After harassment last night by local sheriffs, residents of Louisburg Square apartments decided not to be intimidated, but instead to hold a press conference this morning to expose the dirty dealings of their landlord.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 27th, 2005 Contact: Ms. Bertha Dugas 504-362-8406, Louisburg Square Tenants Association Mike Howells 504-587-0080, Hands off Iberville Coalition
As Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco's emergency freeze on evictions in the New Orleans area lifted on Tuesday, landlords throughout New Orleans have begun to serve eviction notices to thousands of tenants.
Please call the Gretna Mayor Ronnie Harris at 504-363-1505 to express outrage and dismay at the harassment and threats being made by members of the Gretna police department toward tenants in Terrytown. Over the last few days, members of the Gretna police force have harassed, intimidated and threatened residents of the Louisburg Square apartments at the request of the apartment complex's manager. The owner of the apartment complex, LES Realty Trust, filed eviction orders against the tenants Wednesday, October 26th, with a court date of Nov. 2nd. The tenants have a legal right to remain in their homes until the court orders an eviction or until their lease expires. LES Realty Trust has had workers from BMCI Contracting (407-522-4444, fax 407-855-0049) working and staying at the apartments for several weeks, although no permits have been issued by the city for the work that is being done. The apartment owners have also been having cars towed from the complex's parking lots (also illegally) by Quick Recovery Auto Salvage (504-392-3493). Please call these firms as well and inform them that they are party to illegal activities by working with LES Realty Trust on this matter.
Over the last few days, members of the Gretna police force have harassed, intimidated and threatened residents of the Louisburg Square apartments at the request of the apartment complex's manager. The owner of the apartment complex, LES Realty Trust, filed eviction orders against the tenants Wednesday, October 26th, with a court date of Nov. 2nd. The tenants have a legal right to remain in their homes until the court orders an eviction or until their lease expires. LES Realty Trust has had workers from BMCI Contracting working and staying at the apartments for several weeks, although no permits have been issued by the city for the work to be done. The apartment owners have also been having cars towed from the complex's parking lots (also illegally) by Quick Recovery Auto Salvage. The residents of Louisburg Square, like the hundreds of thousands of other renters in the New Orleans area, know full well that eviction in the midst of the dire shortage of affordable housing in post-Katrina New Orleans could well be a guarantee of homelessness. They know full well that the owners of Louisburg Square are using "non-payment" of rent as a pretext to open up the complex to those who can afford to pay double or perhaps triple the current rate. The residents of Louisburg Apartments also know full well that a respect for basic human need and justice requires that they resist this immoral and heartless attempted eviction.
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