BATON ROUGE - This month, 2 On Your Side has been following a story about a house that's been trashed and is attracting the homeless.

Monday morning, neighbors reported to Brittany Weiss that the property was being boarded up and cleaned of debris.

The house is in a neighborhood off of Bluebonnet Boulevard near I-10. The property owner, Austin Duszynski, appeared before Blight Court Thursday to answer to a judge about junk, trash, and debris violations.

In a surprise twist, Duszynski's mother was also in attendance and approached the podium to address the judge. Alicia Thomas says her husband has been working to clean and board up the property on Houston Drive.

"We have been on him for years about this," said Thomas.

Thomas says they have hired someone to haul off the debris and have arranged for a hazmat crew to clean up the inside. She also said Duszynski would be signing the property over to his parents.

Cory Bech lives a few houses down from Duszynski. He took a video of the inside of the house when he went to find the person who damaged his mailbox. That video was posted on social media and has attracted several hundred comments.

"There's a man who lives there that goes around the neighborhood and beats up mailboxes," said Bech.

Timothy Willieman was arrested on July 4 on several charges. He is being held on a $4,500 bond. Neighbors report multiple run-ins with Willeman that involve nudity and erratic behavior. Shawn Sellars said Willeman had been seen peeking into windows and entering homes without invitation.

"He went into the refrigerator, took out a beer, opened the beer, and sat down at their island," said Sellars.

Over the past few years, Sellars has watched as homeless have visited the house on Houston Drive daily. The East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office, EMS, and St. George Fire Department have visited the house several times this year. EBRSO was there this week after a neighbor called for help. EBRSO could not find evidence of anything criminal.

Cleanup at the property will continue over the next week and neighbors are happy to see the change but are reluctant to celebrate.

"We have homeless people coming in and out of the neighborhood every day," said Sellars.

Duszynski was fined $250 plus court costs for the blight violations. The property also failed a condemnation inspection earlier this week. The city will reinspect the property in 10 days to check the progress. 

Behind the property on Houston Drive, DOTD found two large holes in the sound wall separating the lot and the interstate. A crew was at the location Thursday morning making repairs.

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PLAQUEMINE - Mayor Ed Reeves is retiring at the end of the year, but before he does he has some work to do with the city's utility department. Some of it, he tells 2 On Your Side's Brittany Weiss, is staff error.

One of the issues could be that staff has left and Reeves says the people who are still working are inexperienced.

"I learned yesterday from my utility director that no one trains the meter readers," said Reeves.

There are four meter readers in the City of Plaquemine. One of them left recently after it was determined several incorrect bills were traced to that person. Reeves says he is having problems with all of his meter readers.

Several people living in Plaquemine have reported their outrageous bills to 2 On Your Side. Earlier this month they met to talk about their bills. Over the past few weeks Reeves says he has organized a group of people to dig into the billing issues. So far, the mayor's office has determined 39 customers out of 4,522 have called for help.

Pat Huesmann is one of them. Huesmann has received several bills over a thousand dollars. One of them was about $11,000.

Reeves says that bill should have never been mailed.

"That's the problem I'm having with inexperienced staff down there," said Reeves.

The mayor is trying to hire more people and get the erroneous charges addressed. Reeves also plans to draft an ordinance that requires access to meters to ensure that the city's staff can get an accurate reading.

While customer complaints are piling up, Reeves says he's also feeling the heat from some council members who want to lower rates and have a set sewer fee. However, Reeves tells 2 On Your Side that sewer lost money in 2023. As for the utilities that made money, it wasn't enough to run city departments like fire, police, or public works.

"And it's going to be worse this year," said Reeves.

Reeves hopes to have a Customer Service Director hired in the utility department in the next two weeks. Until that person is hired, Reeves says billing issues can't be addressed.

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BATON ROUGE - More homeowners in the Inniswold Estates and Jefferson Terrace neighborhoods are talking about their experiences with the homeless population living at a property on one of their streets.

Several people tell 2 On Your Side they're requesting the property be cleaned up and that someone restore the calm in their once peaceful area of the city. For the past several years, Shawn Sellers says he's been scared to take a walk in his own neighborhood.

"It's terrifying the fact that we have to live like that," he said.

The East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office has had several visits to the house on Houston Drive. Several people have been arrested. One of them, Timothy Willeman, has been seen walking around the neighborhood all hours of the day, sometimes nude. He has been caught defecating in front yards, looking into windows, and entering homes without invitation.

"He went into the refrigerator, took out a beer, opened the beer, sat down at their island," said Sellars.

One neighbor took a video of Willeman climbing a street pole barefoot and rolling around in the grass. While he's in jail, the neighborhood continues to have visitors at the property on Houston Drive.

"The reason they're coming to my neighborhood is that house," said Sellars.

Last week, 2 On Your Side shared a video of the inside of the house attracting the homeless. The place is trashed, the windows are smashed, the front door is missing the handle, and it smells awful. Cory Bech is the man who took the video. He went to the house looking for the person who damaged his mailbox.

"There's a man who lives there that goes around the neighborhood and beats up mailboxes," said Bech.

Behind the property there are two large holes in the barrier wall leading to the interstate. DOTD is working to make repairs. Sellars says more paths have been created cutting through to Bluebonnet Boulevard.

"Unless there's something that can be done about it we're in a terrible situation," said Sellars.

The house is owned by Austin Duszynski and the property taxes are current. The city says the property has their attention and blight enforcement is underway. The next blight court date is July 25. Duszynski has until Monday to clean up his property or could face fines. It's not the first time the city has done enforcement action at this address.

Willeman is being held on a $4,500 bail. He currently does not have an arraignment set.

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BATON ROUGE - There were at least 20 tenants at Tiger Park who received 24-hour notices to vacate last week. Some of those tenants reached out to 2 On Your Side for help with their situation.

Alexis Johnson says she moved into her unit a month ago. Ever since she has had problems with sewage coming up the drains, an electrical outlet that sparks, and flooring that is a trip hazard. Johnson says when she told the office manager about the electrical concerns, she was instructed to call the fire department.

Her grandma recently moved to Tiger Park and also received a notice to vacate. She says there's a hole in her roof and trip hazards in her unit. They also have rats.

Tiger Park is operated by Dr. Barry Wang and he tells 2 On Your Side that tenants do not pay their rent. Tenants say Wang won't pay to fix things that are broken or clean before new tenants move in.

It appears to be a never-ending cycle that has been the subject of 2 On Your Side reports before. Wang says he planned to file at least one eviction on Wednesday.

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PLAQUEMINE - The City of Plaquemine is still trying to sort out a utility problem after multiple residents complained about inaccurate and high bills.

2 On Your Side reported on the high rates at the beginning of July. City officials said the issue was resolved, but residents lined up at the podium with their bills on Tuesday night during a special meeting called by Mayor Ed Reeves, who was not in attendance. 

Plaquemine resident Sherry Songy says her utility bills have been high since 2020, with some reaching the thousands. Songy says when she’s approached city staff, the questions are often brushed off or left unanswered.

"Well, first they tell you, you've got a water leak,” Songy said. “When you say no I've had a plumber out they say oh you have a gas leak. Then they're other go-to is you either pay the bill or it gets disconnected."

Tuesday night, folks thought they would get answers from the mayor and city officials, but nothing was resolved. Selectman for District 6 Natasha Johnson says she's gotten plenty of calls from folks complaining about their high bills.

During the meeting, Johnson was asking residents how she could help. In the past, 2 On Your Side was told the bills were affected by one meter reader who no longer works for the city. Johnson says by relying on meter readers, the city is bound to experience human error.

For those who have tried to have their bills adjusted, Johnson says there’s another obstacle: the mayor has deemed himself the only person who can grant an adjustment in Plaquemine.

“Even if the people would go and see the young ladies in city light and water, they can't give an adjustment until they report it to him," Johnson said.

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BATON ROUGE - A man who was evicted after he moved out is getting some help from 2 On Your Side.

Kentrell Valentine was evicted after he cleaned up and left his apartment. He had no idea about the eviction and also owed several hundred dollars. Someone saw his story with Brittany Weiss and offered to help out.

Tuesday morning, Valentine and Weiss met at the East Baton Rouge Parish Housing Authority to clear his debt of $834.50. The donation is something Valentine is thankful for.

"I really appreciate it that was very helpful," he said.

Valentine moved out of his apartment at Kelly Terrace the first week of the year. After cleaning the unit and removing his belongings, he went to turn in his key at the Housing Authority and it was not accepted. Last month, he applied for a new place to live and that's when he learned about the eviction on his credit report.

In December, Valentine met with the Housing Authority and told them he'd vacate his unit because he did not feel safe. The Housing Authority confirms this meeting but tells 2 On Your Side that Valentine needed to provide a written 30-day notice if he planned to move. He never put his intentions in writing.

The debt has now been cleared. As for the eviction, the Housing Authority says Valentine must speak to a lawyer.

Valentine was told on Tuesday that he'd be getting his deposit back along with a letter from the Housing Authority letting his future landlord know that his debt has been paid.

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BATON ROUGE - A house in a neighborhood off of Bluebonnet Boulevard near I-10 is causing trouble and unwanted traffic. The situation has gotten so bad, that people are afraid to go outside and enjoy their street.

Cory Bech lives a few houses from what he calls a scene out of The X Files. He recently went to the house on Houston Drive after his mailbox was damaged by one of the people living there. Inside, he found a disturbing scene of garbage, destruction, and neglect.

"No Sheetrock, just trash everywhere, stink, flies everywhere, I didn't want to be in there too long because I was worried about my lungs," said Bech.

As Bech walked up to the house, the door was left ajar, had large holes, and missing the knob. In the video, he taps the door and it swings open to reveal piles of clothes, trash, holes in the walls, a dirty mattress, and a room that was once a kitchen. It's unclear whether or not the property has working electricity and running water. Bech says he recorded his visit for his safety.

"Nobody wants to walk by here because they're afraid they're going to run into Timmy," said Bech.

Two men live in the house, but there are plenty of other people who visit the property throughout the day. Bech says one of them owns the property and the other has "destroyed his house and terrified the neighborhood."

The windows have been knocked out, exposing the property to the elements and critters. While he was there, Bech asked the men not to damage any more mailboxes.

The sheriff's office has visited the house several times in 2023 and 2024. The calls are for medical, disturbances, and stolen property. Reports say there's a person in the home with a "violent psych history."

The property backs up to I-10, where two holes large enough to fit people through have appeared in the barrier wall. Neighbors say they have witnessed people crawl in and out of them. DOTD is working to fix the holes.

The city has had several calls about blight at the property beginning in November 2022. The city enforced tall grass and weeds in September 2023. There's a pending blight court date on July 25 for junk, trash, and debris.

The house was purchased by Austin Duszynski in 2013 and the property taxes are current.

Timothy Willeman was also staying at the house. One is for simple damage to property and entering or remaining on premises after being forbidden from an incident on May 5, 2024, at the Circle K on Bluebonnet Boulevard. Court documents say he was banned from the store for previous thefts. The document says he got mad and smashed a glass door. Willeman has since been booked.

Bech posted the video he took of the house online hoping someone would see it and offer assistance.

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BATON ROUGE - Heavy machinery has been digging out dirt and sediment from the University Lake System for months. Now a year into the project, two lakes are nearing completion and it's time to move the barges into University Lake.

It's a project that's drawn some criticism and continues to as the project takes shape. LSU Foundation President Rob Stuart says he gets a lot of feedback about what's been going on and what hasn't.

"One of the comments we constantly hear from people is 'I love what you're doing but why do you have to build the islands? Why do you have to make the bird sanctuary so big?'" Stuart said.

Long story short, they need a place to put the dirt. The cost to move it out of the lakes would be nearly three times as much. Repurposing what's dug up is a cheaper option. It's why onlookers will notice several islands taking shape, a change in shoreline, and a much larger bird sanctuary.

One island near Stanford Avenue is drawing some questions. The island is built at 20.5 feet above sea level. Recently, a dirt berm has been placed around the island along with a pump to pump water out after it flooded. Two trees died and have since been replaced, under warranty.

Project Manager Mark Goodson says the lake water level is several inches higher than normal right now.

At the corner of Stanford Avenue and West Lakeshore Drive is a new weir. Three gates help control the water level. If there's a big rain event, the city can drop the gates and bring the lake level down. A notch, currently stopped with sandbags, will keep the water flowing into Bayou Duplantier.

When timed right, the weir can hold three to four feet of stormwater runoff. The entire system is designed at 20 feet above sea level.

There's much more work to be done - dredging in the University Lake is next. There is already a lot going on there including the expansion of the bird sanctuary, outer bank building and islands. The bird sanctuary and islands are built up with large geo tubes filled with sediment. Over time those tubes will disintegrate. The tubes will be capped and covered with low-lying plants.

Walkers, riders, bikers, and people who live around the lakes have noticed vegetation explode after last year's drought exposed the lake bottom. The vegetation will be removed and landscaping will be happening later this year and early 2025.

"They'll be landscaped with native material that's low-growing for the most part, and it's meant to help filter runoff before it enters the lakes," Goodson said.

At the deepest point, the lakes will be nine feet, and four and a half feet deep near the edges. University Lake near Stanford at East Lakeshore Drive is the deepest to allow for drainage and stormwater runoff.

"To help with the sediment, we're creating four bays which are dug to deeper levels than the rest of the lake," Stuart said.

Those bays will be cleaned every so often.

The trees and branches pulled from the lakes that haven't been used in other areas will be made into mulch. The rest is piled on May Street near Dalrymple Drive and will be sold at auction. Goodson says they are looking to hold a public auction in August.

May Street will be replaced with a bridge to connect the two lakes for people to boat through. Assuming FEMA money is allocated, everything to dredge and landscape the lakes is funded. Bike paths and other designs are next.

"We will probably have to look at more local funding and people who are interested," Stuart said.

Logs that have been left behind, specifically in Lake Erie, will be removed.

More can be found on the project's website.

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PLAQUEMINE - The City of Plaquemine says a number of incorrect utility bills were traced back to one meter reader and that meter reader is no longer with the city.

The city says the bills have been sorted out, but some utility customers who have reached out to 2 On Your Side say they're not so sure.

Page Tate says he had to make the tough choice of paying his utility bill over his rent, or be disconnected.

"I got a disconnect notice," Tate said.

The last three months, Tate's utility bill has averaged $400 a month. He says his electric usage doesn't reflect what's on his bill.

"Something is wrong with that, something is wrong," he said.

He paid his June bill and now he's short on rent. Tate says it's a choice he shouldn't have to make and thinks that he's being over charged.

Tate isn't the only one who has reached out to 2 On Your Side with concerns. Pat Huesmann says he's been fighting his utility bill battle for months and after his meter was replaced he's still having issues.

"Three months ago we got a $1,600 bill," Huesmann said.

There's more where that came from - Huesmann has received several four-figure bills and he's still waiting for his issue to be resolved.

"I don't know what they're doing, I wish we could get a reasonable answer," Huesmann said.

The City of Plaquemine has several job openings as it works through customer issues. The latest is a meter reader. The city is one short after they found several bills were incorrect because of readings by one meter reader. That employee is no longer with the city and the incorrect bills are being sorted out. The city says in most cases the issue has been corrected before payment.

Tate has already paid.

"After explaining what my situation is and not even trying to help me, that's what I'm angry about," Tate said.

The City of Plaquemine says it's not sure how many bills were affected by this one meter reader. There are four meter readers employed by the city. When a customer brings an issue to the city's attention, the issue is investigated and corrective action is taken if warranted. The city says it's currently sifting through about 300 applications for a Customer Service Director. Both the department director and the assistant director resigned their positions.

Some cases, like Huesmann's, will not be investigated until that position is filled. Mayor Ed Reeves says he hopes to have a new Customer Service Director hired in July.

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CENTRAL - Charges for a dozen security lights have mysteriously shown up on one woman's utility bill. It's been three months and since Jo Carol Herbert has been unable to resolve the situation on her own, she emailed 2 On Your Side.

It's not the first time Herbert has reached out for help with trouble related to her utility bill at her property in Central. She says something is not right.

"I don't have any security lights," Herbert said.

Her bill says otherwise.

"I thought, what is wrong here? And then I thought my neighbor has all the security lights," she said.

Herbert's property is next door to Life Tabernacle Church. She had a tenant move into the property in the spring and says she opened her Entergy account in April. Right away, she noticed her bill was outrageous - almost $1,200. That's when she saw what was driving up the cost.

Entergy is billing her for a dozen security lights, which is an extra $573. Somehow, there's a mix-up. Herbert called Entergy and was assured someone would be out to verify she didn't have security lights. Fearing a disruption in electricity, she paid the bill.

Herbert has a gate to her property and says no one from Entergy showed up to verify her claim.

"Nothing was done!" she said.

The security light charges are on the April, May, and June bills. Herbert says she's called Entergy several times.

The utility company has threatened to disconnect her, but Herbert says she isn't paying another dime until the situation is resolved. She's convinced the lights belong to her neighbor and wants to know how they got on her bill.

Entergy's customer service department is looking into the situation.

Pastor Tony Spell of Life Tabernacle Church says he pays 11 Entergy bills each month but did not speak on the number of security lights there are on the church property.

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BATON ROUGE - One man was evicted after he moved out of his apartment and now months later the landlord is hitting him up for rent and late fees.

The East Baton Rouge Parish Housing Authority tells 2 On Your Side that because Kentrell Valentine did not put in writing that he'd be moving out of his apartment, his apartment manager went ahead and filed an eviction after he had cleaned up and left.

It's something that has cost Valentine his independence.

"I mopped and swept and cleaned everything out," Valentine said.

Last December, Valentine made a choice for his own safety. He went to the EBRPHA and told them he'd be vacating his apartment at Kelly Terrace in Baton Rouge.

"They started breaking into my vehicle, I heard gunshots," Valentine said.

With crime too close to home, Valentine moved out of his apartment the first week of the year. On Jan. 9, 2024, Valentine visited the EBRPHA on North Boulevard to drop off his key and a written note explaining why he was leaving. The key nor the note was accepted.

"Everything then just went downhill," Valentine said.

Two weeks ago, after filling out an application at a new apartment complex, Valentine learned he had been evicted from Kelly Terrace. There is an $834.50 charge and an eviction on his credit report. The charge consists of rent for January and February, late fees and an eviction filing fee.

After speaking with the Kelly Terrace Community Manager, the EBRPHA says there were still items inside Valentine's unit and that is why the key was not accepted.

Before leaving his apartment, Valentine took detailed photos. In one of the pictures is a lawn chair that he left behind because it was there when he moved in.

"That's why I left it there, that was the only thing there in the whole apartment," he said.

Under the lease agreement, Valentine was to provide a written 30-day notice should he wish to move. He never wrote it, so he's in a tough spot today.

Valentine is disabled and cannot work. He lives on a fixed income and is searching for a safe place he can afford to live.

The EBRPHA says if Valentine pays the outstanding balance they can provide a letter showing the money has been paid.

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BATON ROUGE - During a quest to find the grave of her family member, one woman is helping to draw focus to an area of the Capital City where history is buried.

Sue Howes called 2 On Your Side's Brittany Weiss after visiting Magnolia Cemetery and discovering that her late baby brother's plot was nowhere to be found. Howes had suspected that the headstone was covered by dirt and grass had grown on top of it.

It turns out that's exactly what happened. Howes found the disguised headstone while walking around. She dropped to her hands and knees and started digging through dirt and grass to find the marker for her late brother, Roy Sullivan. Her brother had only been alive a few days before he passed in 1935.

Magnolia Cemetery is a National Historic Site. Graves date back to the 1850s. Certain markers are very old and broken, parts are overgrown, and it makes Howes feel sad.

"I don't feel calm or the peace I have in time of coming here because of the neglect," Howes said.

The cemetery has been maintained by BREC for decades. Howes says there should be more respect for the loved ones buried in the cemetery, while some of them might not have living relatives to look after their graves.

"They need to be respected for what they did or didn't do," she said.

The discovery of her brother's grave brought tears to her eyes. It's got her thinking about the other markers covered with grass and weeds that may be hidden around the cemetery.

"It's painful to see," she said.

The Park Operations Director plans to go out to the site next week to take pictures and evaluate the cemetery. BREC will have a more detailed response next week.

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BATON ROUGE - Some tenants living at the Concord Condominiums say they're having trouble getting their maintenance requests addressed. It's the same property that's had a history of poor money management. Last year the office manager was fired over poor record keeping.

Five tenants have reached out to 2 On Your Side with concerns. Their problems range from a collapsed ceiling to appliances that don't work and bug infestations.

One tenant says she's experiencing "extreme issues" in regard to maintenance requests and other property issues.

Earlier this month, the ceiling in Tonya James' condominium fell on top of her sleeping daughter and granddaughter. Her granddaughter, who is a year and a half, was taken to the hospital for her injuries.

Three weeks later, the situation in James' unit has not been cleaned up or patched. There's an open hole in the ceiling and insulation scattered around the room. Fallen Sheetrock is leaning against a bed with protruding nails.

"It's just ridiculous," she said.

James has been instructed to move to another unit on the property. It's an apartment she says is dirty and covered in bugs. James says she has requested help moving her belongings across the property but has not been given help.

"It's got roaches over there," she said.

Other tenants report a bedbug infestation, water leaking from the ceiling, appliances like stove tops that haven't worked for months, aging air conditioning systems that don't cool properly, and sewer issues. Tenants say they report the issues to maintenance and are marked canceled or completed when many of them have not been addressed.

There are more than 100 units on this Baton Rouge property. The property also has an HOA. Servio Capital Management oversees 44 of the units. After speaking with the company on Thursday, some of the issues are known to the company while others are not. A detailed list was provided to the company, which plans to take a closer look at the concerns.

In James' case, Servio was unaware that she had not moved and required assistance. They were unaware of the bug issue in the new unit she was offered. Servio says it plans to pay for the medical bills for her granddaughter.

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BAKER — A Baker woman says she paid a contractor to do work in her kitchen and the work was never finished. Monique Wright says she wants a refund.

When you walk into Wright's kitchen, the first thing you'll notice is that the floor is torn up and part of her cabinetry is missing. There's a deep trench several feet long going from the wall to the sink. She had hired someone to dig up a broken pipe in her slab and replace it with a new one.

A project that was supposed to take two days is now in its third week.

"He disappeared Father's Day weekend," she said.

Wright filed an insurance claim for the damage and said she has paid out $7,800 so far. The pipe is no better than it was and her kitchen is a mess. While removing cabinets, her countertop was broken into several pieces — they're now sitting in a trash pile near the street.

"I don't know what to do because I can't have my kids in here like this," said Wright.

After learning the contractor is not insured and has no license to work, Wright is now requesting a refund.

"I'm in the hole now, more than $7,800 because I have to get all the stuff that they tore out fixed," she said.

For living in such a mess, Wright appeared calm Tuesday afternoon. She says she's had time to process what's happening and only wants her problems fixed. With a refund, she can hire someone else to do the job.

Tuesday, 2 On Your Side spoke with the contractor. His name has been withheld from this story since he has agreed to refund Wright. If the funds are not delivered, this story will be updated.

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BATON ROUGE - Confusion over a permit could cost one man thousands of dollars.

Rich Knecht, a contractor, says he's having trouble with the permitting office after fixing up a house, with intentions to rent it out as a duplex. The city is saying he doesn't have permission to do so.

"It would have been nice if they told me that in the beginning, I wouldn't have spent all this money separating everything," Knecht said.

The house, which has been sitting vacant since the 2016 flood, has been completely redone from top to bottom. The property has a new roof, insulation, wiring, flooring, cabinets, tiling, and the whole nine yards. Knecht says he got about 90 percent done with the project and was told his plan to turn it into a duplex is not allowed.

The city says the contractor doesn't have the right permit and the house cannot be a duplex. The city says once it noticed the property was being turned into two units, it told Knecht it couldn't be done because it's not zoned for two units.

Knecht says the city has known about his plans from the beginning and even got the paperwork to change the address.

"It cost me a fortune and then he told me, no it can't be done," Knecht said.

The property was purchased in 2020 and Knecht has steadily been having inspections ever since. The house has two of everything - two kitchens, two electrical panels, and two water meters. Now he fears the money and time he put into the place will be for nothing.

"Now I have an over-sized house with two kitchens, two laundries, two of everything and I can only charge so much for it," he said.

The city says when the property owner called for a gas test inspection, an inspector saw that the house was set up for a duplex and informed Knecht he would need a separate permit. The property owner applied for and was issued a second gas permit as well as a second address for the property.

While the city admits the gas permit was issued in error, the property has several more steps to take to establish a two-family dwelling. The gas permit has since been voided.

Knecht now has the option to go to planning to see if the property zoning can be changed to allow for a duplex. His other option is to revert the property to a single-family house.

Knecht hopes his investment won't be a flop, but if he has to turn the house back into a single-family property he could face a loss of about $1,000 a month.

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UPDATE: The city of New Orleans dismissed the parking ticket Thursday after 2 on Your Side's reporting on the situation.

Read the original story here:

BATON ROUGE - It's a parking ticket mix-up that one Baton Rouge woman says is not hers to pay. The City of New Orleans mailed Susan Gould a ticket demanding payment and that payment has now tripled.

The mix-up is causing Gould stress and what she calls an unnecessary effort to prove the truth.

"I haven't been in New Orleans in over 30 years and I flew!" said Gould.

When she first got the notice in the mail in March, she thought it was a scam. Gould quickly learned it was not a scam and what started as a $30 ticket has now tripled. Despite the $90 fine hanging over her head, Gould refuses to pay it.

"It's really just the principle of the thing, I mean, if they're doing it to me who else are they doing it to," said Gould.

She insists the ticket office has the wrong person. The violation was issued on February 20, 2024, around 9:30 a.m. for parking in a cab zone on Loyola Avenue. Gould says she has logged at least a dozen calls about the ticket but can't seem to get the issue resolved.

Her white, 2014 Hyundai Tucson is parked in her garage. The ticket has her license plate, but the car color and the car year are different. Gould says someone made a mistake.

Gould contacted 2 On Your Side in May. The city ticket department suggested Gould mail in an explanation of what happened. This week, Gould heard back from the City of New Orleans and found that she's still responsible for paying the fine.

"They're just not happy with what I'm telling them, I don't know what else to say," she said.

Gould says she is the only one who drives her car. She doesn't go far - only to the grocery store, doctor appointments, and to visit family nearby.

"I only put 60 miles on my car the whole month of February," she said.

Retired from a career in sales, Gould takes meticulous notes. According to her planner, on the morning of February 20, Gould was at home recovering from surgery. A neighbor came by at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to walk the dog and that morning a repairman was at her house working.

"I took my blood pressure at 6:48 a.m. and 8:40 a.m.," she said.

Despite her story, New Orleans wants her $90. She says if she had been in New Orleans on that day, she would have paid the $30 ticket. Instead, her battle drags into the fourth month.

Wednesday, the New Orleans ticket office suggested Gould send in another explanation and photo evidence of her license plate, car color, and registration.

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BATON ROUGE - Tree trimming trucks are giving hope to one neighborhood that's had several power outages so far this year. They were in the Mayfair Park area starting Monday morning.

Entergy responded fast, inspecting the power lines to provide Barbara Woods and her neighbors with electricity. She spoke with 2 On Your Side earlier this month about the problems she has during inclement weather in her neighborhood. Woods says she says a prayer every time it rains.

"I pray and ask God to please help us, you know," she said.

Woods called 2 On Your Side hoping to get some answers. Those answers showed up this week in the form of bucket trucks and chainsaws.

"Thank goodness, maybe this time it's being fixed," Woods said.

Entergy says there have been a handful of outages in the Mayfair Park area since early 2023. The outages tend to happen during stormy weather when trees impact the electric system. Woods recalls it happening more than a handful of times.

"If the wind blows and there's thunder and lightning and all of this then we lose power," Woods said.

It's not the case across the street, where Woods says they don't have power problems. There are about a dozen or so homes that lose power when their neighbors across the street don't have an issue.

Entergy says the electric department did not find any substantial issues with the power line, but the vegetation department identified some steps to enhance service reliability. Crews will clean up vines on the electric equipment and perform trimming in areas where necessary. Entergy says it's planning to collaborate with the neighborhood to potentially remove a couple of trees that could pose a risk during severe weather.

Woods hopes the steps being taken by the utility company will provide a better outcome in the future.

"I'm keeping my fingers crossed," Woods said.

Entergy says it takes all customer concerns seriously and is committed to improving service reliability in the area. Entergy says its efforts aim to ensure that the neighborhood is better prepared to withstand storms and other adverse conditions.

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PONCHATOULA - An $800 fine and a license suspension from the Office of Motor Vehicles vanished after a year and a half, but it took the help of 2 On Your Side to get there.

One woman spent that year and a half driving her husband to and from work because of the fine they vowed not to pay.

"I'm not going to give them my money when they don't deserve it," said Maddison Aikman.

Thursday, Jude Aikman took a seat behind the wheel and drove himself. He says the whole situation has been inconvenient.

"I don't feel it should have took this long to get it resolved," said Jude Aikman.

Jude and Maddison say the fine was not theirs to pay. The charge was tacked on after the card they had been using to pay a lapsed insurance fee was canceled for suspected fraud. Before a new card was in the mail, the OMV tried to debit their account. Things spiraled out of control when Maddison couldn't get anyone to pick up the phone to change the card number or hear her story in person at an OMV office.

"They're doing a really terrible thing and I know it's not just to us," said Maddison Aikman.

In April, 2 On Your Side got involved and learned that the OMV would remove the fine if they could get official documentation from the bank that said the card on file was canceled due to fraud. It took some time to contact the bank, but once the paperwork was issued the fine cleared up.

"It took us a little bit to get the paperwork to the OMV," said Jude Aikman.

Now Jude is back on a payment plan, clearing up fines for lapsed insurance dating back to 2019. The $800 fee is no longer part of that dollar figure. It also means he's back on the road.

"I've been able to take my own self to work," said Jude Aikman.

Last week, OMV Commissioner Dan Casey sat down with 2 On Your Side to talk about a bill passed by the legislature that would reel in those fines for people who lapse insurance. Thousands of people owe the state anywhere from $125 to $30,000.

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BATON ROUGE - An older property in Baton Rouge is falling apart and has turned into a spot for people to leave their junk. The people living around the house on Sora Street are asking the city to step in and take it down.

It's a view Donna Franklin says she didn't ask for.

"It's horrible," she said.

Out front of the structure is a large pile of discarded building materials including shingles, siding, and nails. Franklin says the pile has been sitting there for at least a year. Over time the pile has grown as more people discard their belongings on the dead-end street.

"It's off the grid and you only come down here if you live down here, it's not a through street," Franklin said.

The house has no windows, doors, or a roof. It is not habitable, except to critters. All Franklin wants is a safe, clean neighborhood where her grandchildren can grow and play.

According to the City Parish, the property taxes were last paid in 2021. It has been up for condemnation before, but was rescinded. That same year, the property owner had a demolition permit that expired. The parish visited the lot last month to take photos and says there's an active court order to pick up the pile of debris. Franklin says she's heard it before.

"We're just getting a lot of empty promises saying someone is going to come out and do something and they never do," Franklin said.

Tired of people treating her street like a trash can, she called 2 On Your Side. While some neighbors are doing their part to keep their properties clean, the situation across from Franklin is not helping.

"Somebody need to pick the ball up and get this done," Franklin said.

The parish says the junk, trash, and debris at this property should be picked up by the end of the month.

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BATON ROUGE - For years, people have been facing large fines for lapsed insurance. Pending the governor's signature, the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles is making some changes intended to help people who owe large fines.

The purpose of the fines is to encourage people to get and retain car insurance. The fines have sent many people into serious debt and never-ending payment plans. Thousands of people owe anywhere from $125 to $30,000.

"I think it may have gotten out of control," said OMV Commissioner Dan Casey.

Casey says HB683 will reel things in for delinquent drivers who have fines that have ballooned out of their reach.

"It allows us to reset the fines back to the original fine they were charged with," he said.

Casey says the OMV has about $477 million in unpaid debt. A lot of it - $220 million - is old debt dating beyond 2016. That's going to be wiped out.

"The rest of the fines are going to get reset and we'll renegotiate with the consumer to get them back licensed and legal on the street," said Casey.

It will also put a cap on how much drivers could owe.

Casey provided an example of one driver who owes about $15,780. When the fines are reset to the original amount, it will drop what that person owes to $1,630.

A law passed in 2015 gave the OMV authority to collect the fines. Soon after, the agency mailed out more than a million letters to collect that debt. In 2016, delinquent drivers were allowed to apply for a payment plan to whittle down those fines monthly. If the fines go unpaid, they're sent to the Office of Debt Recovery, where they rack up more fees.

"It affects about a half million folks that have stops on their licenses," said Casey.

Those people sent to the ODR have "flags" on their driver's licenses. They can legally drive, but until that debt is paid off they cannot renew their driver's license or registration.

The reset will happen gradually. While the OMV is dealing with an older system the cases will be handled one at a time until everything can be moved to a newer system.

"We're going to hopefully get these cleared for you and get you back on the road without this burden on your back," said Casey.

The OMV now has more people answering phones and people can take care of their fines in person at an OMV office with an appointment, instead of only over the phone. Once the bill becomes law, people who are currently on a payment plan will get an email with an addendum to their contract reflecting the new amount.

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