The homeowners, a couple, lost their custom-built home and an apartment complex they relied on for rental income. The Camp Fire destroyed their home, its contents, and the surrounding trees and landscaping, as well as 10 of 12 buildings at the apartment complex property, recently renovated with new roofs and shutters, and many trees.
Rental units at the complex were in high demand prior to the fire, with a 60-person waiting list. After the fire, FEMA removed from the property a significant amount of soil that subsequently needed to be replaced at the property owners’ expense. The remaining soil was contaminated, and the water on-site now contained benzene. When the property owners contacted our firm, they had been unable to learn when the water would be remedied, and the property was essentially worthless due to its contamination.
In addition to losing rental income, the owners faced expensive upgrades once the water contamination was corrected, such as raising the foundations and installing fire sprinklers.
The wife suffered emotional distress as a result of the Camp Fire and their losses. After seeing the fire’s destruction of their home and property, she vowed never to return again. Her husband observed that experiencing the fire’s devastation had left her profoundly changed.
Frustrated by their inability to get compensation from their insurance company for their losses, the couple turned to our firm seeking assistance. Singleton Schreiber took action on their behalf and secured a settlement of $8,195,519.36 to help reimburse their losses.
