Dear Mr. Carrere

Dear Mr. Carrere,

Your name was given to me as a good person to contact in Code Enforcement for the City of New Orleans.

Unfortunately a number of homes in my immediate neighborhood remain hazardous eyesores that have not been properly remediated since the floods of 2005.

Today I am writing to you about what I consider to be the worst of the lot: 3016 Bienville. This double today stands with both doors open and moldering furniture visible inside from the curb. It has never been gutted or even secured. Since I live literally around the corner, I pass by this house often. What I see makes my blood boil. But imagine how the people feel who live one or two doors down or across the street and must gaze upon this travesty every day — not to mention keeping their kids out of harm’s way.

This is a historic shotgun double, and as such it is an important part of the fabric of the block. It does not need to be demolished. Indeed its demolition would add injury to insult. It should be renovated. And in the meantime, it should be secured immediately.

It makes me furious to contemplate how a property owner could be so irresponsible, and so disrespectful to me and my neighbors. But furious or not, I understand that some people are just bad eggs. I can accept that. What I wonder about, and the reason I am writing you today, is to ask this question: What can the city do to hold the owner of this property accountable? What will you do?

For my part of I have filed every kind of report I can imagine on this property. We have received assurances that he’s going to sell, etc. And yet today the building still stands there without even the rudimentary and step of boarding up the front door as required by ordinance.

Personally I believe the owner should be fined and punished to the fullest extent of the law.

At the end of my rope,

Bart Everson

PS: You can see a picture of the house here.

Note that this photo was taken almost two years ago and not one thing has changed since then, except the weeds have gotten higher.

Update: Jennifer Farwell sent a follow-up:

MCNO specifically advocated for the denial of the demolition on this property because of its historic character and because the owner stated that he was selling the property and would be closing on it “within days.”

That was last August, I believe. He responded to a questionnaire we sent out asking the intentions of absentee owners regarding blighted property. At the time, I told him that the new owner MUST secure it and begin work on it within 90 days to avoid blight citation. He said the new owner planned to renovate it to live in and would be starting immediately.

He also promised that if the sale fell through, he would remediate the property to avoid fines. I can only assume since he has not been cited, he has no fear of reprisal and therefore ignores the problem. He lives comfortably on Nashville Ave. and does not have to be surrounded by blight
and abandonment.

I have his contact information and it is the same now as it was then. I can confirm that this address is correct because we sent him the questionnaire there.

ELLIOTT LOUIS J
1128 NASHVILLE AVE
NEW ORLEANS LA 70115

MCNO strongly urges the city to take code enforcement action against this property immediately.

I am adding Winston Reid and Kristen Phillips to this list as they are also involved in code enforcement.

Jennifer Farwell
MCNO Vice President

Also, it’s been brought to my attention that Hilary Carrere is male, so I am correcting the fact that in my original missive I addressed him as Ms.