Woman Get's $6,000 From FEMA But Didn't House Any Evacuees

[matcom]

<snip>

MADEIRA BEACH - Liz Taylor opened her mother's mail last week to find two checks worth nearly $6,000 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The checks were written to Sandcastle Apartments, owned by Taylor's mother, for housing Hurricane Katrina evacuees.

But Sandcastle never housed any evacuees.

In fact, the two Madeira Beach units haven't been rented since spring.

"I was shocked when they came, and certainly I never considered cashing them," said Geraldine Taylor, 86. "The way it was written out, I could have cashed it!"

She asked her daughter to investigate.

Liz Taylor, 47, of Tampa sent an e-mail to Corporate Lodging Consultants of Wichita, Kan., which sent the checks. The consulting company works for the American Red Cross, which FEMA uses to administer a lodging reimbursement program.

Kyle Rogg, Corporate Lodging senior vice president, saw the e-mail from Liz Taylor with the subject line, "Wrong Check." He called her back within minutes.

"Our preference would be that situations like this never happened," Rogg said Monday.

Corporate Lodging claims to be the largest negotiator of hotel contracts in North America.

The Red Cross turned to the consulting group to develop a plan to house an estimated 250,000 Hurricane Katrina evacuees in about 42,000 hotel rooms across the nation.

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/10/04/State/FEMA_pay_puzzles_land.shtml

[philosophie_en_rose]

1. How many people would have just cashed the check?

Good for Ms. Taylor and her mom.

[matcom]

3. yup

methinks she is NOT the norm :eyes:

[LynneSin]

2. Hotel Rooms

Geez, there are enough vacant apartments that we could find a better option by getting them apartments instead of hotel rooms. With an apartment you have space, a kitchen, refrigerator and make it somewhat of a home. But with hotels most of the time it's just a room and maybe a mini-fridge.

[pitohui]

7. no there aren't enough vacant apartments

i don't know where you are seeking housing but in my area there are NO apartments & there are not anywhere near enough trailers

the hotel room program was a good & necessary program

the destruction of housing inventory on the gulf coast from pascagoula to beamont is apparently beyond most ppl's ability to imagine

you can't even get a freaking house or apartment as far north as jackson, mississippi

believe me, i have tried

[merh]

8. Folks just cannot comprehend the destruction left by Katrina.

We can tell them 1000 times that the Gulf Coast was wiped out and they just don't get it. It is hard for them to comprehend the total devastation unless they come here to see it for themselves.

I am one of the blessed folks that got a FEMA trailer (lucked up and made it as 252 out of 500 the first day they took applications). Sure it took 2 weeks to get my power, but some folks have been told it will be 2 months before they get a trailer. People are living in tents and the remains of their homes. A hotel room (a bed & a hot shower) is a blessing and a treat.

Good luck to you! :hug:

[xmas74]

4. That's fast for Corporate Lodging.

I've worked w/ them. They usually take months for a legit claim.

[Shell Beau]

5. A lot of people would have cashed those checks!

It's good to hear some people still do the right thing!

[sasquatch]

6. FEMA: Fuckup Everything Majorly Always

:banghead: