by the Way . . .

This will be the fourth exposition of the Katrina hotel bill situation. Since the hotel rooms generally now have internet access, most of the residents of the 28,000 rooms the taxpayers are providing now rely of this site for the latest freebee extension. On December 13 we reported how Judge Woody and the New York class action lawyer Howey Goodnick have been helping FEMA with the hotel bill rules. Here is the latest ruling. If you have not received your rental assistance, or been rejected, by January 30, you can stay until February 27, or for two weeks after you do receive the same, whichever is later. That is, if you NEVER receive rental assistance or get rejected, you can stay FOREVER. Remember that. That is, unless you are in the New Orleans area, in which case you get 2 extra days, to March 1. That is necessary to get you to the end of the eight day Mardi Gras celebration. You will remember that the judge earlier acted from "the very real fear" that the folks would be without shelter on Christmas. That of course is nothing compared to the fear of being out in the street during Mardi Gras. If you do receive rental assistance or get rejected before January 30, you are off the dole, well, only that part about the hotel, on February 13. That is, if you call FEMA to get your authorization code, a requirement announced last week. If you don't call by January 30 you could be out February 7, that is, unless Howey can get you a waiver or an extension of the move out date for those that don't call. There is a free phone in your hotel room, so you should call. It is not clear in the order whether you have to keep calling when the line is busy, or can just leave a message. Your call is important to them.

According to the NYT, Howey said the new order should clarify FEMA's earlier promise to keep paying for hotel rooms until the resident received or were denied rental assistance. Got that? Keep checking back here for further clarifications. And remember, as explained in the December 22 entry, your rental assistance doesn't begin until you move into an apartment, and just because you sign a lease doesn't mean you have to move in. Note that "whichever is later" part, above.

According to Howey's law firm's web site, "Nearly (sic?) 20 attorneys from Schulte Roth & Zabel have contributed more than 3,000 pro bono hours" on the class action lawsuit against FEMA. “More than two months after Katrina, thousands of Americans are still being victimized, this time by bureaucratic inaction, indifference and incompetence,” said Howard O. Godnick, litigation partner at SRZ. “It is an outrage that these victims must sue a federal agency to secure services they are so clearly entitled to.”

FEMA issued a statement after the January 12 court order, in part as follows: "We are pleased that the Court has agreed to our authorization code plan.... Today's Court Order reaffirms the program FEMA already has in place for those hurricane evacuees still in hotels and motels nationwide.... The Court also agrees with FEMA's plans to have hurricane evacuees contact FEMA no later than January 30, 2006 to receive an authorization code that will allow FEMA to continue to pay for hotel rooms beyond Feb. 7. A new date was added to the FEMA hotel/motel program by the Court Order, and it is reflected in the attached timeline of important dates."

Looks like everybody is a winner again.