The Department of Public Works is responsible
for the design and construction of Parish roads, bridges
and
drainage, as
well as solid waste collection and hauling. The department
also manages the Parish’s construction permit office,
engineering and subdivision plan review and approval, property
standards violations, haul road monitoring, and zoning. Within
the budgetary and legal constraints of the Parish,
the department
provides basic assistance to ensure the safety and welfare
of the citizens of Caddo. Parish roads and drainage maintenance
are handled from camps in Vivian and Springridge, Louisiana.
Louisiana law allows the governmental body having jurisdiction
over property that has been seized because property taxes
have not been paid to sell the property. The Parish is authorized
to only sell property which has been adjudicated since January
1, 1975, that is abandoned (vacant or not lawfully occupied)
under the conditions of La. Revised Status Title 33, Sec
4720.12, and that is considered surplus or no longer needed
by the Parish for a public purpose. Properties adjudicated
to the Parish are being addressed with the intention of restoring
them to the property tax roles. The Right-of-Way section,
working with the Office of the Parish Attorney, has taken
the lead role to assure that back taxes are collected in
Caddo Parish. If delinquent taxes are not paid, properties
are subject to be sold.
The Caddo Parish Commission does not maintain a listing
of adjudicated property nor do we provide aerial maps of
such
locations. The Caddo
Parish Assessor’s office is responsible
for discovery, listing, and valuing all property in Caddo
Parish for ad valorem tax purposes. If you are interested
in locating Parish adjudicated property you can find a book
listing of such property at the Caddo Assessor’s Office.
The Assessor’s office also maintains an online database
with detailed search capabilities which can help aid in locating
adjudicated property. For more information on gaining access
to this site and annual subscription cost, please contact
the Assessors office at 226-6711. The City
of Shreveport also provides a free website listing property adjudicated
for city only taxes.
Once you have located a piece of property that is adjudicated
for Parish or both Parish and City taxes (Not City Only taxes),
you will need to fill out an application and
provide a $200 certified check or money order to our office
on the 8th floor
suite 820 of the Government Plaza building. If you are part
of a non-profit organization and would like to inquire about
getting the property donated to your organization, you will
need to fill out a donation
application. Both the procedures
for application and procedures
for donation list each step
you must take in order to complete the process. For more
information or questions please contact the Parish Public
Works department at 318-226-6932.
The following are frequently asked questions about Adjudicated
Property.
What is
Adjudicated Property? It
is immovable property on which the property taxes were not
paid and which was not purchased by an individual
at
the
subsequent tax sale. If no one buys the property at this
tax sale, state law requires that it be “adjudicated” to
the Parish.
Is all Adjudicated Property available for sale? The Parish is authorized to only sell property which has
been adjudicated since January 1, 1975 and has been listed
on the tax roll as adjudicated for the past three years.
For example an application for property adjudicated for 2008
taxes will not be accepted until 2012.
What law gives the Parish the right to sell property? Louisiana Revised Status Title 33, Sec 4720.12 gives the
Parish the authorization to sell adjudicated property.
If I acquire adjudicated property, will I obtain the mineral
rights? No, The Parish of Caddo will reserve any and all of
the oil, gas, and other mineral rights under the subject property.
If I own the property can’t I just purchase
it through the Adjudicated Process?
No, do not
commence this process if you are the tax debtor, his heir
or assign because the sale will be treated as
redemption and all of the taxes, liens and judgments will
still be owed.
I saw some property that looks abandoned can I call
and check to see if it’s adjudicated? No, the
Parish Public Works department is only responsible for
processing the sale of adjudicated property. To find
out if property is adjudicated you will need to contact or
visit the Caddo Assessor’s office.
I own some property that is adjudicated what can I do? If you own property that is adjudicated and no application
has been filed in an attempt to purchase the property, you
may be able to setup a payment plan. If an application is on
file for the property you must pay all city and parish taxes,
plus any cost that were incurred to the original applicant
such as title report, appraisal or application fees before
removing it from adjudication.
What is the advantage of purchasing Adjudicated Property? It provides a procedure to sell abandoned adjudicated property
where often the owners cannot be located and/or the amount
of taxes, liens, judgments and mortgages exceed the value
of the property.
If I attempt to purchase some property and am not the highest
bidder do I get my money back? Yes, if you are not the highest bidder you will receive
back the cost of completing the application process which
includes title report fee, appraisers report, notice fees,
and application fees.
Can I find out who filed an application? The public works department does not provide the name
or any personal information concerning who filed an application
or any
one listed as interested in purchasing the property.
Where can I find a list of properties that are adjudicated? The
Parish does not maintain a list of Adjudicated Property.
In order to discover which properties are adjudicated you
must visit the Caddo Tax Assessor’s office. There you
will find a book that has a listing of all Adjudicated Property.
In addition, the
Caddo Assessors office has an online database that you
can subscribe to for a fee.
If the owner decides to redeem the property; do
I lose the money I’ve invested in the process? No, if the owner decides to redeem the property you will
be refunded the cost you incurred.
I heard I can purchase adjudicated property for only a dollar,
is this true? This is a program provided by the City
of Shreveport, not the Parish. The Parish currently does
not sell property for
a dollar. For more information or questions about the City’s
dollar program, contact the City of Shreveport at 318-673-6016.
How long does the process take to get adjudicated property? Though the time may vary, the process typically takes between
8 to 12 months. Along with mandated time requirements, several
outside factors may also hinder the process depending on
how long the title and appraisal reports take, when notices
are returned and whether an advertisement must be run.
In what publication does the Parish advertise upcoming sales
of adjudicated properties? The Parish currently advertises upcoming sales in both the
Caddo Citizen and Shreveport Sun. Every year the Caddo Commission
votes on which publication to use for notices, that is why
some years it may the Caddo Citizen and other years the Shreveport
Times.
I saw a sign that said Adjudicated Property for sale or
donation, what does this mean? After an application has been filed, the Parish Public
Works department places a sign in front of the adjudicated
property.
This is to notify the public that the property is adjudicated
and someone has placed an application on file to purchase
the property. If you are also interested in the property
you can call the Public Works department and provide them
the Geographical number listed on the sign.
How is adjudicated property and tax sale property
sold at a sheriff’s sale different? Tax sales
are authorized by state statutes to collect taxes that are
long overdue to the state government from negligent
or unwilling individuals. Adjudicated property is property
that went to a Sheriff’s tax sale and was not sold.
After the property has been adjudicated for three years a
person can come to the Parish and apply to purchase the Parish
tax interest in the property.
Will I need to work with an Attorney in order to purchase
adjudicated property? Not necessarily, though an attorney can provide assistance
and answer questions you have about purchasing adjudicated
property. It is not required for you to have an attorney
present.
What if our organization files an application for donation
and a third party is also interested? If an organization files an application for the property
to be donated and someone else becomes an interested party
in the property, the donation is void and a bidding session
will be held at the conclusion of the application process.
If I become no longer interested in purchasing the property,
can I get my application fee back? No, once the process is started you can not stop and
ask for your application fee back. The only time you can recover
your application fee is if you are not the highest bidder
at the conclusion of the process. Then the highest bidder
will be responsible for these fees and we reimburse you your
application fee.
Will the Parish assist me in locating where a piece of adjudicated
property is located? Yes to a degree, the public works department will
help you locate a one or two pieces of property that you are
interest
in, but the Parish is not responsible for locating several
different properties. You will be required to do this yourself.
Why doesn’t the Parish list the property address
for Adjudicated Property in the newspaper? Due to the fact that a property address may not be valid
or has changed, the Parish chooses to list only the legal
description and geographical (GEO) number of the subject
property.
Which form of payment does the parish accept and whom do
I make the check out to? We prefer a certified check, money order or money gram.
We will accept cash but not a personal check or credit card.
You can make your payment out to either the Parish or Caddo
or Caddo Parish Commission.
Must I pay an application
fee for each property or can I pay a fee for several properties
at once?
Each parcel has its own individual Geographical number (GEO) and you are required
to fill out an application for each parcel that you apply for. Each application
will require a two hundred dollar application fee.
The Parish of Caddo
Residential Solid Waste and Recycling Center Division has
implemented several innovative programs to enhance services
to all of its citizens. During the mid 1980s Caddo Parish
operated over 300 acres of landfills for the deposit of solid
waste. At that time these landfills were not subject to
any
federal, state or local regulations as to what could or could
not be placed within them. In the late 1980s,
mandates established from both the State Department of Environmental
Quality and the Federal Department of Environmental Protection
Agency enacted guidelines for these and any other
landfill sites.
Because of the high cost associated with
establishing and operating landfills within these guidelines,
Caddo Parish determined it would be cost effective to close
its landfills and implement a
system of remote sites for the collection and compaction of
waste in the Parish. The City of Shreveport had opened a
landfill in 1988, enabling the Parish to smoothly transition
to the new compactor system. A private contractor collects
the
filled compactor boxes at each compactor site and transports
them to the Shreveport landfill for disposal.
In 1992 the voters of Caddo Parish approved a proposition for
a one-half cent sales tax to upgrade and expand Caddo Parish's
compactor sites with new equipment and new locations. A total
of 17 sites were selected and equipped in all areas of the
Parish. They are now manned a total of 48 hours during the
seven days of each week. The operation hours are staggered
to
provide maximum convenience to the citizens who utilize the
solid waste disposal and recycling services each site provides.
To establish a compactor site
the cost to the Parish is $150,000 per site, and to operate
17 sites the cost is $1.2 million per year. By comparison,
it had
cost the Parish $2 million per year to operate its 300 acres
of landfills and to collect and transport the refuse to
those landfills. The new program has produced a net savings
of
$800,000 per year.
In this Parish-wide effort,
Caddo has been able to recover $78,520 in the resale of
recyclable products collected at the compactor sites during
the years of 1996 thru 1998. Because of Caddo's continuous
efforts a total of 23,617 tons of waste has been recycled
instead of being placed into the city landfill. Prior to
activation of this program this was lost revenue.
The 17 compactor locations
are capable of receiving residential household refuse, which
includes garbage, furniture, refrigerators, hot water tanks,
stoves, and other items except chemicals or batteries. All
sites have containers for recycling clean newspaper,
cardboard, aluminum cans, steel cans, colored and clear glass.
The sites are conveniently located, beautifully landscaped,
and readily accessible to Caddo Parish residents.
In addition to recycling, the
Parish's Solid Waste Division was engaged in a cooperative
endeavor contract with the State of Louisiana to clean up
all
promiscuous and unauthorized tire dump sites within Caddo
Parish. Seven such dump sites were included in this contract,
and in the cleanup some 117,200 tires of different sizes
were
remediated. As a result of this endeavor the taxpayers of the
Parish reaped a beneficial savings of $140,654. A constant
roadside maintenance program has disposed of 50,000 tires for
1998 for a savings of $60,000 to the taxpayers.
In 1992 an inter-governmental
agreement was forged between the Parish of Caddo (Public Works
Department) and the Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office. This
agreement established a Roadside Litter Program which allows
the Sheriff to use prison inmates to remove litter from
roadsides throughout the Parish. From 1996 thru 1998 the
Roadside Litter Program collected 850,000 pounds or 425 tons
of litter along Parish roads. Parish future plans
include adding another compactor site and expanding the
existing recycling program.
Flood Control
The Flood Control Section is responsible for the maintenance
of existing stormwater drainage facilities and the assurance
that private development projects meet flood Control objectives
and compliance with Federal Emergency Management Association
(FEMA) guidelines. It is the primary goal of the Commission
to plan and develop solutions to flooding and drainage problems
along with the needs of Caddo Parish.
Main Objectives:
•
Promote awareness of floodplain management issues
•
Administer and enforce the Floodplain Ordinances for Caddo
Parish
•
Address storm-water and drainage issues in new development
•
Seek solutions to existing flood problems.
•
Provide assistance where possible to inquiries relating to
flood control and drainage issues.
If you require help identifying the placement of your property
in relation to flood zones you may visit our office in
the Government Plaza building 505 Travis Street, Suite
820, Shreveport,
Louisiana or access the online
map search provided by FEMA.
The FEMA site allows a citizen to do a flood zone search
by property address.
Storm Water Management Program
The goal of this program is to improve the quality of the
storm water runoff from the more populated areas of the parish.
By reducing or eliminating these potential pollutants in
the storm water runoff, the quality of the water in the streams
and rivers should be improved. Improving the quality of these
waters will provide cleaner and safer water for drinking,
fishing, swimming, and other recreational activities.
The Parish of Caddo has implemented this program to comply
with regulations adopted by the Environmental Protection
Agency and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality.
Generally, these regulations are applicable to all large
urbanized areas in the United States. As a part of the program,
Caddo Parish has prepared a Storm Water Management Plan.
Click
here to find out more about the Storm Water Management
Program.
Water Conservation
As Louisiana realizes that its fresh water supply is not
infinite, it becomes the responsibility of the individual
stakeholder to do what they can to conserve their water supply.
Conservation of one’s water supply in the home simply
means using the water resource more efficiently inside and
outside. The Parish of Caddo has prepared a couple
of brochures to help citizens of Caddo become more aware
of the need for water conservation.
Conserving Caddo's Water Supply Caddo's Water Supply
Industrial Parks
The Industrial Parks located within Caddo Parish
gives Caddo various opportunities and advantages for domestic
and international trade. The Shreveport/Bossier port is easily
accessed from the Red River and gives a direct shipping gateway
to national and international markets. The Shreveport Regional
Airport provides passenger airlines and handles millions
of pounds of freight each year. Caddo Parish also has several
properties that are for sale, these locations are strategically
placed for industrial
development throughout the parish. To find more detailed
information about these and other Caddo Parish Industrial
sites, see
the industrial
Parks section or if you would like
to speak with someone
about
purchasing
property
please contact the public works department at 318-226-6932.
The Urban Land Institute
The Urban Land Institute (ULI) is a nonprofit research
and education organization whose primary
mission is to promote responsible leadership in the use
of land to enhance the total environment.
For more information regarding ULI including the master plan,
please download the ULI
presentation.
Building Code Requirements
Due to the catastrophe of Hurricanes Rita and Katrina, the
Louisiana legislation passed new laws regarding the code
requirements for residential and commercial building. Starting
January 1st, 2007, Caddo Parish will require all new commercial
and residential building to comply with these new statewide
building codes. To see a copy of Senate
Bill 44 or for more information please contact the Parish
of Caddo's
Public
Works
department
at
318-226-6932.
A guide for costs to perform residential construction inspections
in rural areas of the parish.
Typical Home Construction Cost: 2000 Square Foot Home
Inspections ...13...........$65
/ Per inspection = $845.00
Plan review ...(12¢ per square foot)..............
$240.00
Q: What all do I need for my permit?
If the structure is within 5 miles of the city limits of Shreveport, there
are three steps for permits:
1. Contact the Caddo Parish Health Department concerning septic system
2. Contact City of Shreveport concerning a Zoning Certificate for the property
3.
Bring all papers received from these offices to the City Permit office for
development permit
If you are outside that 5-mile buffer- you may omit the second step.
Q: How much is the permit fee?
Permit fees are the same no matter what the structure is going to
be use for. The current prices are as follows: Please contact the City
of Shreveport at (318) 673-6105 for information on Permit fee's.
Q: I want to build a business in the parish- what do I need for the permits?
If your structure is going to be a business- along with the above-mentioned
documents- you will need to bring to City of Shreveport (318) 673-6105 - Fire
Marshall stamped plans. Letters are not acceptable. You must also have an Occupational
License
from
the Parish if the business is outside the city limits- The telephone number
for that office is (318) 226-6903.
Q: How do I get electric power turned back
on at my home?
To have electric power turned on to a mobile home that has been on the property
and has had power before- you need to contact the City of Shreveport for a
new utility permit- if the home is a built home and has been receiving power
before-
no
new permits are required. There is no charge for a new permit for an existing
home- the needed information when you call is as follows:
1. The address of the structure needing power.
2. The name as it will appear
on the electric bill.
3. The name of the power company
Give five minutes for the Power Company to receive the fax and
call them again and confirm the fax.
Q: Why do I have to go to the City of
Shreveport- I don’t live
inside the city of Shreveport?
The city of Shreveport zoning office governs any structure placed inside
their Metropolitan Planning area. This is why you must contact them and get
a zoning certificate before we can issue a permit for that area. The City
of Shreveport, located on the first floor of the Government Plaza Building,
performs inpections for the Parish.
Q: Do I need a driveway permit for my lot?
If you are installing a culvert in a parish maintained right of way, you
need to get a driveway permit from the parish permit office. This insures that
the culverts placed on parish maintained road is the correct size to allow
water to flow at a steady pace reducing the possibility of flooding.
Q: What kind of culvert can I use?
The culverts that can be placed in parish right of ways are ones approved
by the Department of Transportation. The parish recommends concrete culverts
because they are basically indestructible, but you can also use metal
corrugated culverts. We do not recommend plastic culvert because they
are not very durable.
Q: I need to run a water line under a parish road, what do I do?
To install a line, whether it is water, sewer, telephone or any other utility
line, either under or along the parish right of way, you need a Road Crossing
permit.
Q: When do I get my deposit back?
A deposit is required to do a road crossing on a Parish road. The deposit
is returned when the applicant notifies our office that the work is complete,
and our inspector confirms that the area has been restored to its original
condition.
Q: What is Mitigation? Mitigation generally is defined as actions taken to
reduce or eliminate the long-term risk to life and property
from hazards. Mitigation actions are designed to reduce
the need for emergency response, not to improve the ability
to respond.
Q: What is
Mitigation Planning? Basically, it is set out "problems" as they
have been defined and the "solutions" or what
the future can look like. The plan documents, how you arrived
at the solutions, and how you're going to go about putting
them into action. In the end, the plan identifies, prioritizes,
and assigns mitigation actions for implementation.
Q:
How do I find out if my property is in a Flood Zone? Flood Zone checks are performed by a trained technician
that will locate your property and verify it's location.
The technician will also determine if it is outside incorporated
areas, using the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) established
by
FEMA under
the National
Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). In addition to the 100
year Floodplain map, other mapping information
is available at http://www.esri.com/hazards.
