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Heir says she’s been paying taxes but won’t invest; Bossier City orders Hoyer Street house condemned
Summary
At the Nov. 4 meeting the council condemned a severely dilapidated house on Hoyer Street after an heir said she has been paying taxes but refused to invest without clear title; city attorney outlined legal options including succession, partition or tax‑sale/adjudication and estimated costs for legal work and demolition.
The Bossier City Administrative Council on Nov. 4 voted to condemn a structurally unsound house on Hoyer Street after property standards staff documented extensive rot, missing floors and mold. The council also discussed the legal and financial hurdles facing the family who has been paying taxes on the property for years.
Property standards inspector Chris Ferguson said the house’s ceilings and walls were rotten, portions of flooring were missing and interior drywall and fixtures had been moved into the backyard. Gahagan Pugh, appointed as curator for the Bossier City Property Standards Office, reported his title research showed Wilma Franks, the last recorded owner, died around Oct. 29, 2001, and no succession had been filed.
Michelle Porterly appeared as a descendant and said her family has paid taxes on the house for decades but does not want to put money into repairs because the title is not in her name. “I’m not gonna put a bunch of money into something I’ll never own,” Porterly said. City attorney Mr. Jacobs explained two primary legal options: pursue an intestate succession and then a partition (which can require significant legal work) or stop paying taxes and allow the property to go to tax sale and potentially be adjudicated to the city. Jacobs said the upfront legal work for succession/partition could cost a minimum of about $10,000.
Council discussed demolition costs and lien consequences. The presiding officer said demolition for a house in the condition described would likely be “in the ballpark” of $10,000 to $20,000 and warned that demolition costs and other liens would run with the property if the city performed the removal. Porterly said she had paid taxes for the current year but declined to pursue expensive legal filings. The council moved to condemn and have the structure torn down; the motion passed by voice vote.
The council and staff told Porterly she and other heirs could still attempt succession or redeem the property at tax sale, but those legal paths involve time and expense. The council asked staff to post required notices and proceed with condemnation and removal scheduling consistent with city procedure.
