Metairie man files suit over Road Home

(AP) A lawsuit against the company managing the state’s Road Home program, which provides money for the victims of the 2005 hurricanes who want to rebuild or relocate, has been filed in federal court here.

The lead plaintiff, Donald C. Massey of Metairie, wants a federal judge to appoint a special master to take over the slow-moving program, and order the company to implement 21 measures aimed at helping homeowners get their money.

“ICF’s gross incompetence, willful and wanton behavior and actions evidence a pattern seemingly designed to deny benefits and/or coerce homeowners to accept lesser awards than the awards to which they are rightfully owed in order to delay or lessen the impending shortfall of funds,” the lawsuit alleges.

ICF International was hired in June 2006 to manage the state-run, federally funded Road Home Program.

The firm stands to make $756 million over three years doling out the $6.2 billion in aid that’s available. The program already faces a potential deficit that’s been estimated as high as $5 billion.

ICF International’s latest statistics indicate 151,903 property owners have applied for benefits and the company has closed on 34,195 of those cases as of July 1.

“As with any massive program of this size and complexity, a wide spectrum of reactions can be expected,” Gentry Brann, director of communications for the Road Home Program and a spokeswoman for ICF International, said Friday. “Because this is a legal matter, we cannot comment any further.”

In his lawsuit Massey claims that ICF International concluded in December 2006 that his home was not eligible for any funds; but the firm later admitted it mistakenly included information from another unknown application. Three months later, ICF International notified Massey his home was 100 percent damaged and he was eligible for $71,589, according to Massey’s suit, which said that decision was based on the wrong square footage.

A month later, according to the lawsuit, the firm admitted it had underestimated the square footage, but then concluded that Massey was not eligible for any benefits because his home hadn’t suffered enough damage.

Massey’s lawyer, Robert Couhig Jr. of Baton Rouge, maintains the Road Home funds are being depleted because ICF International is “overbilling the state for duplicating work.”

The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge James Brady. No hearings have been scheduled yet.