Stockton waterfront RV park residents told to leave after decades of calling it home

For decades, residents of a Stockton waterfront RV park have considered the property home. Now, the state says they were never supposed to live there permanently, and more than 60 people are facing an uncertain future.

Residents of Windmill Cove RV Park say they were stunned when state officials recently told them they would have to leave.

"The state came in to tell us that we have to vacate because they made a mistake," resident Lisa Harrian said.

For residents like Ronald Plaga, who is disabled and lives at the park on a limited income, the announcement has created an immediate crisis.

"I don't even know what to do at this point," Plaga said.

Windmill Cove sits along the San Joaquin River on what is known as sovereign land, property owned by the state and held for public purposes.

According to officials with the California State Lands Commission, the property can be used as an RV park, but only for short-term stays.

"You bring your RV in, you park, 30, 60 days, you stay, you move it out," a State Lands Commission representative said during a meeting with residents.

Residents say that's not how the property has functioned for decades. Some have lived there for years, while others say they expected to remain there indefinitely.

"We thought we were going to be here forever. Our place was going to be here," resident Jerry Pompei said.

State Lands Commission records show California authorized Windmill Cove as an RV park in 1994. Records later listed 55 RV spaces and two mobile home sites.

The lease for the property runs through 2034.

While those records do not state that residents are permitted to live at the park full-time, residents argue the state's long-standing involvement with the property gave them reason to believe their arrangements were allowed.

"There's been a lot of confusion over a long period of time that this was OK," a State Lands Commission representative said during the meeting. "I'm unfortunately here to tell you it's never been OK, and we've never said it was OK."

Residents say state inspected their homes

Residents also say the state did more than simply know the RV park existed. They say state officials periodically inspected their spaces and required them to make changes to comply with state standards.

"They came out and had us look at our decks, at our spots," one resident said. "And then told us that we had to cut our decks to make them fireproof."

The resident said the state later sent a letter saying they were in compliance.

That history is now at the center of residents' frustration.

Harrian said the state needs to find a solution for people who have spent years building their lives at Windmill Cove.

"They need to fix it. They need to do something," she said.

Plaga said he has already struggled to find another location that will accept his trailer, and the alternatives he has found are too expensive.

"No place will take my trailer, and all the other places are too expensive for me to go to anyway because I'm disabled on limited income," he said. "That puts me in a major predicament where I'm potentially just going to be out on a levee."

Residents are asking the state to help cover relocation costs. But officials have not promised financial assistance.

"Not going to lie to you and say we're going to help you and we're going to provide assistance to that. No," a State Lands Commission representative told residents.

And there is another major question that remains unanswered: When do residents actually have to leave?

State officials could not provide a specific deadline.

"I wish I could tell you," the representative said. "You have to be exactly out in five months, or you have to be out in two months. We don't know."

CBS News Sacramento reached out to the state for additional information about the RV park, but the state had not responded as of this story.

Residents say another meeting is planned for October.