Elderly woman charged over $2,000 for violation of city ordinance

Rodricka Taylor
·2 min read

ABBEVILLE, La. (KLFY) — An elderly woman claims the city is extorting her after she received a bill over two thousand dollars for contractors the city hired to clear drainage ditches in front of her home.

Bart Broussard, the city’s attorney said Sandra Goodman, 71 was given a notice of violation back in February.

“They’re coming here and telling me I have to clean up my property and clean up their ditch,” said Goodman.

Goodman said the contractors cut about a ten-foot section of tree that had been down since Hurricane Delta in 2020, but said the tree was not an issue.

“It was out of the way in the corner against the fence and it wasn’t bothering anybody. I could have had somebody do that for probably less than $200,” Goodman explained. “After they did that, they kind of left a mess, kind of messed up my drainage in that area and then they went to work on the ditch, and in the ditch, they eliminated the shoulder. They dug it out. For the ditch work, they cut a bunch of trees that were soaking up water, a bunch of small trees, and brush. They don’t like the way the brush looks.”

However, Goodman points out that the ordinance stating the clean-up of the ditches is the city’s responsibility. Broussard said Goodman was informed what she needed to do to be in good standing with the ordinance, but Goodman claimed she did the required work.

“He told me if I cut away some brush in the ditch it would be okay. So I did that, and then he came back and took more pictures. I said, Well, what’s the problem? He accused me of not doing anything. I had pulled a muscle in my back, I was down on my back for like almost a week. I could hardly get out of bed and now he’s telling me I didn’t do anything. Although we had the stick pile over there piled up as tall as me. I had a friend come help me on April 7. We cleaned up everything, and then on the eighth, he had his people going over my fence,” said Goodman.

Goodman says she does not know what the city was charged by the contractor, but it is unlikely it was the amount the city is trying to charge her.

“I don’t know what the contractor exactly charged them, or what his bid was, but I know the bid was together for the ditch and the property, and they sent me a bill for $2,512 for what should have been a $200 or less job in my yard.”

Goodman has until May 10 to pay the fee or a lien will be placed on her property.

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