Mitch Goldstein | Coach Mitch | July 31st, 2007City wants trailers, property cleared
Monday, July 30, 2007 By Alicia DuPlessis THE DAILY IBERIAN
The LeBlanc Trailer Park on Frenzel Street in New Iberia has become an irritant to the community with its overgrown grass and less than attractive mobile homes.
Now at…the City of New Iberia’s compliance office, the park in its entirety has made the city’s demolition list.
On Aug. 21, the property owner is scheduled to come before the council to either ask for time to repair or agree to the demolition. City compliance officer Troy Broussard said that the plot of land is known by many in the community as LeBlanc Trailer Park, but that the property changed owners several times and was eventually abandoned.
“When the park changed hands, everything started going down,” said Broussard. “The grass is never cut and there are still about 15 rundown and abandoned trailers on the lot.”
Broussard said that although the park is on the demolition list, the owner will have the chance to come before the council in August to state whether they are capable of taking responsibility of the property or whether they will agree to having the trailers removed.
In either decision, the cost of repair or demolition will be at the owners expense.
Residents who live across the street from the abandoned lot are pleased to see that the city is paying attention to the property and attempting to remove what they see as a dangerous setting.
Wendy Rochelle, who lives directly across from the lot, said that although the trailers are an eyesore, they are more a threat to her safety.
“Just a few weeks ago, the property owner had to come by and tell some people who had started sleeping in the trailers that they had to go,” she said. “I’ve even seen the police over there with guns drawn looking for someone who may have been hiding there.”
Rochelle said that at night, it’s difficult to tell if anyone or anything is hiding in the tall grass making her afraid to leave her home after dark.
Assessor records show that the taxes on the property were taken over in 2006 by LEMCI Inc., after taxes had gone unpaid for several years.
Gary Massicot of LEMCI said that he has been contacted by the city through mail correspondence to inform him of what’s going on, but that he will not be the person attending the council meeting in August as owner.
“The people who owned it didn’t pay the taxes so my company made the payment,” he said. “If we continue to pay the taxes for three years, we will then be able to acquire the titles.”
Massicot said that he has never actually visited the property nor is he sure of its exact location. He said that his knowledge of the land’s condition comes from photos sent to him by the city’s compliance office.
Although Massicot holds a tax deed, he said that he has not obtained title to the property, therefore he will not be responsible for its repair.
John Segura, listed owner of the property, could not be reached for comment.
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Coach Mitch’s REFLECTIONS
Can you answer these questions?
1 If Massicot has a tax deed, why isn’t he the owner of title?
2 What is the difference between a tax lien certificate and a tax deed – in Louisiana?
3 This is Louisiana. Can the county give property to Massicot now versus after three years?
4 What is the status of the money investment that Massicot paid to the county for the back taxes if the county demolishes the trailer park?
5 Does Massicot lose his investment?
6 What happens to the interest accrued on the deed?
7 Does Massicot lose his interest in the mobile home park?
8 If Massicot does lose the park what happens to his money investment?
9 What happens to the tax assessment if the park is demolished?
10 What happens to the value of the park if the demolition occurs?
11 Massicot says he is not responsible for the trailer parks condition, but is he?
12 If the owner cannot pay the costs of the demolition and / or cleanup, who does pay and who is accountable for the bill?
13 If a municipal lien gets attached to the property, does that lien get removed if the property goes through a tax deed auction?
14 IfMassicot no longer wants the property and does not pay the delinquent taxes, what happens to his money investment from having paid the previous year’s taxes?
15 Is an investment return in a tax lien certificate “guaranteed” by the state?
16 Are laws in Louisiana different from other states because it is under the Napoleonic system of law?
17 Can you answer these questions for your state or the states that you want to do business within?
18 Is it more clear why you need a coach if you want to do this business profitably and with safety?
See Coach Mitch’s “Ridiculously Simple System…” ™ for details.
Be careful,
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