[StBernard] properties in limbo

[Westley Annis]

I've been reading all the comments about the parish's efforts to move
forward with demolitions. This is my personal opinion based on what I know
about real people in my surrounding neighborhood, as well as friends and
relatives.

No one I know has hailed Katrina as a windfall or the best thing that has
happened in their life, i.e. it's been a stressful, gut wretching hardship,
with not only financial losses, but emotional losses as well. Those who
found the inner strength, courage, ability to make a hard decision, and the
luck to make a right decision are not caught in what I term as Katrina
limbo. For example, those who chose the path to bundle their resources and
buy an undamaged house and turn over the old  house to LRA or signed up for
demolition, are not in Katrina limbo. Those who chose to scoop up a damaged
house at a better location or rehab their own damaged  house or tear down
their house and rebuild new on the same lot, are not in Katrina limbo.
Sure, we all bare some scars (financial, emotional, physical), but they have
put Katrina behind them.

So who is still in Katrina limbo, which is not quite as bad as Katrina hell?


There are those who continue to hold out for an unreasonable sale price on a
damaged house because "I"m not giving my house away". They have bought
houses elsewhere and re-settled, but unrealistically expect that someone is
going to give them the price they want for a flood damaged home. While
nationwide and locally there is a  housing glut, a buyer's market, insurance
problems and high rates, and skyrocketing construction costs, these people
are holding on to a boarded up house that just cannot be left that way
indefinitely. It's unsafe to the residents who have recovered and must deal
with the empty house. As time goes on, the inevitable will happen-rot,
mildew, termite infestation-then what? Will they have the money to demolish
the house when FEMA stops paying in August 2008?  Will they get a buyer
then?  

Also in Katrina limbo are those who just can't bear to part with the past.
There are those who have settled elsewhere using all their insurance, FEMA,
LRA money and personal savings to buy a new house, but they just can't
psychological sell or demo the house in the parish they love. They have no
money left to fix up the parish house (whether to rent out or to come back
for visits), and they fully expect that their neighbors won't mind having an
unoccupied house just sit there for the rest of their life. 

The parish's newly elected leadership has provided a process to move along
and work with those who truly want to move forward. The Katrina limbo people
will not move forward on their own because of unrealistic financial
expectations (Did Katrina make anybody financially whole again?) or because
of an emotional bond they don't want to break.

Ultimately, it is up to those who are living here now to determine the
present and future of our parish for the good of  the residents who have
invested everything to be in St. Bernard. We, the voting citizens, have
elected leaders to do the job to move us forward, to make the tough
decisions for those who can't or won't, and to demand accountability and
responsibility from all property owners for the sake of  the parish. 

Special cases have an avenue to appeal, but the people in limbo need to make
decisions or have the decision made for them. We can't all live in limbo
because others wish to.  ddk