MILLERSBURG, Ohio — Trash was piling up. Water bills were going unpaid. Families living in the Millersburg Trailer Park were left in limbo, unsure where their rent money was going or when things might improve.
Now, just a few months later, residents say the worst is finally behind them and they’re seeing real change.
News 5 has been following through on this story since February, when tenants first raised concerns about the park's conditions and questioned where their money was going.
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At the time, the mobile home park’s owner, Corey Woodruff, had stopped paying the water bill.
The park’s water bill was delinquent by more than $31,000—even though tenants like Brenda Stokovich said they had been paying their bills on time.
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In March trash collection bill stopped being paid, according to the Village of Millersburg. Trash pickup ceased, and garbage quickly began accumulating in the streets.
Stokovich, like many of her neighbors, simply wanted transparency and accountability.
In April, residents, represented by legal aid, filed a class action lawsuit against Woodruff. The suit requested that a court-appointed receiver take control of the park to ensure essential services were restored and maintained.
The Holmes County Court granted that request. A receiver was named, who then hired a professional property management company to help with operations.
Since then, trash collection has resumed. Water leaks have been repaired. And according to Millersburg officials, all utility bills are now current.
Village Administrator Nate Troyer said the court-appointed receiver wasted no time in stabilizing the property.
“They came in, addressed the leaks, resumed trash service, and made sure things were handled,” he said. “Everybody deserves a place to live.”
Troyer added that only two of the park’s 44 occupied lots are currently behind on payments, pushing back on previous claims from the former owner. In a March email sent to News 5, Woodruff said the tenants were at fault for the park’s issues, writing, in part, “Now we know why this mobile park is so run down… it’s the people."
He also claimed tenants owed him over $31,000. However, village officials claim that the management company is now maintaining clear and up-to-date records.
Stacy Stump, who’s lived at the park for years, said that the difference is night and day.
“We don’t have the same owner anymore, so that’s a plus,” she said. “You’ll see [the kids] out here riding their bikes now that we don’t have trash piled up.”
Communication with management has also improved, residents say, a relief after months of unanswered emails and rent reminders from Woodruff, even after the bank had taken over the property.
“He would still email and say you’re late on rent, or you owe by a certain day,” Stump said.
News 5 reached out to Corey Woodruff for comment on the court’s decision and the current state of the park. He did not respond. Village administrators stated that he has also not appeared in court, although his wife did.
“There is a light at the end of the tunnel,” Stump said. “I 100% believe we have help coming.”
