ST. LANDRY PARISH, La. (KLFY) - There are over 1,000 adjudicated properties in St. Landry Parish and the list just keeps growing.

Parish President Jessie Bellard told News 10 that it is not something he wants bogging down parish government but he said that he will make sure these properties don't go to waste.

"It's a lot of expense when we take on these properties, a lot of the adjudicated properties become blighted properties," Bellard said.

He also said that he doesn't want to add any more properties to the parish's already long list of adjudicated properties, but he may have to.

He said that if you don't pay your property taxes, the parish will be forced to take control of your property.

"When we sell a piece of property that money goes back into the same fund which gives us money to flip the next piece of property," said Bellard.

Properties can go up for sale three years after it has been adjudicated, and Bellard told News 10 that anybody can bid on the properties.

"We are giving the people of our parish the opportunity to get property at a cheaper price," Bellard said.

The minimum bids must start at $500 but Bellard said that if the parish government has done work on the property that then becomes the minimum bid.

"Once the council says we can sell that property then we start advertisements, one 30 days then one 10 days out," Bellard explains.

Once the auction is done and the highest bidder is awarded the property, the work is not done.

The law states that if the property has been adjudicated for three years, you have to give the original owner a six-month notice. Five years or more, a 60-day notice is given.

"You have to hire an attorney. They sign an affidavit you did everything. I will then sign over a non-warranty cash sale," Bellard said.

You can make sure your property taxes are up to date and check if your home has been adjudicated on the St. Landry Parish Tax Assessor website.