[StBernard] Parish Threatens To Tear Down Renovated Home

[Westley Annis]

RENA:
 
Any money received under the Road Home program is tax free.  You can verify
this with Mary Landrieu's or David Vetters' offices, but any reliable CPA or
tax preparer should already know this. 
JFR
	-----------------------------------------------------
	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