[StBernard] Parish Threatens To Tear Down Renovated Home

[Westley Annis]

Rena,
Thanks  for  the  reply  you  sound  like  you  are  a  good  person ~
It's  my  mom's  house & our  home, we  are  trying  to  get  together.
My  mom  is  85 ~ she  had  cancer  a  few  years  back ~ they  had  to
remove  her  left  kidney-also  one  rib, her  Dr.  told  her, it  didn't
matter  to  him  what  her  parish  said  that  she  has  one  kidney, he
feels  that  her  place  was  in  the  Murphy  spill,  that  it's  not
healthy  for  her  to  be  in  the  parish. We  did  like  most  people, we
found  a  place  but  it's  not  home - I  want  to  try  to  fix  mom's
place  first  -  it's  only  24X24  a  very  small  house, when  I  bring
her  down  to  the& nbsp; parish, her  face  glows-then  comes  the  smile.
She  made  a  SBA  loan, the  money  she  did  get  went  straight  to  SBA,
but  we  will  work  something  out. 
                    Take  Care, Angie


-----Original Message-----
Angie,

Honey, I totally understand and empathize with your and everyone else's
situation.  I AM TOO on a fixed income.  I am retired, but trust me, that
retirement check barely makes ends meet these days.  

I said I am going to rebuild, but I AM also at the mercy of the government
in what proceeds I will be entitled to to rebuild.  I lost my home which was
pre-katrina appraised at approximately $200,000.00.  If I don't
rebuild...i'll be the proud owner of a worthless piece of land.  At one time
the lots in our area started at $85,000!!!  Now...I probably couldn't get
$25,000 for the lot.

The only resources i'll have are what i'm getting from Road Home and the
HMGP Elevation Grants.  AND...what sucks even more is, I'm getting these
resources but am being penalized because we (everyone who is entitled) have
to pay taxes on those monies!  Boy...was I naive...i always thought GRANT
meant non-taxable!!

I probably could have tried mold remediation and rebuilt the insides, but
with my health issues, my physician said if it were his mother, he would
advise against her rebuilding.  So with my health practioner's advice, I
made the decision to demo and start over.  It was NOT without much anguish
and STILL many emotional roller coaster days and nights.  BUT...I really try
not to dwell on things I have no control over.  It WAS eating me alive!!  

When I left my home, I left with only 3 days of clothes.  Every other time
we ever had to evacuate, I'd always pack the van to the roof with family
pictures, (I lost my husband at the very early age of 37 and all I had left
of him were pictures), baby albums, wedding album, family bible and many
other irreplaceable items.  This time...like a fool...who will kick herself
till the day she's pushing up daisies...I didn't bring anything.  So...I've
grieved for my irreplaceable items...but I'm TRYING to move on and live FOR
the FUTURE and not dwell on in the past.

Rena