FEMA: That money we sent you? We need it back

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

www.katu.com/news/121584659.html?m=y&smobile=y&c=n

What if your evil insurance company is the government? You could tell an insurance company to go scratch, and they'd have to sue you. Something tells me the government is going to have a little easier time screwing these people over. And btw, I understand what subrogation is, and this merely appears to be subrogation-- however, there's no contract with "FEMA" and it's FEMA, not NFIP going after these people- so keep that in mind as you read...

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.

FEMA is required by law to recover improperly spent money, but most of the people who were helped say they used the cash years ago, and they don't want to be financially punished because of the agency's errors.

"It literally felt like everything is being taken away from me again," said Van Fleet, a 28-year-old call center worker. "It's like going through the flood again."

Documents obtained by The Associated Press show that FEMA is seeking payments from more than 5,500 people who were affected by 129 separate disasters since 2005, including floods, tornados, hurricanes and other calamities from Arkansas to American Samoa. The agency is still reviewing records, and more repayment requests could go out soon, including to victims of Hurricane Katrina.

FEMA admits the payments were largely its own fault - the result of employees who misunderstood eligibility rules, approved duplicate assistance for costs that were already covered by insurance or other sources, or made accounting errors. But the agency is still obligated to try to recover the money.

[clt4528]

I get government oversight is trying to reign in spending and stop the floodgates (pun intended) of wasted money, but it takes a lot of nerve of this department to try to take the money it gave back. They screwed up giving it out, but the people who got the money and already spent it keeping their lives afloat after suffering a natural disaster don't deserve to be punished for their mess up. It really sucks.

[marshabar1]

I've known of cases where social security overpayments were made. The old people, trusting their government as that generation generally does, figured they had gotten an adjustment and were happy to have it. Only it was a mistake and they ended up receiving less than their actual allotted amount for a period of time, creating actual hardship, until the overpayment was paid back. This has happened to two people I know.

Taxpayers pay for government mistakes every which way.


This is an extremely sad story.

[marshabar1]

I wonder if the farmers who grow a pot of tomatoes on the patio will have to give back the $50 K they were awarded?

[vonnie6200]

May 11, 2011 17:11:54 GMT -5 @marshabar1 said:

I wonder if the farmers who grow a pot of tomatoes on the patio will have to give back the $50 K they were awarded?

LOL - probably not

[Deleted]

Illegals and others abuse welfare forEVER, but a disaster victim gets screwed?? What is this gov't coming to? Taking things back, taxing fat people, while THROWING money in to video cameras in school cafeterias--- is this their idea of recovery?
Think of all the things we see on our news source sights and on this board 7 days a week that most people don't even know about. Insanity reigns.

[Deleted]

How about the llama subsidy?

[marshabar1]

[marshabar1]

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

May 11, 2011 17:30:42 GMT -5 @marshabar1 said:

I watched this episode, that liberal lawyer was caught red handed and was WAY out of his depth in the debate. He completely lost the argument, lost control of himself, and really had nothing to say. He just kept blurting out "this is silly" and "you don't know what you're talking about" but he NEVER once addressed the substance of the issue; he was just dead in the water-- he looked -- and behaved like -- a trapped animal the whole time.

[marshabar1]

And yet the money remains in the hands of bogus farmers. Why is it that honest people always pay? Congressmen make a habit of cheating and they rarely get caught or punished, when they are it's probably for political reasons we know nothing about. Thrown under the bus. Criminals get away with all kinds of scams. But honest regular people if we even make a total mistake we get caught. And if the government makes a mistake we pay. It's sickening.

[floridayankee]

May 11, 2011 17:06:28 GMT -5 @clt4528 said:

I get government oversight is trying to reign in spending and stop the floodgates (pun intended) of wasted money, but it takes a lot of nerve of this department to try to take the money it gave back. They screwed up giving it out, but the people who got the money and already spent it keeping their lives afloat after suffering a natural disaster don't deserve to be punished for their mess up. It really sucks.

Receive any overpayment from any government agency and they will ask for it back. It happened to me the first time I ever collected unemployment and they sent checks for the "waiting period" when they should not have. It was a few months later I got the "we want our money back" letter in the mail.

Illegals and others abuse welfare forEVER, but a disaster victim gets screwed?? What is this gov't coming to?

And some think we need more government social programs with the efficiency of the DMV and the compassion of the IRS.

[marshabar1]

May 12, 2011 10:14:17 GMT -5 floridayankee said:

And some think we need more government social programs with the efficiency of the DMV and the compassion of the IRS.

And the social network security of Facebook. ;D

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

May 12, 2011 12:42:59 GMT -5 @marshabar1 said:

May 12, 2011 10:14:17 GMT -5 floridayankee said:

And some think we need more government social programs with the efficiency of the DMV and the compassion of the IRS.

And the social network security of Facebook. ;D

LOL!

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

If a store cashier accidentally / erroneously / negligently credits a return on my credit card $10,000 (when it should be $10.00) ~ that money isn't mine, and I should give it back. (Even if I really need the money, or if I've already spent it.)

If my bank accidentally / erroneously / negligently deposits $10,000 in my account (when it should've gone to someone else) ~ that money isn't mine, and I should give it back. (Even if I really need the money, or if I've already spent it.)

If the government accidentally / erroneously / negligently gives me $10,000 on a claim (for which I wasn't eligible) ~ that money isn't mine, and I should give it back. (Even if I really need the money, or if I've already spent it.)

The fact that other people may be getting away with taking/keeping $10,000 from the store, the bank, FEMA, or anyone else doesn't really change my moral, ethical, and legal obligation to not keep which isn't mine. At least that's my personal view.