Land purchaser alleges New Orleans officials have denied repayment of tax payments

NEW ORLEANS – A corporation that had paid previous years property tax on a property it purchased claims the City of New Orleans owes a redemption tax payment.

Orleans District Redevelopment Corporation Inc. filed suit against The Honorable Mitchell J. Landrieu in his capacity as Mayor of New Orleans and Sharon McDonald in her capacity as Chief of the Bureau of the Treasury for City of New Orleans in the Orleans Parish Civil District Court on July 1.

The plaintiff claims to be the tax sale purchaser of two properties, in which it claims to have paid previous years property tax upon purchase. Orleans District Redevelopment Corporation Inc. then claims that the defendant accepted redemption payment for previous years tax, but did not send the redemption payments to the plaintiff. The plaintiff states that under Louisiana Revised Statute 47:2243 the defendant is obligated to send the redemption payment to the plaintiff.  Orleans District Redevelopment Corporation Inc. also asserts that payments madder were titled redemption payments under The Louisiana Constitution, Article 7 § 25 (B).

The defendant is accused of violating Louisiana Revised Statute 47:2243 that requires a tax collector to promptly send a redemption tax payment to the tax sale purchaser.

The plaintiff is seeking $22,365.19 plus interest and all attorneys fees in damages for failing to remit the redemption payment the defendant incurred and is owed to the tax sale purchaser under Louisiana Revised Statute 47:2243.

Orleans District Redevelopment Corporation is represented by Ryan P. Reece in New Orleans.

The case has been assigned to Division J Judge Paula A. Brown.

Case no. 2014-06480.