PLAQUEMINE - It's an expensive he said she said scenario that has left a parish government feeling deceived and a couple of property owners who want to be made whole.

The Iberville Parish Planning Commission gave the green light to a couple with hopes of turning an empty lot into a rental property. Then, when people started asking questions the decision was reversed and work abruptly stopped.

Caroline and Gerald Porche purchased the lot located on Stampley Drive in Plaquemine for their business, Porche's Rentals. Their plan includes subdividing the lot to create two properties and place a mobile home for rental income on each. They hired a surveyor and the plans were submitted and approved to the planning commission last fall.

"They all agreed we could split the property," Caroline Porche said.

They got to work preparing the property, building a driveway and purchasing two mobile homes. The first one was brought in, then the second. That's when someone started asking questions.

"The neighbor was like, what are you doing, you can't have two trailers on one lot," Caroline Porche said.

They had the permits, so the trailers were moved into place. Then the mail arrived with a cease and desist letter and a sign was posted on the property to stop work. That cease and desist order, dated Jan. 27, 2025, came from the parish president's office who had received complaints. 

The letter said that neighbors didn't know the Porches had applied for and been granted a request to subdivide the lot. The Iberville Parish Unified Development Code says the applicant, in this case, the Porches, must mail or deliver a copy of the public hearing notice to landowners within 200 feet of the property or post a notice on the property so the public can see. The cease and desist letter says that portion of the process didn't happen and therefore neighbors didn't have an opportunity to voice their opinions.

The Porches say they didn't know this was required.

"The parish contacted us and said, we're going to pull your permit and not let you get electricity and you cannot move forward on this project," Caroline Porche said.

Parish President Chris Daigle told 2 On Your Side that the applicant is at fault for not notifying the neighbors. This situation has now sparked change in Iberville Parish to make sure something like this doesn't happen again. While the parish ordinance is still in place, the Iberville Parish Planning Commission will also place a sign at the property that's up for public hearing, similar to what is done in surrounding parishes.

"The responsibility fully fell on the property owners, now it will be shared," Daigle said. 

The ordinance now calls for a 30-day notice, instead of a 14-day notice. 
But that doesn't change the Porche's predicament. While one trailer has been hooked up to utilities, the other one hasn't because the permit was rescinded. It's been sitting there without utilities and insurance for several months. The Porches fear their investment is money down the drain.

"We are all in right now at about $147,000," Caroline Porche said.

In a meeting with the parish several months ago, the Porches were given a verbal offer to help move the trailer elsewhere. They have not accepted because they don't want to move the trailer and think their trouble is worth more than a few thousand dollars.

"You can't give me the go-ahead and allow me to move forward with purchasing property, mobile homes, and then say, 'Oops, we made a mistake we're not going to allow you to do this anymore,'" Gerald Porche said.

Iberville Parish is also taking issue with how the Porches plan to advertise and manage their property. Daigle says their plan, which includes renting out each room on its own, makes the property commercial. The Porches bought property in a residential neighborhood.

"I think it's a competition type of thing we touched on," Gerald Porche said.

They'd like to move forward with their rental property as is but can't.

"The split is where we are stuck, we can't subdivide the lot and we can't have two trailers on one lot," Caroline Porche said.

The parish is back to recognizing it as one lot, not two.

The parish is still interested in working with the Porches and admits a permit was issued when it should not have been. That's why plans have been created to avoid a situation like this in the future.