NEW ORLEANS — In a sternly worded letter, New Orleans City Councilmember At-Large J.P. Morrell urged Mayor LaToya Cantrell to get her personal property out of the Upper Pontalba Building apartment and hand over the keys or face eviction.
WWL Louisiana has extensively covered the drama between the city council and the mayor over her personal use of the then-city-owned luxury apartment in historic Jackson Square.
The controversy over the mayor and her security members using the apartment led to the council adopting a motion in August to hand ownership over to the French Market Corporation and the building be put back into commerce.
In the letter to Cantrell dated February 28, Morrell said that furniture and her personal belongings remain in Unit 530B and need to be cleared out no later than March 11.
He also said that she and members of her executive protection detail possess the only keys to the unit and need to return them or the city will have no choice but to move forward with the eviction process.
“Until the property is cleared and the keys are tuned over, FMC cannot begin the repairs necessary to lease the unit, as required by law. It is particularly important that FMC be given access immediately, given that the property needs major renovations to cure water damage,” Councilman Morrell wrote.
Morrell adds that the council has tried for ‘several months’ to secure the handover of the property even offering the city to ‘subsidize the cost of moving and storing’ of the mayor’s belongings.
“To date, those efforts have proven fruitless,” Morrell said.
“I am therefore formally requesting that you clear the property of any and all personal possessions or City-owned property and turn all keys over to the FMC or provide the Council in writing with a firm date (no later than March 11) when the removal of the property and turnover of the keys will be complete. If I do not hear back from you with confirmation that the handover is complete or receive a firm date for completion of removal by the Council agenda deadline on March 4 at noon, then I have little choice but to file a motion to bring this matter to resolution, including a directive that the City Attorney institute eviction and/or mandamus proceedings.”
Morrell continues, “I urge you to complete the handover so that the property can return to commerce and we do not have to waste further public resources enforcing an unambiguous legal duty. The Council cannot, however, continue to do nothing when the requirements of the law are clear.”
WWL Louisiana has reached out to the City of New Orleans but we have not received a reply. Councilmember J.P. Morrell's office tells WWL Louisiana that they have not received a reply to the letter from Cantrell as of Monday and now the city attorney will move forward with the eviction process.
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