News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Livingston’s hazard mitigation plan will be voluntary for property owners once the process begins.
The city held a meeting Tuesday night to inform property owners the next steps in the process will be property appraisal assessments once FEMA approves their plan.
TEMA representative Donna Holden said that should a property owner agree to doing an assessment, that does not bind them to selling their property to the city.
“This program does not allow us to take your property,” Holden said. “This program is 100 percent voluntary. So literally, you can get in there on the day of closing, get ready to sign, and decide ‘I don’t want to do this anymore.'”
Alderman Kelly Coleman said he wanted to make clear that once flooded-homes agree to sell, they no longer own the property.
“That’s the way this particular grant works,” Coleman said. “If you agree to the value the appraisals been determined for, and you’re selling that property to the city, you no longer own it.”
Resident Pat Poston asked how they could accurately appraise her commercial property, as it had been gutted following flood damage. Holden said that when the property appraiser comes to do their appraisal, they will look at the property’s value with “rose-colored glasses.”
“We’re going to make sure that appraiser understands that they’re not looking at the building as far as it being gutted and the damage,” Holden said. “Take that out of the scenario. Imagine that everything is still there.”
Holden said property owners are well within their rights to reject the value made by the city-appointed appraiser, and hire their own appraiser to make an independent appraisal.
Alderman Kelly Coleman said that if he were a property owner, he would hire an independent appraiser to compare the two values. Holden said that should property owners take that route, it is up to the city to choose which value they will move forward with.
Mayor Curtis Hayes said properties will all be appraised fairly.
“It is not anyone’s intention to low-ball your property,” Hayes said. “Fair market value is what we’re looking for, and what they’re looking for.”
Property appraisal costs are estimate to be around $750 per property. There are currently six properties up for evaluation that they are looking into for this plan.
Holden said that should property owners opt out of the program, they do have the option to come back to the city in the future to rejoin the program, but that would restart this process.
Holden recommended the city wait until the plan is officially approved to take any outside action, such as extending bids.
As soon as the plan is approved by FEMA, Livingston has the green light to move forward. Grant funding in this plan will cover several things, including appraisals, incurred legal fees, termination of water and sewer, and also demolition of the properties.
