SPECIAL PRESENTATION

LALB complainant 84-year-old widow Ms. Betty Jo Story continues
her quest for the LALB to make things right entailing a disastrous
auction conducted by auctioneer Marlo Schmidt on or around November 17, 2012.  

Ms. Betty Jo Story expresses her hope that the LALB will make things right with her in this
interview immediately after her January 26, 2015 hearing before
Judge Mike Caldwell in 19th JDC in Baton Rouge, LA.

Background:

On or around November 17, 2012, Marlo Schmidt conducted an auction for his client, Ms. Betty Jo Story.  Ms. Story contended that she was "promised" results on two real estate properties and that he ignored her requests for reserves on several of her cherished items but, instead, inserted her as the high bidder and charged her 40% commission to purchase her own merchandise back (plus a 10% buyer's premium).  Ms. Story sued Mr. Schmidt in 36th JDC and, in a trial on October 29, 2014, she obtained payment of $4,102.29 from Mr. Schmidt as the amount Judge O'Neal said he had no contractual authority to charge her.  Based on evidence revealed in 36th JDC, Ms. Story filed this complaint with the LALB dated November 4, 2014.   On November 17, 2014, the LALB sent Ms. Story this response, which indicated the LALB will proceed with the investigation of the complaint, but with the added caveat that it would do so "upon the decision of the court regarding the exceptions and the ultimate decision by the court."  So, Ms. Story now anxiously awaits seeing if the LALB will do as it indicated it would and investigate her most recent complaint.

Ms. Story also hasn't been happy to hear that, after the LALB mailed Brant Thompson (son of LA State Sen. Francis Thompson) this letter dated January 14, 2014 closing an investigation into his complaint, he complained bitterly to the LALB, after which they "reopened" a "closed" investigation, conducted a hearing, and filed a bond claim on Mr. Thompson's behalf all in a matter of mere months.  Mr. Thompson received his payment from the bond company in October of 2014.  On November 10, 2014,  Louisiana Voice published this feature story openly questioning if Thompson received preferential treatment as a result of his father's position as a Louisiana State Senator.