A former tenant at Sunset Lake Resort & RV Park accepted a settlement after filing a lawsuit in February against the owner alleging negligence over living conditions in a trailer.

Sandra Holloway, who moved into the RV park south of Warrenton in 2018 with her adult son, Michael Leech, described a distressing living situation.

The lawsuit claimed a property manager told Holloway it was a “dry trailer” with no running water or an operable toilet. She said she was told to use the park’s shared bathroom for a toilet and shower.

Holloway said she was also told to use a bucket and spigot next to her unit for water, which she claims was dirty and cloudy and smelled of rotten eggs. She said the trailer was in a state of disrepair and had mold and insufficient electricity.

Holloway said she moved out last November after being informed of another rent increase.

Holloway and Leech sought more than $555,000, but settled in June for $8,500.

“Ms. Holloway and Mr. Leech deserved a safe and dignified place to live, and they’re resolving this case so they can move forward,” said Jamie Trinkle, an attorney for the Oregon Law Center.

“And it’s clear that Sunset Lake and Resources Northwest by offering this judgment against them, they’re also in recognition that they weren’t providing a dignified place to live. And we feel that even though this is a smaller settlement than Ms. Holloway and Mr. Leech deserve, it’s still a way that Sunset Lake and Resources Northwest are being held accountable.

“Sunset Lake and Resources Northwest have a long track record of environmental violations on the conditions that Ms. Holloway and Mr. Leech experienced there.”

An attorney for Ken Hick, of Resources Northwest Inc., the owner of the RV park, could not be reached for comment.

Trinkle said Holloway and Leech settled because they were worried about the financial resources of the RV park, which is involved in another lawsuit that was filed in June 2019 in Multnomah County Circuit Court.

The lawsuit is seeking nearly $1 million in damages, alleging wrongful death and negligence involving George Bolles, who was burned alive when his trailer caught fire in 2018.

The mobile home park allegedly failed to maintain the trailer in a habitable condition or supply a smoke detector and other fire safety equipment.

Another man living at the RV park died in March after his RV caught on fire.