Monroe man reposseses roof

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A local man faces misdemeanor charges after he reclaimed a roof he put on a local home following a payment dispute. Andrew Jackson Higdon III, 66, of 933 Harrell Road, West Monroe, was arrested Tuesday and charged with simple criminal damage to property and criminal trespass. Both are misdemeanors.

According to a warrant for his arrest, Ouachita Parish deputies responded to a home on Charmingdale Drive in Monroe on Dec. 29, 2016, in reference to a damage to property complaint. The victim told deputies that she and Higdon had a verbal agreement that he would replace her roof and wait for his payment until her insurance issued a check. The work was completed toward the end of June 2016.

The victim said Higdon started asking for payments around mid-December 2016. She said she could pay part of the total, but she told deputies he wanted the full amount, not a partial payment. The victim told deputies she tried to set up a payment plan, but he said no. She told deputies that Higdon said if she did not pay what she owed, he would take the roof off her house, and it would be damaged when it rained. She said when she came home on Dec. 22 2016, the roof and roofing paper were gone.

The victim said she couldn't get someone to cover the roof with tarps before it rained. As a result, her ceiling and furniture were damaged. She estimated the cost to be about $11,500.

Initially, Higdon agreed to meet with an investigator, but he didn't come to the meeting or answer subsequent phone calls.

Total bond was set at $4,500, and Higdon bonded out of Ouachita Correctional Center on Wednesday.

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