A Scott woman who has been fighting a real estate company over her home won her case in court Tuesday.
Our media partners at The Advocate wrote the story about Theresa "Kim" Guillot's convoluted case back in 2021, when she went to court to fight an eviction notice from the home she owns free and clear.
Clerical errors by local government allowed a real estate company to "purchase" her home by paying back taxes - but the problem is, the taxes weren't owed by Guillot and they weren't owed on that property, the Advocate reported at the time.
In his written reasons for ruling issued today, 15th Judicial District Judge David M. Smith nullified the real estate company's title on her house, ordered the company to return all redemption funds to her, with interest, plus damages. The court ordered P&G Real Estate Acquisition to pay her $50,000 for humiliation, $100,000 for mental anguish and $50,000 for inconvenience. The judge also ordered the company to pay all her attorney fees and court costs.
The court found that, even though Guillot paid a redemption fee to P&G, the company proceeded with a tax sale of her home. In court, the company argued that the deadline for that redemption fee had passed - but the judge found that the company cashed her check without objection and kept the money.
The judge wrote that the actions of the company "raise significant equitable concerns." P&G blamed the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office, saying the LPSO as tax collector caused the problem by incorrectly placing a lien on the wrong piece of property.
"While procedural errors by public officials contributed to this dispute, these errors do not absolve the defendants of their obligations," the court wrote.
He added that testimony showed the company knew the payment was late, but kept the money and then proceeded to try to take her house, which "demonstrates their own bad faith and fraudulent intent." The judge wrote he found that the government people involved acted in good faith to try to correct the errors.
The judge also wrote that he found P&G's actions to constitute "fraud and conversion" under Louisiana law. Conversion is when someone wrongfully asserts ownership of a property without authority.
The Louisiana Secretary of State's filings indicate P&G Real Estate Acquisitions is based in Duson, with Kenneth Grover listed as the registered agent, and Grover Property of Lafayette and Piasecki Management LLC as members of the company.
Records at the Lafayette Parish Clerk of Court indicate that Guillot was represented by attorney Lance Beal of Lafayette and P&G was represented by attorney Richard Hillar of Shreveport.
Here's the court ruling:
