BATON ROUGE - Amid a corruption and money laundering investigation, EBR Metro Councilman Cleve Dunn appeared in court Monday.

The case stems from a 2 On Your Side investigation that WBRZ has been following for years. It involves a lawsuit filed by two former neighbors of Dunn, who allege that improvement projects to his home were causing flooding to their property.

Donna and her husband Eugene Michelli said that the work Dunn did cost them more than $57,000.

In October 2020, court records claim that Dunn finished building a pool cabana in his backyard. Later that year, a fence was built behind his house, which the Michelli's allege was now on their property.

Pat Cormier, the subdivision's Homeowners Association president, testified in court Monday that the subdivision's rules state that structures like the cabana cannot be built within eight feet of the property line.

The Michellis claim the cabana was built too close to the property line, causing water to flood their property when stormwater would run off it and into their yard.

Cormier says he had talked to Dunn about the fence and that originally, he was not aware that Dunn was doing work. He said if someone wants to build a fence on their property, they need a permit.

Dunn's attorney, Edmond Jordan, argues that a fence was originally there and that the work was replacing an existing fence.

Donna Michelli took the stand Monday, testifying that the flooding reached their yard and house, forcing them to spend tens of thousands of dollars to fix it.

However, Dunn's attorney pointed out a lack of receipts showing payments for the damages. Michelli claims they paid with cash, but Jordan pointed out that they did not have a W-9 showing the payments. One of the only receipts that was shown was for just under $25.

Following Monday's session, WBRZ asked the plaintiff attorney, Charlotte McDaniel, how she felt Monday's session went.

"Appropriate, slow, and par for the course. The judge was even-handed, fair, and acknowledged everything that he needed to do. The witnesses were straightforward and said what they needed to say, and so we shall see," McDaniel said.