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FEMA
offers
refunds
for
travel
trailers "Part of an ongoing effort to address concerns about possible adverse health effects of formaldehyde"
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WASHINGTON,
D.C.
-
1/17/2008
-
The
Federal
Emergency
Management
Agency
(FEMA)
announced
today
that
it
will
offer
to
refund
the
purchase
price
of
travel
trailers
or
park
models
to
individuals
who
wish
to
return
units
purchased
directly
from
FEMA
or
through
the
General
Services
Administration
(GSA).
This
initiative
is
part
of
an
ongoing
effort
to
address
concerns
about
possible
adverse
health
effects
of
formaldehyde
associated
with
recreational
vehicles.
For
GSA
auction
sales,
refunds
for
the
purchase
price
of
travel
trailers
and
park
models
will
be
offered
for
units
purchased
through
GSA
auctions
on
or
after
July
24,
2006,
until
such
sales
were
suspended
in
July
2007.
Individuals
who
want
to
return
their
travel
trailer
or
park
model
unit
must
contact
FEMA
within
a
60-day
period
beginning
January
17,
2008.
For
units
sold
by
FEMA
directly
to
disaster
assistance
applicants
occupying
the
unit,
FEMA
will
offer
to
refund
the
purchase
price
of
any
travel
trailer
or
park
model
sold
on
or
after
July
31,
2006,
until
such
sales
were
suspended
in
July
2007.
The
refunds
option
applies
to
disasters
declared
on
or
after
Aug.
29,
2005.
Occupants
will
have
60
days
from
the
date
of
notification
to
request
a
refund.
Buyers
must
have
purchased
the
units
directly
from
FEMA
or
GSA.
The
refunds
will
be
provided
upon
repossession
of
the
units.
Individuals
and
disaster
applicants,
who
have
questions
regarding
the
purchase
of
their
unit,
may
call
FEMA
at
1-866-562-2381
or,
TTY
1-800-462-7585.
Purchases
through
GSA
FEMA
will
notify
via
e-mail
each
individual
who
purchased
a
recreational
vehicle
(travel
trailer
or
park
model)
sold
to
the
public
as
excess
by
FEMA
through
GSA
on-line
auction
sales.
The
e-mail
will
include
the
refund
period
and
procedures
for
requesting
a
refund.
Buyers
will
need
to
send
a
written
request
for
a
refund
to
FEMA
within
60
calendar
days
of
the
initial
public
notification
date,
January
17,
2008.
The
written
request
must
include
the
GSA
Sales
Contract
Number,
the
purchaser's
name,
the
purchase
price
and
the
purchaser's
receipt
for
payment.
Buyers
must
submit
a
Direct
Deposit
form
with
an
original
signature
to
allow
for
the
electronic
deposit
of
funds
and
an
unsigned,
voided
check
or
deposit
slip
along
with
a
signed
and
completed
Trailer
Refund
Checklist
form.
Both
forms
will
be
provided
via
the
e-mail
notification.
Purchasers
must
return
units
to
the
designated
FEMA
facility
and
they
will
need
to
turn
over
the
Certificate
to
Obtain
Title,
if
the
purchaser
still
has
the
document,
and
title
to
the
unit
itself.
FEMA
will
not
reimburse
purchasers
for
upgrades
or
work
done
to
the
unit;
individuals
are
responsible
for
arranging
for
transportation
or
travel
and
paying
for
the
associated
costs.
Refunds
will
be
transmitted
to
the
purchaser's
bank
account
by
direct
deposit
within
30
days
of
the
unit's
physical
return
to
the
designated
FEMA
facility.
Refund
requests
should
be
sent
to
FEMA
at
the
following
address:
Attn:
Logistics
Current
Operations
Branch
Federal
Emergency
Management
Agency
500
C
Street
SW,
Room
330
Washington,
D.C.
20472
Purchases
Directly
From
FEMA
FEMA
will
mail
a
letter
to
each
disaster
assistance
applicant
who
purchased
their
recreational
vehicle
(travel
trailer
or
park
model)
directly
from
FEMA
between
July
31,
2006,
and
July
31,
2007,
for
major
disasters
declared
on
or
after
Aug.
29,
2005,
notifying
them
of
the
option
and
procedure
for
seeking
a
refund.
Buyers
who
wish
to
seek
a
refund
will
need
to
contact
FEMA
within
60
calendar
days
of
the
date
of
the
notification
letter
they
receive.
Applicants
who
contact
FEMA
through
the
toll
free
number
will
be
transferred
to
the
appropriate
Transitional
Recovery
Office
(TRO)
or
field
office
in
order
to
process
the
refund
request.
The
TRO
or
field
office
will
obtain
the
original
Certificate
to
Obtain
Title
from
the
applicant,
if
the
purchaser
still
has
the
document,
and
any
other
titles
the
applicants
obtained
for
the
unit.
FEMA
will
deactivate
and
haul
away
recreational
vehicles
for
occupants
who
want
to
return
the
units
to
FEMA
for
a
refund.
Refunds
will
be
transmitted
to
the
purchaser's
bank
account
by
direct
deposit
within
30
days
of
the
unit's
physical
return
to
FEMA.
For
occupants
still
residing
in
the
recreational
vehicle
and
who
are
in
need
of,
and
remain
eligible
for,
housing
assistance
from
FEMA,
a
caseworker
from
the
respective
field
or
Transitional
Recovery
Office
will
work
with
the
applicant
to
help
them
move
them
into
other
housing.
FEMA
coordinates
the
federal
government's
role
in
preparing
for,
preventing,
mitigating
the
effects
of,
responding
to
and
recovering
from
all
domestic
disasters,
whether
natural
or
man-made,
including
acts
of
terror.
"The
benchmark
for
the
rest
of
the
year"
and
a
"leading-edge
economic
indicator"
What
do
you
think?
...
|
Readers'
comments:
(Latest
first)
joe
:
FEMA is a joke. This department of the US Government doesn't really care about the people of this country that need help. It is all lip service and BS. FEMA is really run by fat cats that are going to use FEMA to enslave us when the bell rings. FEMA will heard us into concentration camps to feed and protect us...SURE! Where have I heard this before? WAKE UP PEOPLE. There are underground concentration camps [read Death Camps] set up right now waiting for our arrival. Stop watching TV and read alternative literature like The Biggest Secret by David Icke.
Dave1262
:
Just open the doors and windows and let the unit air out. The toxins will quickly disappate. Once again the press has blown this out of proportion as they have the whole process from day one and it ends up costing the taxpayers money that they don't need to pay. All trailers have this problem - the FEMA trailers may have a little more concentrated amounts of it but they are no different than a regualar standard trailer. I have tested mine and there are no abnormal readings in it.
Ed
:
A lot of people bought these FEMA trailers on GSA Auction site thinking they were getting a chance to own an RV that otherwise would be impossible to afford. Some of the trailers were in good condition and others needed repairs. I bought one of these trailers before news of the toxins were released. I always wanted a camper and thought it would be a perfect oppurtunity to buy something that I otherwise could not afford. My bid price considered the repairs and what we could afford. After repairs were done the Toxin news was released and I was afraid to use the trailer especially with a 6 year old with asthma. Now I have to take the refund and take a loss on the expenses incurred while the trailer sat unused and repaired for year. What was a dream come true has become a Nightmare. Not happy about it.
neil1550
:
Next time a disaster strikes, put them all up in tents. Then they'll sue for trailers. A few years back I got caught between hurricanes in Orlando after checking on our ex-condo 90 miles away. I booked a room in a Econo Lodge in St Cloud, while waitng for the airport to decide whether they were going to close or not. Closing meant my flight was cancelled the next afternoon. The people that checked into the room beside started to loudly complain on the balcony, about the quality of the room. It seems they had just been sent to this "dump" after being put up for 3 weeks by FEMA at one of the Disney Hotels. They felt they deserved better than a $60 a night room. My room was clean with a king bed, corner work area, 32" TV and recliner.
When they cancelled my flight 4 hours later, I drove my rental back to Indiana.
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