Partially blind La Pine senior may be forced to move after 20 years, unless permit granted

(Update: County explains notice of violation, says it was not eviction notice)

LA PINE, Ore. (KTVZ) -- After 20 years living and working on a La Pine property, Mary Clendenin is at a crossroads.

"I was just stunned,” Clendenin said Friday.

The 77-year-old has lived in her trailer on the property since 2001.

This year, Deschutes County informed her she is breaking county code and cannot live on the property full-time.

Clendenin said it would take months to get the trailer ready to move, and she's already facing difficult circumstances. 

"I had a stroke in late 2018, and I'm blind in my left eye,” Clendenin said while holding back tears. 

Clendenin maintains the property and acts as a caretaker for owner Lori Middleton.

"I've always told Mary she could live out her life there,” Middleton said. “I've always promised her some day, I'm going to build on the property. But I would never ever kick her off.”

Middleton lives in Vancouver but uses the La Pine property as a vacation home. Her parents bought the house in 1965 and passed it to Middleton in 1994.

She feels Clendenin should be able to stay.

"I think she's an upstanding member of La Pine society, and they should keep her,” Middleton said. “I don't want her to have to be homeless."

Angie Havniear is an administrative manager in Community Development for Deschutes County.

While this is not Havniear's case, after reading the case notes and analyzing the situation, she offered a comment on behalf of the department.

She said she understands this is a unique situation, but says the department has to follow code, regardless of the situation. 

"It's that balance of caring for our community and the people in it and abiding by the rules that we all have for regulations,” Havniear said. 

Havniear said out of the 775 code compliance cases they have currently , 97 are RV occupancy cases.

"Why now? Why not 10 years ago or 15 years ago?” Clendenin asked. “ I've been here 20 years!"

Clendenin’s trailer has technically always been violating code, but the department wasn't aware until someone reported the trailer to them this past December. Code enforcement is usually complaint-driven.

"I just don't understand why the county, for lack of a better word, is picking on me,” Clendenin said. 

Middleton said she has applied and paid for a temporary use permit that would allow the trailer to stay there for six months.

Havniear said the Planning Department is still reviewing the application.

However, Middleton said the check has been cashed -- and Clendenin said she received a notice of violation that warned of enforcement action, trial or fines, requiring swift action or an appeal. 

Havinear stressed that she and the county are willing to work with the property owner and resident to find a solution.

And county Community Development Director Nick Lelack later told NewsChannel 21 that the department "has not issued an eviction notice for this property, and does not have the authority to issue such a notice.

"Perhaps there is confusion over the notice of violation or a potential hearing on the violation, which we are pleased to clarify with the property owner and resident caretaker," Lelack wrote. "Our goal is to achieve voluntary compliance in every case, and we believe there is a path forward to achieving compliance through the permitting process for this property."

But for Clendenin, she has no idea what will happen next.

"I have nowhere to go. I'm by myself, so what do I do? What do I do?” Clendenin asked desperately. 

"I'm at a loss for words, I really am -- and normally that's not me!"