[StBernard] FEMA - MISINFORMATION

[Westley Annis]

Cathi, we are also getting the runaround. We were instructed by a
representative from FEMA, that we had to submit a denial letter from our
insurance company, denying us for ANY and ALL living expenses. We submitted
this letter back on November 11th, 2005 via fax. Among several phone calls
placed to FEMA to check the status of our account, we received inadequate
information and the representatives could not answer any of our questions.
On Monday, November 21st, 2005, my husband decided to take off of work once
again (after many phone calls & visits)  to go see a FEMA representative at
the tent in St. Bernard Parish. The representative was helpful and she
informed us that our denial fax from the insurance company was not entered
in the computer yet, that we should come back another day and bring the
letter. I then took off of work on Friday, November 25th, 2005 to personally
hand deliver the denial letter. After sitting in line for 2 hours with my
infant, I spoke to another inadequate FEMA representative. The
representative informed me that my denial letter is showing up in the
computer and that I just have to sit back and be patient for FEMA to contact
us. 

 

Not only is it heartwrenching to experience everything you worked so hard
for get ripped away from you, but then you have to deal with people who lack
the knowledge to answer legitimate questions, and get told to "be patient! "
is the most frustrating part of this whole ordeal.  It is almost 4 months of
living in our cars, living with family members, and anywhere else we can
find with a 5month old because we are getting NO ASSISTANCE from FEMA! We
have only received the initial $2000 from FEMA! We have contacted FEMA
numerous times, we have personally vistited the FEMA tent numerous times and
still to no avail, we can't get our questions answered and NO help from
FEMA! 

 

Now unbeknownst to us, we decided to contact FEMA on our weekly phone calls
to check the status on our account and on Saturday, December 10th, 2005, my
husband called and had the worst, crude and rude FEMA representative answer
his phone call. She would not let him explain the situation, every time he
tried to talk, she would override him and tell him "you need to listen to
me! " Then that is when the representative told him that our account has
been closed because we are getting assistance from our insurance company!
Did they not read our DENIAL letter for assistance? The representative then
told us that being that we have CHOSEN to pay and have insurance; they WILL
NOT help us with any assistance! And that since we applied for the SBA loan,
which hasn't been approved yet, that we are also disqualified for assistance
from FEMA! I think this is discrimination!! Just because I CHOOSE to have
insurance, I can't get any help! I think FEMA has to reimburse me for all my
years of premiums of my insurance then! Because the people that CHOSE NOT to
get insurance is getting free money passed out to them. This is a disgrace
and we are being discriminated! After a heated battle between my husband and
the representative because she would not let him talk, he became very
frustrated and hung up on the representative! We are just asking for a
little help from the government, like everyone else that lost EVERYTHING
they owned! 

 

We are now appealing the closure of our account and asking FEMA to please
reconsider and please work with us! We just would like to get a little
normalcy back into our lives. This is the most emotional and frustrating
process to go through on top of loosing everything we own! 

 

Wish us luck.I don't know where it is going to now from here. My husband
took off another day of work to go back to the FEMA tent to get some
answers. We also spoke to the SBA loan officer and he told me that what we
were told was completely misinformation and that they can't just assume we
will be approved for a SBA loan. He was very helpful and told me to appeal
the closure of our FEMA account. As it is, we are still waiting for a FEMA
trailer like everyone else. We have the property to put it on in St. Tammany
Parish with all the utilities waiting for the trailer. Every time we call to
check status on that, we are just told that the work order was sent on
November 11th and we just have to be patient. 

 

Frustrated & Exhausted! 

Heather C. LaBauve