A former hotel on Evangeline Thruway could face foreclosure after the property’s owners failed to correct multiple code violations and have not paid thousands of dollars in city-issued fines.
Lafayette Consolidated Government confirmed a lien has been filed against the former EconoLodge, which has remained vacant and deteriorating for months.
“If remediation doesn’t occur, the next step would be a code lien foreclosure,” said Jamie Boudreaux, communications director for LCG.
This comes as business owners next door continue to raise safety concerns.
“This is the hotel right here, and this is the back of my property right here,” said Brandy Stansbury, who owns A-ABL Transmission with her family. “When we have to house all these people’s cars, it starts bleeding into our properties. Nothing has really changed.”
Stansbury said the vacant building has drawn repeated problems, including one incident where someone broke into a camper on her lot and started a small fire.
“This is the window he had broke, and it was missing my beans somehow,” she said. “He was going into the camper doing whatever and lighting a fire.”
In February, following an administrative hearing, a judge fined the owners — NP Trust — $5,600 and gave them 60 days to bring the property into compliance. But according to LCG, the owners never followed through, and $200 daily fines have been adding up since.
The hotel still shows signs of neglect, with more broken windows, tall weeds, and a filthy, stagnant pool. Nearby business owners say the conditions continue to worsen.
Lafayette Police say officers have responded to more than 35 calls related to the property since January.
“We haven’t heard anything,” Stansbury said. “It’s just drugs, prostitution — it’s not healthy.”
LCG says foreclosure proceedings are being considered as a next step if nothing is done.
NP Trust did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
