Harlan Kirgan
Civic Source was approved as the city agent and attorney to sell adjudicated property in Eunice on Wednesday by the Board of Aldermen.
The city has about 100 properties where taxes have not been paid, which eventually tags them with the “adjudicated” label.
A check at civicsource.com already shows property up for bid in Eunice.
The process takes the place of the city having to do the work to sell abandoned property.
Vernon McManus, city attorney, said usually there are title problems with the properites.
“In order to get a title you really have to make service, give notice to people,” he said.
Clearing a title is often expensive, he said.
Civic Source is able to clear the titles, which is a big expense, he said.
“This is a big advantage to the city of Eunice,” McManus said.
According the Civic Source website, an $850 fee is required to begin to start an auction.
Eunice Mayor Scott Fontenot, in an earlier interview, said the cost of maintaining abandoned property falls on the city.
“If there is a way we can sell these properties and put them back into commerce we might never collect what is owed on the tax, but we won’t have to maintain it,” he said.
The meeting on Ash Wednesday was rescheduled from the regular meeting that was to be held on Tuesday, which was was Mardi Gras.
Two properties in Eunice are headed for demolition.
Bill Thompson, code enforcement officer, said there had been no response from owners of property at 250 Julia St. (Sherry Fontenot) and 403 S. 10th St. (Angelica A. Pearce).
The Board voted to demolish the structures.
Another property at 1120 Sittig Road, a trailer owned by Gary LaFleur, is be served notice that it faces a hearing at the next Board meeting.
Thompson said a letter sent to LaFleur was returned.
Crystal Rougeau Wiley, a St. Landry Parish School counselor, spoke about a plan to create an organization called Talented Tenths’ Creations that would provide free resources for under-served and at-risk youth and adults.
The organization is the idea of Brandy Guillory, a Eunice native who recently graduated from Southern University law school, she said.
Alderwoman Germaine Simpson said, “This has been long anticipated. I’m so glad she had decided to do this here in Eunice.”
The program would help youths and adults, according to a brochure.
Youth services would include counseling, computer lab, after school programs and history-cultural lessons.
Adult services would include expungement seminars, GED readiness and tutoring, job readiness training, legal seminars, financial literacy and positive parenting seminars.
Other business at the meeting included:
— Directing Police Chief Randy Fontenot to report on traffic at Eula and Dudley.
— Declare as surplus a 1992 Chevrolet pickup and 2003 Ford Taurus.
— Appoint Donald Smith to the civil service board.