Some of the FEMA trailers stored on the land on Highway 43 South in Marion County.
By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher
The federal government has paid two Mississippi companies a total of $804,645 for use of land on Highway 43 South in Marion County to store FEMA trailers, according to the General Services Administration.
A company called 23467 Mississippi LLC of Hattiesburg was paid $480,645 by FEMA for use of the approximately 300 acres of land located at 1817 Highway 43 South, Columbia. The company leased the land to FEMA from April 9, 2007 to April 9, 2009.
The land then went under the ownership of Marion Clay & Gravel LLC, which has leased the property to FEMA since April 10, 2009, according to the GSA. To date, FEMA has paid Marion Clay & Gravel LLC $324,000 to store the trailers at the site.
In total, FEMA has paid $804,645 since it started leasing the land, according to the GSA.
It is unclear who owns Marion Clay & Gravel LLC. The Columbia phonebook lists a business address for Marion Clay and Gravel at 1917 Highway 43, Columbia, but a message left at the number was not returned. Likewise, it is unclear who owns 23467 Mississippi LLC.
The Mississippi Secretary of State Office does not require that the owners of LLCs be listed. According to the Secretary of State Web site, Marion Clay & Gravel LLC was created Feb. 23, 2009 and is currently listed in “good standing.”
The Mississippi Secretary of State Web site states that 23467 Mississippi LLC was created Aug. 21, 2006 and is also currently in “good standing.”
Over 9,000 trailers were stored at the Marion County site, but all of the units were purchased by Lubbock, Texas businessman Lance Inderman for $9.1 million in February. Inderman could not be reached for comment to determine what he plans on doing with the trailers.
The trailers were used as temporary housing after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita five years ago. A few months ago, a GSA spokesman told the Informer that the trailers had to be removed from the Marion County site by September.
The government issued over 100,000 FEMA trailers after the hurricanes, and many of the units had significant levels of formaldehyde. As a result of the formaldehyde issue, Inderman had to sign a waiver stating that the trailers he purchased would not be used for housing. Formaldehyde was used to make the wood products in the trailers and is a carcinogen.
Just out of curiosity, why is it pertinent who owns the property. I realize that the amount of our tax dollars that was paid is nice to know, but why is it our business to post the private citizen’s name on the internet who owns the property?
Seems a bit rude and disrespectful to me…
It’s our business because we pay the tax moneys in that goes to the land owner for storing the fema trailers .
I disagree that it is rude and disrepectful to list the names of the corporate owner/owners in a news article. Only by having the names can we see what kind of political contributions they made, if any, and also the relationships, if any to politicians and decision makers. WE need the information to check for possible conflict of interest in contracts that are supported with our tax dollars.
“Government Waste” These trailor parks are everywhere. Most are hidden from road view. There are at least 20 more in the state at a rent cost of over $10,000,000 anually.
I was there during Katrina. People lost their homes and lived in tents for more than a year. FEMA delivered a trailor to their lot and then removed it, leaving families no where to go.
The government would have come out cheaper to have given everyone on the coast that lost their house, $250,000. I estimated that each trailor has cost the government around $150,000 each. They are worth around $2,500.
Mr. Government, give the trailors away and end this end this circus.
A GOOD EXAMPLE OF HOW GOVERNMENT RUNS THINGS.
I totally agree. in fact, I told a friend this past week that the trailers should have been given to the people who lived in them. Some were taken away with their belongings still in them, and we have paid this ridiculous amount to “store” them and paid workers $18.00 per hour to “guard” them. When will it ever stop?!?!
I have an idea. Let’s round up all the illegal aliens, award each one a trailer. Load them in it and give them free tow service back to the “homeland”.
Ok, it is pretty common knowledge of who started the contract, but I tauntingly choose not to tell you. However, I do add that if the Federal Government offered me the deal to store them I would clear every acre I owned to let them store them all the way to my front door for that kind of money and you know you would too! Bunch of hypocritical pansies! …. And furthermore, I would see it as none of any of your business to keep such tabs on who is making a dollar off the government. The contract was up for grab, and the person who got it is the one laughing all the way to the bank. Who wouldn’t? The money was going to be paid out to whoever got the bid, so what does it matter on “who” that is. Mind your own business, and let it be. You should be worried on why Obama gave out stimulus grants of over $400,000 to better study the methods of storing rat sperm…. Yes, that is correct, RAT SPERM… Impower yourself and go watch some FoxNews
BR I agree with you totally. I don’t see where there was any wrongdoing on the part of the landowner…I don’t see where that is anyone else’s business. People are way too nosey and everyone thinks they can run things better than whoever is in office. All we hear is complaints. Whether the gov’t mishandled things is the point of contention from what I see. I believe they certainly did. Leave the landowner alone!
Agree with both of these comments. Is the government fleecing the taxpayers by paying storage for these rotten trailers? ABSOLUTELY. Is the landowner wrong for putting in a bid and profiting from this venture? ABSOLUTELY NOT.
I think we need to better direct our frustration. If someone offers me money, I’m not an evil person for wanting to accept it.
I find all of these facts fascinating and had wondered about all of it… That $800,000 sounds reasonable and high all at the same time. I’ll comment more later but this vista of miles of trailers made my jaw drop the first time I saw it and perhaps drop lower the second time. I didn’t know they were there until 2008!
If you can make money off our stupid government, go for it. Our government is out of control and is going to break this Country.