Amanda Root has never been well-off. She has lived most of her life on a fixed income as a result of an accident when she was younger. Twenty-six years ago she moved to Sierra Vista, Arizona. Nestled below snow-capped mountains in the southeast corner of the state, Sierra Vista is home to an army base and many retirees, who appreciate the area’s mild weather. And while Amanda may be disabled, she still contributes to her community. She is on the board of directors for the county’s Humane Society and volunteers to help control the city’s population of stray animals.
Twenty-one years ago, Amanda moved into Cloud 9. Her father owned a lot and trailer home there and months later, when he moved, Amanda acquired the property from him. However, being on a fixed income, she went without a lot of things, including homeowner’s insurance.
Unfortunately, this meant Amanda could not afford to replace her home when it burned down in 2016. But good friends donated a different trailer that she put on her property. And while the Cloud 9 neighborhood was deteriorating around her, Amanda put up a privacy fence and surrounded her home with a garden to serve as a refuge. Amanda’s home is one of the best kept in the entire development and was never cited as unsafe or a nuisance to her neighbors.
The peaceful life of Amanda was shattered when she and other neighbors living in RV homes received the city’s July 2020 notice that they were in violation of the code and would have only 30 days to remove their homes from their lots and find somewhere else to live.
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