These homeowners were away on vacation when the Camp Fire burned through their community. The couple’s home was a three-story house with a log exterior on 6.5 acres. The house, its contents, and surrounding property burned; it was a total loss. The fire also destroyed the couple’s vehicles that were parked on-site, which included two trucks and several motorcycles.
The husband is a general contractor. His business was located on the home property and operated out of a two-story workshop with a log exterior, two work bays, and an office on the upper floor. The fire demolished the office building and workshop, which was filled with construction tools. Without tools or a work space, the husband was unable to work and suffered a significant loss of income.
The couple also lost the income from two rental housing complexes, composed of duplexes, that they own in separate locations nearby. The fire burned through there, too. The first complex is on 1.5 acres; one duplex was completely destroyed and the other nine were severely damaged. The second complex occupies 2.5 acres; five of its duplexes were destroyed and one was badly damaged. The insurance company disputed the homeowners’ claims, and the rental properties were severely underinsured for rebuilding.
The homeowners came to us because they were extremely discouraged and frustrated by the insurer’s response. We agreed to help them, and we succeeded in securing a settlement of nearly $6 million to help restore their property and compensate them for their lost income.
