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Updated: 11:05 PM Sep 16, 2008
Football Reservations May Force Out Evacuees
A showdown may be looming at Bryan-College Station motels. Posted: 3:37 PM Sep 16, 2008Reporter: KBTX Staff Email Address: news@kbtx.com |
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149 Comments 
A showdown may be looming at Bryan-College Station motels.
The issue at hand is what happens with evacuees who are in the local hotels when football fans come to town this weekend for the A&M game. Local officials will be meeting over the next few days to figure out what they can do.
Some hotel-motel managers we spoke with say it comes down to a moral obligation to house the evacuees versus a legal obligation to handle those with reservations. According to them, a reservation for a room is a legal contract.
Meanwhile, evacuees have been telling us here at News 3 they must leave their hotel rooms by Friday at noon.
A letter from Attorney General of Texas Greg Abbott
Hurricane Consumer Alert: Evacuees Should Know Their Rights When Staying at Hotels
While some Hurricane Ike evacuees headed to evacuation shelters, others sought safe refuge in hotels and motels across Texas. Evacuees who are staying in hotels and motel rooms need to know their rights and their responsibilities.
Beginning Sept. 8 for a period of 14 days, Gov. Rick Perry has suspended the collection of state and local hotel and motel taxes for victims of Hurricane Ike. Consumers who are charged these taxes in affected areas should inform the hotel or motel that they are evacuees and ask that the fees be removed from their bill. If the charges are not removed, customers should save their receipts and file a complaint with the Office of the Attorney General?s Consumer Complaint Hotline at (800) 252-8011.
Texans who decide to stay at hotels and motels also should be aware that it is their responsibility to seek accommodations and make reservations. Under state law, hoteliers are not obligated to let evacuees stay at their facilities if there are no rooms available after their reservations expire.
Financial assistance is available for hurricane evacuees who cannot afford extended stays at hotels or motels through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security?s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The amount of financial assistance available varies according to the city where the lodging is located. Evacuees seeking FEMA assistance should apply online at www.fema.gov or by calling (800) 621-3362.
Texans should keep written records and receipts of any transaction they believe violates the special protections afforded them during a declared disaster. If speaking directly with the service provider does not resolve the dispute, Texans should call the Office of the Attorney General?s toll-free Consumer Complaint Hotline at (800) 252-8011. Hotline staff is available between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. If Internet service is available, consumers may file a written complaint online at www.texasattorneygeneral.gov.
A disaster declaration triggers heightened enforcement authority for the Office of the Attorney General under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. This authority protects Texans by prohibiting exorbitant prices for necessities, such as drinking water, food, batteries and generators.
Latest Comments
I am so glad A&M lost the game on Saturday and I pray Army kicks their butts too!!!
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You might not live where a hurricane can destroy your home, but where will you go if an F4 or an F5 tornado rips through your house? No one lives in a place that is totally safe from mother nature.
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What? Me think staying in a tent is great? Been there, done that while fighting forest fire in woods on top of Wyoming mountain. Staying in a tent was better than being outside as it snowed while we were up there which while it did help put the fire out was cold. Staying in a tent is preferable to not having a place to stay or staying up all night. You can stay a little bit warm carrying a back pack of water and fighting small flare ups or beating out flames and digging a fire line. On the other hand the kids seem to enjoy being in a tent and letting the air out of their mothers air matress at 2 in the morning while seeing how things work. My wish is for everyone to have some place to sleep under some sort of a roof and no one left out in the cold.
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