Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Family watches in horror as city tears down home days before Christmas
WTAE ^ | 12/19/2013

Posted on 12/20/2013 12:17:05 PM PST by Responsibility2nd

KENNER, La. —A Louisiana homeowner watched in horror as city workers in Kenner, La. tore down the house she was rebuilding since Hurricane Katrina.

“I'm going to wind up in the loony bin. I've tried for seven years to get back home. This is my home. This is my corner. I own this piece of property, and Kenner does this to me,” said home owner Reba Tullier.

But the city of Kenner said it has a zero-tolerance policy on blighted homes.

Tullier said she had finally lined up help to fix her house, but it was too late.

“It's not fair, it's insane,” said Tullier.

Tullier and her family went from tears to screams and back again as they watched a bulldozer plow through their property Wednesday.

“I was on my way in today to do an $800 injunction -- had no clue this was happening today,” said Tullier. “I do not get a letter. I do not get a date when this is going to happen. I've called every single day to try to talk with somebody who could tell me when this was going to happen. Nobody could tell me anything because conveniently there's no one in the office.”

Tullier's house at 2001 Kentucky Ave. was damaged in Hurricane Katrina. She had to bulldoze it then.

She was rebuilding her family home while she lives in Mississippi.

The city of Kenner sent her a letter in April, saying her work permit had expired due to six months of inactivity on the property.

“All we were trying to do was come back home and they didn't want to give us time, the city just wanted this house down,” said Brittany Tullier, Reba’s daughter.

The city council voted on Oct. 17 to demolish the property after complaints from neighbors about safety and lack of activity. The city attorney said Reba Tullier did not appeal that decision but was told to get an attorney.

She said no attorney would take her case, she couldn't get a loan and a contractor ran off with her money.

But she now has a group of volunteers ready to help.

“You don't know what we've been doing. You don't know what we've been trying to do,” said Reba Tullier.

She said the house would have been done in about three months with all of the volunteer help she had lined up. Now she said she'll probably have to sell the property.

The city attorney said Kenner will put a lien on Tullier's tax bill to pay for the demolition.

“They're going to pay for this to be rebuilt. This is wrong. There is no court order filed in the system,” said Reba Tullier.

City Attorney Keith Conley told WDSU there is no court order required. A house can be demolished by council action, he said.

Conley said Tullier's house is one of 13 homes demolished in the last couple of months as part of a zero tolerance for blight policy.


TOPICS: Local News
KEYWORDS: blight; katrina; louisiana; rebatullier
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-95 last
To: stuck_in_new_orleans

See post #80.


81 posted on 12/20/2013 3:25:36 PM PST by TigersEye (Stupid is a Progressive disease.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies]

To: Oliviaforever

It is if you are in your heart of hearts a socialist.
Everything anyone has is really there to serve you.


82 posted on 12/20/2013 3:36:49 PM PST by MrEdd (Heck? Geewhiz Cripes, thats the place where people who don't believe in Gosh think they aint going.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: Thumper1960
The lack of respect for PRIVATE PROPERTY by some so-called ‘’FReepers’’ is appalling.

**********************

I could not agree more.

83 posted on 12/20/2013 3:39:37 PM PST by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 77 | View Replies]

To: trisham
Ditto!

The lack of respect for facts seems to go hand in hand with that.

84 posted on 12/20/2013 3:44:38 PM PST by TigersEye (Stupid is a Progressive disease.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 83 | View Replies]

To: TigersEye

The satellite image and the street view image were taken at different times.

If the satellite image is older, then the house and landscaping were put in later. A lot of time would have to pass for the house to age so much and the landscaping to grow so much.

It says the house which was there when Katrina hit was demolished, and she was building a new one. I think the house in the street view was the original house. The satellite image shows the foundation for the new house.

There may have been a good reason to demolish the house, but not without due process. If it really was a blight, and the owner was not addressing the problem satisfactorily, a court would be the proper place to resolve it. The opinion of little dictators should not be sufficient for leveling someone’s house.


85 posted on 12/20/2013 3:46:56 PM PST by BykrBayb (Somewhere, my flower is there. ~ Þ)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 79 | View Replies]

To: 1rudeboy

Actually not always. Attorneys now are looking for deep pockets. About
2 1/2 yrs ago we were looking for an attorney on an elder abuse/probate case. Noone would take it. We finally found an attorney who initially took the case simply because he knew hubbie’s dad. Once the case started he realized we were right, that sis had stolen all the money, and then worked his behind off to get it back.


86 posted on 12/20/2013 3:53:16 PM PST by sheana
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: TigersEye

If our property can be razed to the ground because our neighbors feel that our landscaping or homes aren’t attractive enough, what rights do we really have?


87 posted on 12/20/2013 3:54:11 PM PST by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 84 | View Replies]

To: Responsibility2nd

Thank you. Your link was the most helpful.


88 posted on 12/20/2013 3:57:05 PM PST by BlessedBeGod (Democrats are Cruz'n for a Bruisin' in 2016. / Obama=Unspeakable Audacity)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: BykrBayb
I think the house in the street view was the original house.

It must be since it was a finished house not one under construction and one story not three. That makes the Google street view over 8 yrs old. It also makes it irrelevant.

Totally agree about due process. If she is forced to sell it would interesting to find out who buys it and what their familial/business/political connections to the town council is. Probably never find that out.

89 posted on 12/20/2013 4:14:03 PM PST by TigersEye (Stupid is a Progressive disease.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 85 | View Replies]

To: trisham

Especially when someone who might want your property could drop an envelope full of cash in a neighbor’s lap to get the process going.


90 posted on 12/20/2013 4:16:42 PM PST by TigersEye (Stupid is a Progressive disease.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 87 | View Replies]

To: stuck_in_new_orleans
Notice the article doesn’t say how many years the property has been blighted. It was a eyesore

The adjacent property owners should have put up a fence so they didn't have to look at it if it bothered them that much...

91 posted on 12/20/2013 6:39:39 PM PST by Iscool
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 56 | View Replies]

To: MrEdd

Please clarify.


92 posted on 12/20/2013 7:31:38 PM PST by Oliviaforever
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 82 | View Replies]

To: Responsibility2nd

I also find your lack of respect for private property ridiculous.


93 posted on 12/20/2013 7:47:38 PM PST by AlmaKing
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 67 | View Replies]

To: Oliviaforever

EIGHT years after Katrina, EIGHT years. In New Orleans do you have any idea how many rats, and snakes can move into a property in eight years? I do, I’ve lived there, and in my opinion the City needs to quit sitting on its assests and bulldoze more.

Till you’ve lived it, you haven’t got a clue.


94 posted on 12/20/2013 8:49:27 PM PST by Shadowstrike (Be polite, Be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: TigersEye

That’s a good point.


95 posted on 12/21/2013 9:03:26 AM PST by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 90 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-95 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson