AP IMPACT: FEMA asks for return of disaster aid (more than $22 million )

Source: AP

By RYAN J. FOLEY

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) - After the raging Cedar River filled his home with 13 feet of water and ruined most of his possessions, Justin Van Fleet pleaded for help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to get back on his feet.

Dead broke and living in a FEMA trailer following the 2008 flood, Van Fleet repeatedly submitted paperwork and made countless phone calls arguing his case. After seven months, the agency finally gave him more than $20,000, which he said gave him his life back and allowed him to move into a house.

Then in March, a letter arrived from the government with a shocking message: He should never have gotten the money. And he had just 30 days to pay it all back.

The agency is asking Van Fleet and thousands of other Americans who were victims of natural disasters to return more than $22 million in government aid, acknowledging it mistakenly made payments to many people who were ineligible.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20110510/D9N4QFMO3.html

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In this May 5, 2011 photo, Justin Van Fleet stands at the site of where his home once stood before the flood of 2008, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Van Fleet is among thousands who have received letters in recent weeks from the Federal Emergency Management Agency notifying them they received too much money from the agency dating back to 2005 and now must pay it back. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

make connections in flooded communities. I quit in disgust. All the red tape and distrustful attitudes toward people who had lost their homes and possessions made me sick. Sadly this guy's plight doesn't surprise me.

and hopefully he will apply and be approved for a hardship waiver but otherwise it appears that he does owe the money, sorry.

I wonder what they'd do if he didn't pay it back? He obviously doesn't have a lot for them to take.

Good job guys!

FEMA. They put incompetents in FEMA and other gov organizations to intentionally break them.

2005 Remember who was in office.

FEMA worked just fine under Clinton. It wasn't perfect but it was functional.