bodanna has lived in the mobile home park since 2010 and has owned her trailer since 2021. In 2021, money left to her and her siblings following her brother’s death paid for the trailer, her home, the last home she ever thought she would need. Her home means more to her because she feels like a piece of her brother is with her.
Bodanna said she and some residents she has spoken with feel like they don’t have a voice in their future. Bodanna is one of the residents who have paid for water, even though First Secure Community Bank has made no attempt to pay on the water bill. Understandably, she feels like she is being punished for the bank’s actions. The mayor and council have resisted terminating water services at the mobile home parks because of the tenants who live there and pay their lot rent and water bills. City officials said that tenants, such as Bodanna, are why they haven’t terminated the water service.
Robert Dawidiuk, a lawyer for the First Secure Community Bank in Sugar Grove, Illinois, which holds the note on the four mobile home parks, presented to the council at the March 24th council meeting. The bank financed the four properties for $975,000 in 2018. Mr. Dawidiuk said, “There is a tipping point for us” regarding how much the bank can spend on the water bill and cleanup for the properties. Mr. Dawidiuk said the bank could pay $100,000 of the water bill, and the City of Kewanee could forgive the remainder, including water usage and late fees.
After the Shapiro Group failed to meet the contractual obligations for the receivership of the mobile home parks, Ira Lauter of the L&B All Star Management, LLC., was named the court-appointed receiver in January 2025. So far, Bodanna said that Mr. Lauter has proven through his actions to be dedicated to helping the tenants and not hurting them, like many before him.
Ms. Tate contacted Prairie State Legal Services and has been accepted as a client. The Moline office is handling cases for the mobile home parks. If you live in one of the mobile home parks and are in need of legal services, call 309-794-1328.
Ms. Tate said she intends to fight to keep her home. All she wants is good, honest owners who won’t take advantage of the residents. She said the actions of prior owners make it hard to trust and that actions mean more than words. Bodanna is one of many people worried about losing their homes.
