NEW ORLEANS -- Jason Banks got his trash hauled away, obtained a building permit, gutted his Ninth Ward home and was ready to renovate.

But then, the brick house vanished, reduced to a slab in an unwanted demolition.

"I was heartbroken. I was in tears. I was furious," he said.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said orders to tear down the house came from City Hall -- but no one in City Hall is answering questions about Banks' home.

"They don't know why. It happened it wasn't on the blighted list. The last call I made yesterday, they told me FEMA did it. Then, a guy called me back from FEMA and said they're not in the business if tearing down homes," Banks said.

Jason Banks said he kept his grass cut, paid his taxes and had the home appraised at $147,000. He was just waiting on money from Louisiana Road Home rebuilding program to make repairs to his house.

"It's very depressing to lose everything," Lisa Banks said. "This was my house. This is where all my children were conceived, raised and whatever."