La. R.S. § 33:4720.59 Blighted Or Abandoned Property Removal

• Library: Louisiana Statutes
• Edition: 2023
• Currency: Current with changes from the 2023 Legislative Session
• Year: 2023
• Citation: La. R.S. § 33:4720.59

A. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Chapter, the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority shall have the power to acquire by purchase, gift, bequest, expropriation, negotiation, or otherwise any blighted property as defined in this Section, either within or outside a designated community improvement area and, further, to hold, clear, manage, and dispose of said property, all in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section.

B. For the purposes of this Section, "blighted property" shall include those commercial or residential premises, including lots which have been declared vacant, uninhabitable, and hazardous by an administrative hearing officer acting pursuant to R.S. 13:2575 and 2576 or other applicable law) In determining whether any premises are vacant, uninhabitable, or hazardous, the hearing officer shall consider any or all of the following:

(1) Any premises which because of physical condition, or use or disuse thereof constitutes a threat to public health and safety.

(2) Any premises declared to be a public nuisance.

(3) Any premises declared to be a fire hazard.

(4) Any premises declared to be vermin-infested or lacking in facilities or equipment required by the housing code of the city of New Orleans.

C. The procedure for certification of blighted properties shall be as follows:

(1) Any municipal entity responsible for inspecting property and enforcing health, housing, fire, historic district, and environmental codes, which may include the Department of Safety and Permits, the New Orleans Division of Housing and Neighborhood Development, or any other entity designated by the local governing authority shall submit to the administrative hearing officer a list of those properties which are determined to be vacant, uninhabitable, and hazardous and which otherwise meet the criteria set forth in Subsection B of this Section for the determination of blight.

(2) The administrative hearing officer shall place each listed property on the administrative hearing docket and notify each property owner of the scheduled hearing by registered or certified mail at the address of the property owner as listed in the assessor's office of the parish. If the notice is returned as undeliverable or as not accepted, notice shall be given in the official journal of the municipality. The notice shall include the property owner's name, the property's street address, and the date, time, and place of the hearing. The notice shall also state that the purpose of the hearing is to determine whether the property is blighted and eligible for expropriation by the authority. Notice by mail or publication shall be accomplished at least thirty days prior to the date of the hearing.