FEMA is asking some victims of Superstorm Sandy for its moneyback, but it might not be that easy to get back.
|This fall, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) sentout letters to thousands who had mistakenly received some $24million in emergency assistance funds to reimburse the agency,reportsThe Wall Street Journal. FEMA is required by law toaudit itself to determine if it mistakenly dispensed disaster aidto victims to recipients who received funds from other sources,such as insurance or if multiple people in a household receivegrants.
|And by law, FEMA can reclaim mistakenly distributed funds — evenif it was the mistake was the agency's fault.
|As of Jan. 15, 3,631 victims who mistakenly received funds weresent letters asking them to return the money in 30 days, or facepenalties, says WSJ. For many homeowners, that money haslong been spent on repairs and rebuilding.
|That's why U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez and Rep. Frank Pallone of NewJersey proposed legislation last week to waive the debt for Sandyvictims who received money as the result of a government mistakeand earn less than $250,000 annually, reports WSJ. Similarlegislation was passed after Katrina.
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