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LOUISIANA RECORD

Friday, March 29, 2024

Jefferson Parish woman whose house was sold at tax sale sues new owner

Restraining order

GRETNA – A Jefferson Parish woman whose home was sold in a tax sale is suing its buyer who evicted her after taking possession of the property.

Lori E. Sumrall filed suit against Louisiana Affordable Properties LLC and James Wilson in the 24th Judicial District Court on April 29.

Sumrall claims that since Feb. 18, 1998 she has been the owner of a home located at 1022 Kepler St. in Gretna and that on April 19, 2103 she returned home to find Wilson had removed all of the belongings from her home and placed them outside the premises. The plaintiff alleges she called the police who arrested Wilson for trespassing.

However, Louisiana Affordable Properties had obtained an order of possession only a week earlier on April 12 that was signed by Judge Lee V. Faulkner in the 24th District Court. Sumrall asserts that she later found the property had been sold at a tax sale due to charges from the parish for cleaning up weeds on the property on two occasions that she had not paid. The plaintiff claims that she was never properly served by the sheriff's office with a notice of the sale and therefore it should be void.

The defendant is accused of not properly removing and disposing of the plaintiff’s property after taking possession and not following appropriate court orders or eviction proceedings.

Damages in the amount of $70,000 is sought for broken doors, the removal of the plaintiff’s property, disturbance, inconvenience, invasion of privacy of the home, mental anguish, repairs to the plaintiff’s home, expenses and inconvenience of cleaning the home.

The plaintiff also seeks a temporary restraining order to prevent the defendants from abusing, harassing, threatening her or coming with 100 feet of her residence.

Sumrall is represented by Roy J.D. Gattuso of Gretna-based Vezina and Gattuso LLC.

The case has been assigned to Division O Judge Ross P. LaDart.

Case no. 726-415.

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