County waives mobile home disposal fee

If you ever wondered why there seems to be so many dilapidated mobile homes - apparently so has the county.

In a move to reduce the eyesores, the county has waived the $25-a-ton tipping fee for mobile homes disposed of at the county landfill. An average mobile home weighs about five tons, which amounts to a savings of $125.

"It's a our hope to reduce some of the number of mobile homes," Gaffney Assistant Administrator Holland Belue said.

The 90-day mobile home amnesty program began April 1 and will continue until June 30.

Belue said it's too early to tell if the program will be a success, since mobile home owners must first obtain a demolition permit.

"We haven't had any taken to the landfill yet because it takes time to get the permits," Belue said.

The Cherokee County Department of Building Safety also must inspect the mobile homes to determine if they're structurally sound enough to be transported to the landfill.

Cherokee County Building Official Chuck Bobo said about 12 mobile homes are disposed of at the landfill each year.