PennLive Residents at Cherokee Campground on Pine Grove Road in Dickinson Township are being told they need to move their RVs due to zoning regulations.

They had nothing in writing, but say they had good reason to believe the loss of their homes in a Cumberland County campground were permanent.

They say they paid more than seasonal campers. They were required to have extra insulation to prevent burst pipes and water system disruptions in winter. School buses stopped there.

It has come to a sudden, unexpected end: About 32 households in Cherokee Campground are being evicted, with many told to leave within 30 days, and the rest required to leave soon after. Several interviewed this week say they have no idea where they’ll go and fear becoming homeless.

“I’ve been shaking. My mind is on overtime. I’m not sleeping. I don’t know where we’ll go,” said Debbie Hoover, 62.

Most live in travel trailers or RVs. One dwelling seems made out of military tents.

Some have lived up to four years at the campground in Dickinson Township, near Pine Grove Furnace State Park.

“Almost all of us are in our 60s. Many of us have disabilities,” said Penny Brashears, 63, who has lived there for three years, and who said her living companion recently had heart surgery.

The campground owner, Nader Alajlouni, is evicting them because of a township ordinance that said people can’t live in a campground for more than half the year.

Dickinson Township learned of the year-round residents only recently, said Larry Barrick, the township manager.

He said nearby residents complained of problems including noise and overflowing trash Dumpsters.

He said township staff met with Alajlouni, who was “not very forthcoming” about the number of long-term residents. Barrick said he didn’t know so many are being displaced until being contacted by PennLive.

He said the township is sensitive to their situation but has no choice but to enforce the law.

“We feel for that. But unfortunately, we have a job to do to make sure things are right to protect the surrounding neighbors that are fed up with it,” he said. “Unfortunately, the owner has chosen to allow this to happen, knowing that it’s a campground, it’s not a rental property, it’s not low-income rent or anything like that.”

Alajlouni has owned the campground for 17 years, but said he didn’t know about the law against year-round occupancy until notified by the township about two weeks ago.

“I should know better. It’s me overlooking the zoning and letting them stay longer than six months,” he said.

Multiple residents say they face a crisis. Several say they live on Social Security incomes of well under $1,000 per month, as do many of their neighbors. Brashears said she regularly helps a disabled neighbor get to the toilet.

Sheila Kuhn, 52, said she receives $859 in monthly disability income. Her husband, Ben, is looking for work. Her daughter recently moved in with them.

“We are stuck. We don’t have anywhere to go. We don’t even have a truck to pull our camper,” she said.

Residents say they paid $600 per month, which also covered electricity, septic and water.

“It’s cheap living for the elderly and the disabled,” Brashears said.

Brashears said she immediately began looking for a place to move after receiving an eviction letter last Friday, searching as far as West Virginia. She said campgrounds are either full, don’t take year-round residents or have waiting lists. She also said that while some mobile home parks will allow a large travel trailer, they don’t accept older trailers such as hers, made in 2002.

Moreover, residents say they lack money for security deposits and expenses such as moving their home and restoring their lot to its original condition, as instructed by the eviction letter. Many have pets, which they say further narrows their options.

Many of their homes have a look of permanency, with attached steps, ramps and decks. Signs of outdoor enjoyment abound: strings of lights, chairs, fire pits and potted plants.

Tessa Swartz lives there with two of her children and her fiance. The gravel space outside their RV includes pink and purple kids’ bikes, pool toys, a gas grill and a smoker.

She said they lost their home in York County last year after a heating oil leak forced them to demolish it, excavate contaminated ground and live in motels for months, costing them well over $40,000. With their remaining money, they bought an RV and moved to the campground.

She calls it a great place for people wanting a “simpler, cheaper lifestyle.”

“We look out for each other around here,” she said.

Barrick said the township continues to investigate a range of possible zoning and building codes violations, including determining the number of long- and short-term residents, and how it compares to the number of approved lots. He further said state and federal environmental agencies are looking into possible sewer-related violations.

Residents this week told of sewage smell and showed a reporter a septic system they said had been recently covered with additional soil and appeared to be oozing liquid.

Alajlouni said he is working on problems related to zoning and a septic system.

Asked what responsibility he bears in the hardship faced by residents forced to move, Alajlouni said, if residents come and talk to him, he’ll consider help, such as giving them more time and waiving monthly fees so they can build up cash.

Barrick also said if Alajlouni and residents reach out, the township will do what it can, such as possibly giving more time.

“We would absolutely try our best to work with them,” Barrick said.