building permits

building permits

Roofing pushes building permits to upper floors

A surging in roofing activity brought on by spring hailstorms continues to send construction activity soaring.

According to the City of Plainviews July building report, 161 construction permits were issued during the month for construction totaling $3,325,978.74. By comparison, the city issued 146 permits from the first of January through the end of July 2016 for a total value of $3,414,185.

For the year-to-date through July 2017, construction values stand at $9,012,578.73.

The big difference comes from roofing activity, with 134 for the month for a value of $3,255,861.74, and 401 for the year with a value of $7,039,612.82. The City of Plainview began requiring building permits for roofing Jan. 1. As a result, there is no comparison data for 2016.

Other than roofing, the city issued 27 building permits in July for a value of $70,117.

Those projects include six residential additions for $12,900; three residential remodels, $8,220; 15 garage/carports, $24,737; one commercial addition, $5,000; and two commercial remodels, $19,260.

For the year-to-date in 2017, the City of Plainview has issued permits for 20 residential additions, $63,650; 14 residential remodels, $40,003.51; one residential demolition, $10,000; 35 garage/carports, $56,087; three storage buildings, $25,500; one new commercial, $21,000; four commercial additions, $814,988; 10 commercial remodels, $773,860; one commercial demolition, $20,000; three commercial accessory, $23,000; and 14 signs, $124,877.40.

Thus far during 2017 the city has issued no permits for new residential construction, residential repair, residential accessory building nor masonry fences.

Three certificates of occupancy were issued in July, for JM Estate Liquidators, LLC, 505 Broadway; Mi Linda Michocana, 906 W. 24th; and Armor Roofing, 1023 Broadway.

Non-roofing construction permits in July include:

--Commercial remodel, Thornton Construction, 1415 W. Fifth

--Garage/carport, Manual Heredia, 1309 W. 15th

--Garage/carport, Garvina Sepeda, 1213 Davidson

--Residential remodel, Maria Porras, 1215 Portland

--Residential addition, Domino Rodriguez, 1213 Independence

--Garage/carport, Domingo Rodriguez, 1213 Independence

--Residential remodel, Juan M. Chavez, 500 S. Broadway

--Garage/carport, Jose Banales, 1506 Portland

--Residential addition, Irma Lucio, 1105 N. Broadway

--Commercial addition, Frisco Bakery, 601 E. Sixth

--Residential addition, Larry Sanderson, 1410 Nassau

--Garage/carport, Joel Castillo, 610 W. 19th

--Garage/carport, Pete Dr. Rojas, 1315 Utica

--Garage/carport, Rodolfo Calderon, 305 Cedar

--Garage/carport, Arcelia Calderon, 1611 Joliet

--Garage/carport, Graciela Romero, 613 W. 27th

--Residential addition, David Arteaga, 1306 El Camino

--Garage/carport, James Odom, 401 Ennis

--Commercial remodel, Artisan Jewelers & Repair, 4308 Olton Rd.

--Garage/carport, Angel Pena, 2604 Lexington

--Residential addition, Juan Bustos, 2504 Rochelle

--Garage/carport, Mark Ybarra, 1309 Garland

--Garage/carport, Billy Savage, 3002 W. 28th

--Garage/carport, Larry Scott, 2607 W. Seventh

--Garage/carport, Jose and Christina Lopez, 1209 Lexington

--Residential remodel, Estrella Perez, 1601 Utica

--Residential remodel, Macario Najera, 2010 Kokomo

The rest is here:
Roofing pushes building permits to upper floors - Plainview Daily Herald

By line / Cutline:With the subfloor installed and primed and the vinyl tile glued down, the only remaining task is to rent a 100-pound roller from the lumberyard and roll it over the finished floor.

Cutline Email/Stock:Emily Priddy

My first inkling that the previous owner of our adorable little Craftsman bungalow might not have been the next Bob Vila came a week or so after we moved in, when I walked across the kitchen floor and heard a series of popping sounds.

I glanced down and realized what I'd heard was the grout in the brand-new tile floor cracking and popping up like popcorn.

The cat was thrilled; flying grout is fun to chase. I was less amused -- especially when I pulled up one of the tiles to discover why the grout was crumbling: The previous owner had installed the tiles directly onto the floorboards.

Bless.

His.

By line / Cutline:Emily Priddy runs a 100-lb. roller over the vinyl tile once it's installed.

Cutline Email/Stock:Ron Warnick

Heart.

With a new floor in my future, I decided to swap the ceramic tile for vinyl. It's not as elegant, but it's kinder to glassware, and it's faster and easier to install.

Out with the old

I bought an electric grout remover and took up the old floor, using a hammer and a hive tool -- a type of small pry bar, normally used for prying apart frames in a beehive -- to pull up the tiles that weren't already coming loose on their own. (A putty knife probably would have worked just as well; I just grabbed the hive tool because it was handy.)

When I was done, I put on a dust mask and goggles and ran an angle grinder over the mastic-covered floorboards to knock down the roughest spots. I'm told larger tools can be rented for this purpose, but I wasn't willing to mess with that for less than 100 square feet.

Emily Priddy runs a 100-lb. roller over the vinyl tile once it's installed.

Ron Warnick

Installing the subfloor

The trickiest part of installing a floor is working around cabinets.

Right angles are easy: Just measure a rectangle and cut a piece of cheap quarter-inch waferboard to fit.

In my kitchen, the cabinets start about a foot into the room, with a corner cabinet at the end nearest the dining room, which creates some awkward angles.

To figure out the angle at which I needed to cut the waferboard abutting that cabinet, I cut a rectangle just wide enough to fit the narrow section of floor between the cabinet and the dining room.

A yardstick and a rectangular strip of waferboard yield a handy template for working around awkward angles while installing the subfloor.

Emily Priddy ~ epriddy@semissourian.com

I slipped the waferboard into place, then laid a metal yardstick against the angled side of the cabinet and drew a line from the cabinet all the way across the board.

I cut along the line with a jigsaw, laid the now-angled end of the board on top of a new piece of waferboard the width of the angled cabinet and repeated my earlier process, this time laying the yardstick along the edge of the angled board and extending the line out to the edge of the new piece of waferboard.

The other challenge in installing the subfloor is working around doors and trim. Fortunately, the waferboard and vinyl together were about the same depth as the old tile, so I just slipped the edges of the boards and vinyl tiles under the baseboards and moved on. Had they been thicker, I'd have had to remove the baseboards, trim the moulding around the doors with a jamb cutter to allow clearance for the flooring below and reinstall the baseboards when I was done.

Once I'd cut all the waferboard and laid it in place, I anchored it to the floor with half-inch wood screws.

Priming the subfloor

By line / Cutline:Vinyl tile is relatively easy to install over an inexpensive waferboard subfloor.

Cutline Email/Stock:Emily Priddy

I used a short-nap weenie roller to coat the subfloor with latex floor primer, which runs less than $20 a gallon and goes on like paint.

Following the instructions on the container, I applied two coats, but given the way waferboard drinks primer, I probably should have given it a couple more to reduce uneven spots and make the tile stick better. Live and learn.

Installing the vinyl

If your house is good and square, you can use a tape measure and a chalk line to make a big cross extending out from the exact center of the floor and use it as a guide for laying self-adhesive vinyl tile, but our house is so old and wonky, I decided it would look better if I just picked the longest wall with the fewest visual distractions and aligned the tiles with that, trimming as necessary to work around awkward corners, heat registers and other obstacles.

Once I'd stuck down all the tiles, I rented a 100-pound roller from the lumberyard and ran it over the whole floor.

By line / Cutline:Installing a subfloor around an obstacle such as this heat register requires some piecework with a tape measure and jigsaw.

Cutline Email/Stock:Emily Priddy

I can't say it looks perfect, but the whole project cost less than $100, and it's much better than it was. At worst, if I decide I hate it later, I'll have a decent subfloor I can use as a starting point for something fancier.

In the meantime, it's an improvement that taught me a lot about flooring and gave me a good excuse to buy an angle grinder, which I'm sure will come in handy later.

By line / Cutline:I briefly thought the hardwood floor under the tile might be salvageable, but my lack of experience with the angle grinder quickly put the kibosh on that, so I went ahead with my plan to install this waferboard subfloor, followed by vinyl tile.

Cutline Email/Stock:Emily Priddy

Read more here:
Chipped Nails: Installing a vinyl floor is a simple, inexpensive project - Southeast Missourian

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We will solve problems, not multiply them. We will do high-quality work that we can warranty fearlessly.

Not just a septic and sewer repair and maintenance company, Nordvind can also handle installations and light construction (see our Infrastructure Services) and broad range of tough-to-find environmental services like hauling contaminated soil, decommissioning oil tanks, and much more (see our environmental services).

Nordvind Septic & Sewer was the brainchild of two Scandinavian brothers-in-law, Ralph and Todd. A Norse word that roughly translated means fresh air, Nordvind is partly a play on words, partly a business promise. Yes, solving stinky problems is what Nordvind does, but the way Nordvind treats customers is a breath of fresh air too. In 2014, Eric Peterson took over the business, maintaining the great service and affordable prices that helped the company build a loyal customer base.

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Nordvind Septic & Sewer | Auburn, WA | conquering waste in ...

ATHOL The town has received a six-figure grant from the state to help finance infrastructure improvements in the Grove Street neighborhood.

William Caldwell, vice chairman of the Athol Selectboard, and Linda Overing of Breezeway Consulting accepted a $706,748 Community Development Block Grant from the state last week in Boston. Athol Planning and Development Director Eric Smith said the money will be used to bring town sewer to Winter and Wilder streets.

He said the work will involve new roadway construction, a new water line and a sewer line installation. The area is served by septic systems currently. Smith said the grant cannot provide the direct public dollars for homeowners to connect to the new sewer line because CDBG funds can be used only on town property, but Athol will offer opportunities for homeowners to tap into housing rehabilitation grants or other resources to bring sewer connections to fruition.

Smith said a low-pressure pump sewer system is required. The grades of the existing houses prevent a standard sewer installation, he said.

Caldwell, a teacher at Athol High School, said he traveled to Boston because he was the only selectman who could make the trip on a summer weekday.

Its big money, he said Thursday. It allows us to do what we need to do.

Caldwell said he and Overing met with Gov. Charlie Baker, Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash and Housing and Community Development Undersecretary Chrystal Kornegay.

See the rest here:
Athol gets $700K in CDBG money - The Recorder

For several years, Summit County Health Department officials suspected there were septic system failures occurring in the commercial area of the lower Silver Creek neighborhood near the Interstate 80 and U.S. 40 junction.

Earlier this year, Summit County Health Department Director Rich Bullough urged the Summit County Council to consider forming a voluntary assessment area or issue a building moratorium. He said Silver Creek and East Canyon Creek had been identified as critically impaired waters, adding "they are very important tributaries of the Weber River providing drinking water to 600,000 people in the Wasatch Front."

"Most of those buildings were built a long time ago when septic was approved because it wasn't an option to get sewer to that area," Bullough said. "But, when Woodside homes came in and requested septic permits about four years ago we denied those permits because of the high groundwater and history of failure in the area. They chose, instead, to run sewer and all of a sudden that gave us the option of extending sewer beyond those homes."

As a result, a voluntary assessment district was recently formed, Bullough said, with the help of the Utah Division of Drinking Water (DDW), the Summit County Council and property owners in lower Silver Creek.

"It's an expensive project roughly $1 million dollars and we wondered if we could finance a bond, but I ultimately ended up going to the state water board and requested a loan and amazingly they gave us a zero percent interest loan," Bullough said. "They really bent over backwards to help us get this done."

Bullough said 22 property owners, commercial and residential homeowners, agreed to sign waivers to join the voluntary assessment district.

"Ultimately, the County Council took a gamble when they formed this assessment area with just 19 waivers signed, knowing they would need about 24 to pay for the project. But they agreed to pick up the balloon payment at the end of the 20 years and we have since picked up three more property owners," he said.

Property owners agreed to pay $1,760 as an annual assessment for 20 years to pay for the project. However, as more properties are developed, officials hope that the 20-year term will be reduced.

"We are already hearing from potential developers who are looking at projects in the area and I suspect we will see more and more come online," Bullough said. "We hope that 20 years is significantly reduced to about 15 years."

Construction to install the sewer lines began on July 17 and the expected completion date is September 17. The lines will only extend to properties in the lower commercial area of Silver Creek.

"If development is to occur within 300 feet of this new line, they will have to hook up to it. That is part of the state law," Bullough said. By bringing sewer to this lower part of Silver Creek, the homes higher up on the hill may, at some point in the future, have the potential to have sewer run to them as well.

Bullough said he walked around the construction site earlier this week and, personally, felt a "huge amount of satisfaction."

"This wouldn't have happened without a whole bunch of people doing the work and without the property owners saying, 'We want this' because they are the ones who are paying for it," he said. "We have a very important water source over there and we have just taken a significant step to not just maintain the water quality, but improve it."

To view the ordinance, go to http://summitcounty.org/DocumentCenter/View/6576.

Visit link:
Silver Creek Sewer Assessment District is created - The Park Record

HERMITAGE It's been 10 months since a resident of North Neshannock Road asked Hermitage Municipal Authority if it was planning to extend sewer service in her area, but authority officials told a group of area residents Wednesday that the issue goes back way beyond last year.

The authority is preparing an update to its Act 537 plan, the document "that says, for any given piece of property in the entire city, what they're gonna do with their sewage," said Jason Wert, consulting engineer with RETTEW Inc.

JOE PINCHOT | Herald

Jason Wert of RETTEW Inc., Hermitage Municipal Authority's consulting engineer, center, explains a study of the sanitary sewer needs on North Neshannock and Darby roads.

Specifically, officials are looking at needs for sewer service on North Neshannock and North and South Darby roads, although a larger update covering the entire city is in the offing.

Kathy Lealyof North Neshannock asked the authority Wednesday how the study of her neighborhood came about.

"I can't understand why one individual family has opened this big ball of wax up and we're causing so much stink in Hermitage, here," she said.

Authority Manager Tom Darby responded that the "stink" goes back at least to the '80s, during a previous Act 537 plan update.

"We knew the area where you're at was bad," Darby said, meaning that there were malfunctioning sewer systems.

At that time, the authority expanded sewer service, but not to that area. Local officials knew they would have to revisit the area and state Department of Environmental Protection officials have not forgotten the earlier findings.

"It wasn't off the radar," Wert said. "The city didn't kick over an anthill that wasn't already known. The DEP was aware of the situation. As a matter of fact, the DEP asked if we would look at a broader area, which is why it's more than just Neshannock Road. We did not do as broad an area as the DEP wanted, and that's probably something that will come up in a later year. Maybe, next year or the year after. "

The authority has sent letters to residents asking them fill out a survey.

"We have to determine what the situation is in the area," Wert said. "Whether you feel strongly or not about whether public sewer service should be there, your input's valuable. We need it because we don't live in those homes and we don't understand what goes on on a daily basis."

RETTEW employees will be walking the neighborhoods this month looking for signs of malfunctioning septic systems. Wert said homeowners are allowed to forbid surveyors from coming on their properties, but that DEP requires them to list such occurrences a "potential malfunction."

Lealy asked if a poll of the residents could be used to determine whether sewer lines are extended.

"We cannot," Wert said. "We have to let the data determine what the situation will be. If there is enough malfunctions identified, or repairs of malfunctions throughout the years, then we'll have to provide options to the DEP of how we're going to solve that situation. It varies but I will say, generally, if one in four homes have had a problem or have a problem at the moment, generally, the DEP will say we have to extend public sewer service. It's cut and dry."

Just because a specific area North Darby, as an example does not meet that threshold, lines still could be extended if the percentage of malfunctions is close to the cut off, more malfunctions are expected in the coming years and/or officials decide it will be cost-efficient to do the area as part of a larger project instead of waiting, Wert said.

"No decision's been made," Wert said, noting any projects are at least a year away.

Some residents complained about the potential cost to homeowners. In the past, the city has charged a tap-in fee to each homeowner and an assessment fee based on property frontage, and homeowners have had to hire contractors to connect their homes to the public lines.

"I really think there's a serious financial problem for the people who are here," said Linda Spanos of North Neshannock.

Marcie Grimm of North Neshannock said she had to pay $20,000 to install a low-flow treatment system as a condition of buying her house and would not want to have to dismantle that system and pay more to tap in to public sewers.

Wert acknowledged the financial burden can be significant. The city has established payment plans for past projects and grants have been used to reduce the cost to homeowners, but Wert said grant funds largely have dried up.

After Grimm left, Wert told the board that low-flow systems such as Grimm's, which uses chlorine to treat waste water, are permitted by DEP when there is no appropriate land on a property for a conventional septic or sand mound system, and are considered a malfunction. Many permits specify that, should public sewer service become available, the homeowner must tap in.

"DEP considers that a measure of last resort," Wert said of low-flow systems.

Roseanne Sauers, who approached the authority in September, identified herself to the neighbors and explained her situation.Sauers and her husband, who has since died, wanted to sell their house but could not without replacing their septic system. They didn't want to spend the money if the city was going to extend sewers in the near future.

"I didn't blow a whistle," she said. "We were having trouble.I share your frustration."

Wert said he expects a draft of the Act 537 update will be ready in September with a public comment period in October or November. City commissioners will have the final say on whether any projects are undertaken and how homeowners would have to contribute to a project.

Read the original here:
Sewer plan update in works - Sharonherald

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Australian Visa Bureau Australia Jobs Category Skilled Trades/Services Electrician (General)

Electricians Job Australia- If your profession is Electrician (General)in accordance with the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) 3411-11 then you are currently in demand by employers in Australia.

As the occupation features on the MLTSSL as an occupation in demand in Australia, it is possible to apply for any of the visas in the General Skilled Migration (GSM) Program.

Visas in this category include the Skilled Independent 189, the Skilled Nominated 190, the Skilled Regional Nominated 489 or the Skilled Regional Sponsored 489 visas. In addition there is also the opportunity of applying for a number of employer sponsored visas if you have a firm offer of employment.

Please complete an online assessment to determine your eligibility, and to discuss the options with a consultant.

Click Here to Complete the Online Australian Skilled Migration Visa Assessment

Installs, tests, connects, commissions, maintains and modifies electrical equipment, wiring and control systems. Registration or licensing is required.

Tasks

Specialisations

Alternative Title

If the above ANZSCO code 3411-11 for Electrician (General)is your current occupation then you have a very good chance of qualifying for a skilled visa. For more detailed visa information, please complete a no obligation Online Assessmentand select a call back time when a Visa Bureau migration consultant will call you and explain the migration process in detail.

If you are looking to live and work in Australia on a permanent basis and your occupation is on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL), you can apply to emigrate to Australia through the Australian General Skilled Migration Program.

The program aims to meet current skills shortages in Australia by attracting skilled migrants under the age of 50 who can make an immediate contribution to the Australian economy.

If your occupation is not on the SOL but you are still interested in emigrating to Australia, the best route for you will be applying for an employer-sponsored visa, such as through the Employer Nominated Scheme (ENS), or by applying for the sponsored 457 visa.

If you are looking to work and travel in Australia and are under 30 (inclusive) years of age, you may be eligible for a Working Holiday in Australia.

See the rest here:
Electrician (General) Job Australia

Electricians work for a wide variety of companies, perform a multitude of tasks that generally require close attention to detail and good judgment, and have a journeyman electrician's license. These licenses typically require four years of apprentice work. That time includes some classroom instruction and a good deal of actual fieldwork. Certain states and companies may require a master electrician's license, which entails several more years of experience working as a journeyman.

Electricians work with a wide variety of electrical systems, repairing and maintaining them to the specifications of the system or the organizations they work for. These positions are vital and ensure that those electrical systems are running properly and performing to their highest capabilities. Electricians might perform work in various systems, include lighting, security, and distribution. Most large organizations will employ their own electricians to maintain their electrical systems. They may be responsible for one part or all of the electrical systems needed to keep the company running. They may also work with other licensed electricians or non-licensed employees to complete larger jobs.

Electricians should be willing and able to work in all conditions and at any time, as many of the systems they are required to work on may need maintenance at unpredictable times and in various locations. The work can be quite physical but also requires a great deal of knowledge and attention to detail.

Continue reading here:
Electrician Salary - PayScale

After spending nearly two decades in Illinois as a union electrician, Court Evans decided to move to Florida.

With hard work and a lot of help from other business people in the area, he has made his new company, Conch Electric, one of the "best" new companies in North Fort Myers, earning "Best of North Fort Myers" recognition for best electrician.

The designation is awarded via a North Fort Myers Neighbr readers poll.

Court Evans, owner of Conch Electric.

CHUCK BALLARO

Evans, whose father and grandfather worked as electricians in the Peoria area, worked for 19 years - five as an apprentice and the rest as a master electrician - before coming here. He passed all his exams and hit the floor running.

"I had been coming here for six years. My dad is a snowbird and many of the people I worked with in Central Illinois are here. I have that client base and they have friends who they've met. I had a lot of clients vote for me," Evans said.

He named the company Conch after the place he and his wife got engaged, in Key West, more specifically, the Conch Republic, which "seceded" from Key West in 1982. The company van even as the Conch Republic Flag on the side.

But with such a jump on a client base, perhaps the most important thing he did was join the River's Edge BNI group, an organization of business owners that meets to network and help each other find business, usually with the other businesses.

"It was a blessing, not knowing anyone here it's been a good in with general contractors," Evans said. "It's helped us grow rapidly. The contractor likes me and he gives me all his work."

Conch does typical electricial work, as well as bath and kitchen remodels. It also does things you might not know about, such as docks and boatlifts, landscape lighting and more.

Evans said he can also do telephone, data, fire alarm systems and more.

"I can do commercial work, but only small commercial since we aren't big enough just yet," Evans said, who has one van and three electricians. "I like helping people fix their problems."

Evans said being named "Best of" is an honor that has brought him recognition and increased his business even further.

"I've had calls come in that I wouldn't have had without it. I'm still in the process of building my web site, so anything that will get me up there in the search ranks will help me," Evans said.

Conch Electric, which covers Marco Island to Port Charlotte, is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more, call 313-0496.

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Conch Electric wired into North Fort Myers - North Fort Myers Neighbor - North Fort Myers Neighbor

Two years ago, Pablo Picasso's painting The Women of Algiers, sold at Christie's for an art auction record of $179 million. Then in June of last year, one of his cubist works, Femme Assise, went for over $63 million.

So when a portfolio of 271 never-before-seen Picassos appeared in 2010 the art world was stunned.

But the biggest surprise may be where they had been for nearly 40 years. Picasso's former electrician, 77-year-old Pierre Le Guennec, and his wife Danielle kept the art treasures in their garage -- works they said were a gift from Pablo Picasso and his last wife, Jacqueline.

The Picasso family heirs don't believe it. They suspect theft, but as we first reported last fall, the Le Guennecs stand by their story -- and it's a story that has captivated the art world.

Danielle and Pierre Le Guennec

CBS News

Danielle and Pierre Le Guennec are a retired couple living in the south of France. Back in 1971, he was an electrician hired by Pablo Picasso and his wife Jacqueline, to fix their American-made stove. The Picassos were so pleased, they had him to do other odd jobs on their properties including installing burglar alarms.

Bill Whitaker: How would you describe the relationship? Was it employee/employer? Or did you have a friendship?

Pierre Le Guennec: I believe that Monsieur had total trust in me. Particularly because of my discretion.

His discretion might be the only thing in this tale that isn't in dispute. As family electrician and handyman, Pierre Le Guennec had the run of Picasso's houses for 15 years starting before and stretching beyond the artist's death in 1973. One day in the early 1970s, he says, Jacqueline Picasso surprised him.

Pierre Le Guennec: Madame called me into the hallway and said, "Come here, this is for you. And she handed me a box. I said "Thank you, Madame." I left and brought it back here.

Pablo Picasso in his studio in Vallauris, France, Oct. 23, 1953.

AP

The Le Guennecs say they opened the box, and weren't impressed. They describe the contents as two Picasso sketchbooks and sheets of looseleaf paper all unsigned.

Danielle Le Guennec: There were plenty of drawings that were repeated. For example, there was the body of a horse without the head and the second part was only a head.

Danielle Le Guennec says, in general, she's not a big fan of Picasso's art.

Danielle Le Guennec: There are paintings where I don't know if the character is looking at me, not looking at me, the head is upside down it's on the side, and that's what made him famous. I'm not saying it's ugly, but I don't like it.

Bill Whitaker: So, you didn't think much of this box of paintings and sketches, and things that you received?

Pierre Le Guennec: If someone would've told me, "Mr. Le Guennec, go and throw this in the fire, I would have thrown it in the fire."

Pierre Le Guennec and Bill Whitaker inside Le Guennec's garage

CBS News

Instead of burning the box, Pierre Le Guennec says it ended up on a shelf in his garage. It lived there undisturbed until 2010, when he says he was ill and facing surgery. That's when he thought he should get his affairs in order and wondered if that Picasso gift might be worth something.

So, he contacted the Picasso Administration, run by Pablo Picasso's son, and described by hand-written letter and photos, what he had. The Picasso administration is the only place in the world that can certify the artist's work. Le Guennec wanted his box of art authenticated.

Pierre Le Guennec: They answered me by telling me that Claude Picasso wanted to see with his own eyes what it was we had and he gave us an appointment. So we went up to Paris, my wife and I, by train with a suitcase.

Bill Whitaker: Full of artwork?

Pierre Le Guennec: Yes. I organized them properly in cardboard folders so it could be presentable.

Bill Whitaker: How were you greeted by Claude?

Pierre Le Guennec: He was a bit haughty.

Danielle Le Guennec: Impolite.

Pierre Le Guennec: He's a monsieur and we are little people.

Danielle Le Guennec: He didn't even say 'hello'.

Bill Whitaker: Like little people?

Danielle Le Guennec: He looked at me and said 'You, you can sit over there.' One cannot say we were welcomed. That's not very polite, considering he's the son of a genius.

Bill Whitaker: Kind of snobbish, you say?

Pierre Le Guennec: Yes.

Danielle Le Guennec: Yes, snob.

Pierre Le Guennec: a man who represents wealth.

But Claude Picasso himself, the artist's third child and one of five living heirs, remembers the meeting differently.

Claude Picasso: I start-- you know, asking questions and so on. And they said they were given these things by my father. Then later on, a little bit later on in the conversation they said that some of them were given to them by my father's widow.

CBS News

The stash contained works spanning more than 30 years from 1900 to 1932. Some were preliminary sketches of well-known works displayed in museums and galleries around the world, like this one from 1932, "Woman Seated in Red Armchair" at the Musee Picasso in Paris. The similarity is striking. And then there's this one: a never-before-seen portrait of Olga, Picasso's first wife and constant subject for nearly 20 years. Included in the 271 works were six sketches, 28 lithographs and nine cubist collages -- considered museum quality. There were also those two full sketch pads with 81 drawings. An art trove later valued at as much as $100 million. Claude Picasso could not believe his eyes and did not believe the Le Guennecs.

Claude Picasso: The explanations were a bit murky. But I quickly understood that they must have stolen them.

Bill Whitaker: Did you know, immediately, that they were real?

Claude Picasso: Yes, but I didn't tell them that.

Bill Whitaker: You didn't wanna give anything away.

Claude Picasso: I couldn't because it was so it was so amazing. And they kept pulling out things.

Bill Whitaker: More and more

Claude Picasso: More and more and more. So at a certain point I said, "Is that all?" And they said, "No, no, no. We have some more here." And I-- I couldn't-- I c-- that's incredible. And-- and but I-- you know, I didn't say anything at all

Bill Whitaker: You didn't reveal anything on your face

Claude Picasso: "How nice. How lucky," whatever, you know, some

banality like this. And-- I had to let them go. 'Cause there is no system that can make me-- clamp down on these possessions.

Bill Whitaker: You couldn't seize them.

Claude Picasso: No, no

Bill Whitaker: So you had to let them go

Claude Picasso: You have to let that go. I knew what I had to do next.

Bill Whitaker: You called the police.

Claude Picasso: Yes.

The police opened an investigation. Three weeks later, the gendarmes were at the Le Guennec door. They seized the works - - and they seized the couple.

Pierre Le Guennec: We were taken into custody to Nice, my wife in one car and I in another and I was held there for two days.

Danielle Le Guennec: I spent one day in jail, I was devastated -- so devastated that I've been seeing a psychiatrist. I am not over it. I can still see that jail cell. And I'd like to add, if I can use this language, it didn't just smell bad, it stank.

Bill Whitaker: You don't believe they were kept in their garage for 40 years?

Both Jean-Jacques Neuer and Claudia Andrieu: No.

Jean-Jacques Neuer and Claudia Andrieu, lawyers representing the Picasso administration, say the condition of the art is too pristine to have been kept on a shelf in a garage for almost 40 years. They don't buy any part of the Le Guennecs story.

Bill Whitaker: Why not?

Claudia Andrieu: It's impossible.

Jean-Jacques Neuer: It's impossible. It's nonsense, and to be very frank with you, we believe that Mr. Le Guennec is a swindler.

The Le Guennecs say they're honest people caught in a David and Goliath battle with the Picasso heirs. Snooty art moguls who can't handle the idea that a modest family might be worthy of the artist's gift.

Danielle Le Guennec: We are simple people. We love our home and our garden. We've never travelled.

Bill Whitaker: They say that you folks were a little snobbish and perhaps looking down on them, because they're just little people, simple people, they call themselves.

Jean-Jacques Neuer: They play on that. It's pure manipulation, it's fantastic. It's-- it's the-- the poor

Bill Whitaker: You don't believe that they are simple people

Jean-Jacques Neuer: They are simple people, this is not the problem. We believe that they play on this to try to obtain sympathy from the public.

The family lawyers also question the meticulous language Pierre Le Guennec used to describe the works which they say could only have come from an art expert. But the retired electrician denies the accusation, and says he wrote every word himself.

These works by Picasso were deemed so valuable they immediately were seized and brought here for safekeeping one of the most secure places in the country: the Bank of France. This is the Fort Knox of France: the country's gold reserves are kept here too.

In February 2015, the Le Guennecs went on trial. There wasn't enough evidence to prove they stole the art, so prosecutors charged them with possessing stolen property.

Witnesses who knew Pablo Picasso and his wife, Jacqueline, testified it was impossible anyone would get such a generous gift from the master.

Maya Picasso, the artist's second child, says it's entirely out of character for the father she lived with the first 20 years of her life.

Maya Picasso : My father gave he gave pretty easily be it money or a sweater, if you were cold. But giving away artworks? No!

Even more unlikely, she says, was parting with his portraits of his first wife.

Maya Picasso: There's a beautiful portrait of Olga when she was young. You know, love is something beautiful, and when you're living it and decide to draw it, it's more than a picture. So he would have never given something like that away.

In his defense, Pierre Le Guennec presented this signed gift as evidence his relationship with the Picassos was more than just doing odd jobs. The Picasso family says an autographed pamphlet is exactly the type of small gift he might have received from Pablo Picasso.

Jean-Jacques Neuer: It's a little brochure dedicated and signed by Picasso. And when he came, he gave this little brochure. As a, "See, Picasso knew me," and his excuse to have all these works which were obviously stolen, was that he had this little brochure.

When Danielle Le Guennec took the stand she insisted she had a close friendship with Jacqueline Picasso, claiming Madame Picasso considered the Le Guennec home a refuge from the pressures of being the wife and widow of the 20th century's best-known artist.

Danielle Le Guennec: Jacqueline was a wonderful person who taught me a lot. Because she spoke so much about her husband, I got to know him. My friendship with Jacqueline lasted until the very end14 years of loyaltyI accompanied her to her final resting place.

Bill Whitaker to Danielle Le Guennec: Jacqueline, Jacqueline, Jacqueline She wrote to you quite often

Danielle Le Guennec keeps mementos of her relationship with the late Mrs.Picasso -- handwritten postcards she considers more valuable than a Picasso itself.

Danielle Le Guennec: As I said in court, they may have taken away the works, but the most beautiful painting I ever had was my friendship with Jacqueline and that is something they will never be able to take away.

The story of how the Le Guennecs aquired these works remains a mystery were they a generous gift? Were they stolen? Much like Picasso's art, this tale is intriguing, abstract and ultimately left to each of us to make sense of it all. In court the Le Guennecs were found guilty and given a two-year suspended sentence. They are appealing.

Bill Whitaker: If you had known then what you know now, would you have taken the artwork to Claude?

Pierre Le Guennec: If this had to be done all over again, well Monsieur, the box would've ended up in the chimney in the room right behind you there.

Last fall, the Le Guennecs appeared before a French appeals court and admitted they had lied. They said Jacqueline Picasso had asked them to store the art to keep it from French authorities and from her step children. As you might expect, Picasso family members think this latest story also is a lie. The French court upheld the Le Guennec's two-year sentence and ordered the art returned to Picasso's heirs.

All work by Picasso: 2016 Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Produced by Magalie Laguerre-Wilkinson and Sabina Castelfranco.

See more here:
A Picasso mystery examined by 60 Minutes - CBS News