Residents forced to move after Hiawatha buys trailor court

While many Eastern Iowans will be taking a few days off this weekend, several families in Hiawatha will be moving.  It's a move they'd prefer to do on their own terms.

But, back in March, the city of Hiawatha agreed to buy the 12-acre plot of land known as Oak Brook Trailer Court. Thursday, many of the families started packing up after being told they have to leave by July 15th.  They first got notice of the pending sale in March, and the words didn't initially come from the owner, but instead the newspaper.

The city hopes to eventually develop the land, but that means the people who live there have to leave.

Tim Hemmis has lived in the same plot for 29 years.  He's now moving to a nearby mobile home park.

“It's going to cost me over $7,000 to move my double-wide,” said Hemmis, 52.

His in-laws lived next to him and had lived at Oak Brook for more than 50 years.  They moved out last month.

Christopher Lamb moved in just a few years ago and now is paying to move his home too.

Lamb said his costs are around $4,000 for the move, “I had to get a bank loan.”

However, he said in the end the move will be worthwhile.

“I have a 6-year-old son and over there at the Five Season's, he'll have a basketball court, a playground and a pool and better streets to ride his bike.  I think for us it's better for us in the end,” said Lamb, 27.

Oak Brook has some history to it, the founder of Hiawatha started the court before the city itself was founded around 1950.