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Commission denies minor-subdivision application after family disputes over alleged donation
Summary
The commission denied a minor-subdivision request after family members alleged an elder had been pressured into donating land; staff confirmed a recorded act of donation and commissioners said the legal dispute is outside the commission’s authority.
The St. Tammany Parish Planning and Zoning Commission on Wednesday denied a request to subdivide Parcel B after family members testified that an act of donation transferring parts of the property to Christie Hemel caused confusion and distress.
Several relatives spoke during public comment, saying the owner, Pansy Boudreaux, who is in hospice, did not recall signing the donation and that family members had been told by the petitioner and others that the transfer occurred. “She did not remember signing,” Kim Osgood said, describing ongoing stress and panic attacks affecting her aunt.
Commissioners reviewed the recorded deed information. Commissioner Robert said the act of donation was recorded on Nov. 7 and identified instrument number 2471029 in the clerk of court’s records. He and other commissioners noted that questions about capacity, undue influence or the legal validity of the deed are matters for a court, not for the planning commission.
The commission considered competing motions — a motion to deny and a motion to approve with waivers — and took votes that left the waivers short of the two-thirds majority required. After counting and procedural clarification, the commission ruled the item denied because the waivers did not receive the required votes.
What happens next: Commissioners noted the zoning action does not determine the legal validity of the donation; interested parties may pursue civil or probate remedies and may appeal the commission’s decision to the parish council.
