OPELOUSAS – The St. Landry Parish Council, after meeting in executive session, voted 8-4 to honor the sale of a hangar to Scott Burling by the now-defunct St. Landry Parish Airport Authority.

This may put to rest a difficult situation which has plagued the council ever since St. Landry Parish Government took over management of the airport following an audit which noted a number of irregularities, including the sale of the hangar.

According the the audit performed by Darnell, Sikes, Gardes and Frederick, the hangar, which was donated to the Airport Authority, had an assessed value of $47,900, but was sold to Burling for $1,500 by the Airport Authority without complying with Louisiana Surplus Property provisions.

Burling said he was promised a Bill of Sale from the Airport Authority president, but never received it. He inisted that he did not know there was anything improper about the sale.

Since purchasing the hangar in 2007, Burling said he has made $4,000 worth of renovations to the hangar.

In December, the council voted to rescind the sale and refund Burling his money, but Council Attorney Andrea West said that state law protects “good faith purchasers” such as Burling who unknowingly purchase property illegally or inappropriately sold to them.

In January, the council voted to allow Burling the use of the hangar until the council received a ruling from the Board of Ethics.

Following the executive session, Councilman Glenn Stout made a motion to honor the original sale.

Ronald Buschel made a substitute motion to rescind the sale and repossess the building.

The substitute motion, which was voted on first, failed by a 5-7 margin.