FEMA goes after aid to students;Katrina relief cash payback demanded

[uppityperson]

http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-7/1172300567254830.xml&coll=1

Hurricane Katrina's floodwaters ruined everything Jessica Horne had in her New Orleans dorm room at Dillard University, so like more than 1.7 million other evacuees, she applied for disaster assistance.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency came through with a check for $2,000, which helped defray the cost of her clothes and laptop computer. Then, unexpectedly, another check arrived. And then another.Horne eventually received $9,500 from FEMA. Now the agency wants the money back -- and is prepared to play hardball to get it, holding out the threat of collection agencies and criminal prosecution.

"I was, like, there is no way this is happening," said Horne, now a sophomore psychology major at Tennessee State University in Nashville. "That's a large sum of money to be lending out and wanting back, especially for someone who is a full-time student."Horne, 19, is one of thousands of New Orleans college students who received disaster assistance after the 2005 storm, only to receive letters months later from the federal disaster agency demanding repayment.

Federal law says that anyone incurring a "disaster-related" expense is eligible for assistance, regardless of whether he is a resident of the state where the disaster struck. But FEMA says things aren't so clear-cut when it comes to college students whose primary residence is often their parents' house....(more)

[aquart]

1. New York State has a law...

Or did, I dunno, that says when someone sends you something you didn't ask for, you don't have to send it back. Or pay for it.

It's to prevent mail frauds where people were billed for crap they never ordered. I've had a fun time with it.

Seems to me she never requested those other checks. Does Tennessee have a mail fraud law?

[halobeam]

2. how about this?

NY gives you monthly social services checks... the law changes (as to how they calculate income...).. therefore you make a certain % more...

does NOT notify you the law changed, and still sends you the same amount in the check for FIVE months.

What is the result? They send you a letter saying they overpaid you, cuz law changed and you now owe 4,000.00....



This girl ought to fight this to the end.. I hope she is up to it..

I feel so sorry for people who are not up to fighting it within the "allowed time frame".