Abbeville looks to clean up issue with trash left at some rental properties

Abbeville officials do not believe that every rental property in the city is going to end up with a pile of trash being left by the street when tenants move out.
However, members of the Abbeville City Council have seen and heard of enough situations where renters have haphazardly left piles of trash by the road, with the property owner not properly taking care of the situation.
In an effort to alleviate this problem, Councilman Francis Touchet Jr. suggested that if trash is not left by renters in an orderly fashion, the property owner would not be able to have utilities reconnected for the next tenant.
“It’s the responsibility of the landowner to make sure the renters are doing what they are supposed to be doing,” Touchet said. “We’re not going to turn on your utilities until this stuff is picked up. I guarantee you that they will make sure it is picked up.”
The Vermilion Parish Police Jury, not the city, handles trash pickup.
During Tuesday’s regular City Council meeting, members of the council heard from an Abbeville resident, Bonnie LeLeux, who said she is frustrated with this situation.
“Some land owners are renting to people who don’t care about the properties of others,” LeLeux said. “My property value will go down because of things like this.
“I have been here 40 years. I don’t want to move out of my subdivision.”
Councilman Brady Broussard Jr. said putting the onus on property owners is the key.
“They have a vested interest in this problem,” Broussard said.
Councilwoman Roslyn White said she has seen this issue.
“We do have a huge problem with some rental properties,” White said during the meeting. “There is a problem with lax landlords. It’s a crime to litter, so the responsibility lies ultimately on the one who put the litter there.
“Putting trash like that is littering, and it is a crime.”
White stressed that not all landlords are an issue.
“We do have good landlords,” White said.
For those who may be causing an issue for neighboring properties, Touchet moved to have City Attorney Ike Funderburk research something that could create accountability for rental property owners.
“We could hold people accountable,” Touchet said, “in reference to turning on and turning off city utilities. We would go to check that everything is in order, prior to utilities being turned on.”