Posted on February 15, 2006

Motel Evicts Hurricane Evacuees for Vandalism

Brett Troxler, 2theadvocate.com (Baton Rouge), Feb. 14, 2006

Managers at one motel in Baton Rouge are trying to evict evacuees staying in 30 rooms, even though the Federal Emergency Management Agency is still paying for their stay.

The owners of Pines Motel said the evacuees have trashed the rooms of their motel, and they need to leave.

Managers Brent and Dana Servario went to door-to-door on Tuesday to tell evacuees the time had come for them to leave. Many of the evacuees have FEMA codes allowing them to stay until March 1, but managers called FEMA and were told if the evacuees are damaging the rooms they had a right to evict them.

Despite the order from management, a majority of evacuees are not leaving the Pines Motel.

“But as far as leaving here, they won’t leave, and it doesn’t matter what we do or what we prove,” Brent Servario said.

So far just one evacuee has checked out of the motel.