Off The Cuff

The Nightmare That Will Not Go Away

Posted by: From Arkansas in Are You Kidding Me?, Shame of America on Jul 16 2007

Welcome back!

The couple had a home they paid off in 1968. For some reason, a tax bill of $1.63 went to some other address in 1996. The couple never saw it. Because the tax bill was never paid, the home was sold at a sheriff’s auction for the $1.63 plus 10 cents plus $125 sale costs. Was that the end of it? Certainly not. Of course, people have to add insult to injury…much injury.

The couple are Kermit and Dolores Atwood of Slidell, La. They thought they owned their home right up until Katrina came visiting. When the trees dropped limbs on the house, they had no insurance. But let’s back up a bit here.

In the year 2000, they found out about the sheriff’s sale of the house which had happened in 1996. Naturally, it was a week after the 3 yr. period when delinquent taxpayers can reclaim their property had ended. The bill had been sent out to an address that did not exist then sent undelivered to the sheriff’s office. When the couple knew about the sale, they complained to the sheriff that they did not receive the bill and had no intention of selling the house that was completely paid for years ago. They had no taxes on it due to homestead exemption.

Did that end it? No. The State Tax Commission did nullify the sale. However, when the couple tried to sell the house in 2002 and had received an offer of $90,000, they discovered that the original buyer, Jamie Land Co. had filed a lawsuit claiming that he had bought the rights to the property from American Land Investments. They could not sell the house because there was no clear title to it anymore.

In comes Katrina. The house received damage but without insurance, they had to turn to the federal government for help. Right. Because there was no clear title to the property, they could not qualify for the federal help they so desparately needed.

Finally, in May 2006, State District Judge Patricia Hedges ruled that the house and land belonged to the the couple who actually owned the property. Naturally, Jamie Land appealed. In June, a 3 judge panel at the state 1st Circuit Court of Appeal ruled that the Hedges’ decision was upheld. Is the nightmare over? No way. Jamie Land is not satisfied. He asked to have the court rehear the case. They turned him down. Is it over? No way!!! Jamie Land is going to the Louisiana Supreme Court .

James A. Lindsay II, who obviously has more money than brains, says that his rights were violated when the Tax Commission did not inform him. So, instead of finding something else to do with his money and time, he has decided to pursue a helpless couple who simply want to keep the house they PAID FOR!!!!

What kind of jerk would do this to people? SHAME OF AMERICA trophy goes out to you, James A. Lindsay II. Obviously, you need a house to live in. Obviously, you must keep makng these people pay and pay and pay for something that was not their fault in the first place because you can’t find a way to keep your incrediby cheap house. I have no words I can repeat here about what I think about that.

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