Some in Denham Springs have permits to rebuild that aren’t valid and may have spent thousands already fixing their homes.
“At least 30 out there who may very well be repairing their home and it’s not compliant,” said Rick Foster, a building official with the city of Denham Springs.
In order to rebuild in Livingston Parish you need a permit.
But for those in the Denham Springs city limits you need a city permit not one from the parish.
“A state fire marshal from Tennessee as well went out doing inspections in the city,” said Foster.
That’s where the problem began.
Foster said the out of state fire marshal and other volunteers gave out parish permits to homeowners in the city limits over the last few weeks.
“They just didn’t have authority to come in and do inspections in the city, that’s primarily the biggest problem,” said Foster.
Foster believes most of the victims lived on River Road and Jerlyn Drive.
Now some who may have started rebuilding would need to stop, and if their cost of damage exceeded 50 percent of the value of their home, they can’t qualify for a city permit.
Denham Springs Mayor Gerald Landry said he isn’t concerned about lawsuits against the parish over the issue.
“Oh no no, not necessarily, there is no turf war here, it was something done totally by accident,” said Mayor Landry.
If you are a homeowner in Denham Springs who got a permit from the Tennessee State Fire Marshal you can go to City Hall to get the issue fixed.
Watson resident Jesse Carter helped his wife’s grandmother get the correct permit from the city to rebuild her home on Jeryln Drive.
He says he started immediately and will be finished in about 3 weeks.
If he found out he had the wrong permit, he says he would be distraught.
“I probably give up by now, just give up,” said Carter.
The only person who can issue a resident a city permit is the city.
If city officials come to your home they will have a city of Denham Springs badge and id.
Above you will find what you need to know in order to get a permit, as well as the application.
Applications for city permits are available at the Denham Springs City Hall.