Council gives Hilltop Mobile Home Park owner 30 days to submit plan after city cites code violations

The Midwest City Council heard an appeal from Marcell (Marcell) Ratcliffe, owner of Hilltop Mobile Home Park, after code enforcement and building-inspection staff issued notices alleging violations of city ordinances governing mobile-home and travel-trailer parks.

"My name is Marcell Ratcliffe. My business is Hilltop," Ratcliffe told council and said her family has owned the property for decades. Ratcliffe said code enforcement originally recorded 328 notices and that she had reduced the open items to about 54 by the time notices were mailed. She argued the park existed before the ordinance she was cited under and asked the council to drop two alleged violations referenced in a building official—s letter: a separation requirement between manufactured homes and travel trailers and a dilapidation removal requirement.

City staff described the enforcement history differently. Code enforcement supervisor Mike Stroh said officers inspected the park on March 11 and prepared 328 initial notices; a software issue delayed mailing until April 30, after which staff observed that only 54 remained open. Chief building official Randall Fryer—s April 7 letter, included in the council packet, identified two compliance issues staff wanted addressed: the park—s mixed designation (manufactured homes vs. travel trailers) and removal of dilapidated or wrecked manufactured homes. Fryer told council the city had asked for a drawing showing which areas are designated for each unit type and for a plan addressing removal or rehabilitation of dilapidated structures.

Council discussion focused on due process and clarity. Several members said that, to create a meaningful action plan, the owner needed an itemized list tied to specific units. The city attorney and staff reviewed historical code and told council the dilapidation standard dated to city ordinances from the 1960s; staff said that argument was unlikely to succeed as a defense. Council members also acknowledged the property had received long-standing code attention but noted staff reported substantial progress after the initial inspection.

Council action The council adopted a motion with these main directives: - The city's building official will provide a specific list identifying the properties and the dilapidation concerns underlying the building-inspection notice within 10 days. - Ratcliffe must submit a written action plan responding to the identified items; the action plan should explain how and when the owner will remedy the problems. - Code enforcement will monitor progress, provide updated photographs and a status report to council, and staff will revisit the matter at the council's next scheduled meeting on June 24, 2025. Councilmembers noted the building official may still issue citations in the interim if new or continuing violations are found.

Councilmembers characterized the decision as a balance between enforcement and giving the property owner time to demonstrate corrective action. Several councilmembers urged the owner to work with staff and said their motion did not preclude citations if life-safety or other urgent issues remained unaddressed.

Owner response Ratcliffe said she had begun repairs and painting and that she wanted to preserve the property as an affordable housing option. She told council she had worked on many of the items and asked for leniency where appropriate.

Why it matters The appeal touches on two recurring municipal issues: how the city enforces health-and-safety and property-maintenance codes in multi-tenant parks, and how grandfathering or prior-use claims interact with later-adopted regulations. Council directed staff to give clear, itemized notice to support an action plan and said it would review progress at the June 24 meeting.