[StBernard] Parish Threatens To Tear Down Renovated Home

Westley Annis Westley at da-parish.com
Sat Feb 7 20:17:51 EST 2009


WDSU - Westley

-----Original Message-----
Can you tell me where this article was published? I didn't see it on wwl or
nola (Times Picayune). Thanks.

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Parish Threatens To Tear Down Renovated Home

POSTED: 4:47 pm CST February 6, 2009
UPDATED: 5:34 pm CST February 6, 2009


CHALMETTE, La. -- A St. Bernard Parish homeowner says the parish is
threatening to tear down the home he is trying to rebuild after
Hurricane
Katrina.

Michael Laurent said his home is not listed on the parish's
demolition
list,
but parish leaders have started the tear-down process.

The deadline to finish work on hurricane-damaged homes is looming in
St.
Bernard because by March 31, FEMA will no longer pick up the
demolition tab.
So folks who began working on their homes a year ago are being urged
to
finish up or face the bulldozer.

Laurent and his mother-in-law have spent $50,000 buying and
repairing a home
on St. Marie Street in Chalmette.

It has a brand new roof, new replacement windows and a new fence.
The inside
has been gutted, work is ongoing, and the building permit is
prominently
posted.

So Laurent, who owns a home repair company, was stunned to find a
demolition
notice on his door.

"I find a big red 'X' like on that window, right there on my
window. That
means they (are) going to tear it down because no work is being done
on the
property. And there is work being done on the property," Laurent
said.

So Laurent asked for a demolition list.

"We obtained a list, but our house is not on the list," Laurent
said.

But two other houses on his street are on the list, and the one
listed right
below them has the same address but is on another street.

Laurent said he thinks it's possible that someone confused his
address.

"But I don't want to lose my house on them being confused," he
said.

Soon, things got worse. A parish crew showed up and removed his
water meter
and cut his waterline.

"They came Tuesday and they dug up the plumbing, and the next step
from
what
I understand is the house will be (demolished)," Laurent said.

Laurent said that at the parish council meeting Tuesday he was told
someone
would call him and the problem would be resolved. But so far, he
hasn't
gotten a call.

"If they don't communicate with me, and they don't communicate
with the
demolition crew, who's going to stop the demolition crew if they
have a
work
order saying they need to tear the house down?" Laurent said.

Parish President Craig Taffaro said Laurent's house has been removed
from
the demolition list. But he points out that this is the second
warning
owners have had to complete renovations.

"If the owners do not comply with a continuous progression of
construction,
the house will be referred back to our Resident Services and
Compliance
Department," Taffaro said.





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