Property owner claims bayou dredging caused structural faults in building

DONALDSONVILLE – A Donaldsonville man claims dredging on a bayou by a neighboring parish resulted in the destabilization of a building on his property.

Byron Latino filed suit on Jan. 27 in the 23rd Judicial District Court against Lafourche Parish, the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority and the contractors who completed the dredging.

The plaintiff claims the dredging of a canal coordinated and carried out by the defendants resulted in the appearance of structural faults in his building at 415 Veterans in Donaldsonville.

Latino alleges the work carried out by the defendants in Bayou Lafourche, which separates Ascension Parish from Lafourche Parish, was done along the banks behind the building and resulted in cracks in the building's foundation and floor in that area. In addition, Latino claims the foundation of the building continues to move resulting in more significant damage. The filing states the dredging was carried out to increase freshwater flow to area marshes and to counteract saltwater intrusion.

The plaintiff asserts the defendants are responsible for damages for not properly supervising the contractors, negligent dredging of the bayou, failure to stabilize the banks of the bayou, failure to take precautions against the failure of the slope of the bayou and failure to correct failure of the slope of the bayou.

An unspecified amount in damages is sought to include the cost of remediation of the land, cost of repairs or demolition of the building, loss of property value and loss of use of the building.

Latino is being represented by White Castle-based attorney Arthur N. Bagwell.

The case has been assigned to Division C Judge Guy Holdridge.

Case number 102574