BATON ROUGE - For several weeks at the end of 2021 and into 2022, the city of Baton Rouge hired outside counsel for a case involving Baton Rouge Metro Councilman Cleve Dunn's personal business surrounding a pool cabana at his Baton Rouge home. 

Law firm Taylor Porter sent an invoice to Assistant Parish Attorney Bob Abbott dated April 21, 2022. Abbott announced his retirement from East Baton Rouge Parish at the end of 2022 surrounding Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broom's failed stormwater utility fee.

Among the itemized professional services, telephone calls with then parish attorney Andy Dodson, legal research and review of city-parish zoning ordinances, review of pleadings and zoning issues regarding 14018 Jane Seymour Drive — Dunn's house outside of his district — calls to counsel for then neighbors Mr. and Mrs. Michelli and emails to Dunn's attorney Edmond Jordan regarding servitude agreements. 

The total invoice for 12.70 hours is $2,857.50. At the bottom of the document, it includes a note "approved for payment" with a signature from the deputy parish attorney. 

The invoice centers around a property dispute between neighbors after Dunn built a pool cabana at his home on Jane Seymour Drive without the proper permits. Eugene Michelli and his wife Donna filed suit when they said the property improvements at Dunn's home became the source of their stress that bled their pocketbook dry.

Michelli says the property improvements caused his home to flood during the May 2021 storm and had to install sump pumps to prevent it from happening again. 

It's not the only time the parish's general fund was used to pay attorney fees regarding Dunn. According to city-parish records, it was billed by Taylor Porter three times in 2022 for outside counsel regarding Dunn totaling $4,995. 

In 2023, after failing to show up for court twice, Dunn was ordered to pay restitution and remove the property in violation of the parish code. The case has repeatedly been delayed over judge recusals, legislative continuances and attempts to get the current judge on the case recused over alleged racial bias.

The effort has been reversed and this week Judge Beau Higginbotham is set to make a ruling on the plaintiff's motion to reinstate the original verdict: for Dunn to pay restitution and take down the unpermitted property.