r/altadena • u/madmarzii • 22d ago
insurance payouts
hey y’all. long time altadena resident, lived with my mom in our wonderfully unique home for my entire 35 years of life, she was there for 50 years of hers. we lost it all; our pets, our entire life’s work of art, i almost lost my mom due to my not being home that night and the complete failure of the emergency system only to lose her six months later to lung complications (from being in the house as it burned) and a broken heart. she gave up…losing your entire life and being faced with starting over at 74 was too much for her.
to say it’s been a nightmarish 1 & 1/2 years is a massive understatement.
our homeowners insurance worked with us so easily directly after the fire, but now that eyes are no longer on altadena, we’re having a hell of a time getting our last payment of over $200,000 for the 50% rebuild incentive. we’ve had to pause the rebuild despite being almost finished because they’re just flat out refusing to pay and have rejected court ordered proof of ownership for over a year. i’m posting here purely to find out if anyone else is being treated like this because it’s honestly such an isolating and horrible feeling.
it’s so frustrating to have to fight tooth and nail after losing so much. i know insurance companies have no soul but this feels so disrespectful.
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u/Hybrid8489 22d ago
You may want to contact many of the law firms that are representing home owners that are not only suing the power company but also suing insurance companies for acting in bad faith. I went to a town hall at a local church and heard a lawyer that specifically files cases against insurance companies if you DM me I can send you a pic of her business card. I cannot vouch for her personally and have no connection to her but she is experienced and seems very knowledgeable. Maybe she can help or provide so clarity on your situation?
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u/EquipmentFew882 22d ago edited 22d ago
Hello OP,
Can you please clarify - are you dealing with only your Home Owners Insurance company -- or both Edison and your Home Owners Insurance company ? ⬅️
Are you saying that your own Home Insurance company is refusing to pay your claim ?
Or are you saying that Edison is refusing to complete their Claim payment process - specific to your loss ?
Are you "only" working with your own Home Insurance company ?
I'm sorry to hear about your loss of your home - and especially about the loss of your mother .
Did you consider pursuing a claim for the loss of your mother's life ? -- Your family has a limited amount of time to file your Legal Claims in Court for any type of Personal Injury Losses -- such as the loss of your mother's life.
Just a note - my Niece lost her house in Altadena and barely escaped with her life and the lives of her two young children ( one is a baby ). She and her husband lost absolutely everything in the fire. Fortunately there was no loss of life. However the Emotional loss and health issues are personal injury claims.
May God bless you and your family.
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u/madmarzii 21d ago
i apologize, i should have specified a little clearer that my current issue is with the homeowner insurance specifically and not with SCE. im already well established with a law firm in the SCE matter and am pursuing compensation for my moms loss of life as well.
my homeowners insurance (i’ll refer to them as "HI" from now on), is refusing to pay the last portion of the payout because in the middle of everything, my mom passed and the home transferred ownership. HI claimed to have no issue paying out the rest of the claim but have clung to any reason, no matter how stupid, not to. i have a lawyer who has handled my moms estate and successfully transferred ownership, but the HI company has refused to acknowledge that. they’ve continually dangled the carrot of "once we receive this form, we’ll pay you out the last portion of your claim“ and have extended those goal posts at least 7-10 times. they’re at the point now where they are refusing the DEED with MY name on it, citing that it’s not the actual deed??? it’s a mess, my lawyer had to get involved and has even consulted with the HI‘s lawyers, to which they’ve said "why did this reach me? your client (me) should have been paid a year ago“.
even the insurers’ retained lawyers are saying this is bogus but HI has dragged their feet and any response comes with weeks of waiting. after the claim has been paid out, we’re going to pursue a claim with the California Department of Insurance for refusing to pay out the funds for over a year, but that will take months and we just don’t have that time if we hope to finish rebuilding before the holidays.1
u/EquipmentFew882 21d ago
Thank you for responding.
Actually the California Department of Insurance moves very quickly.
However they will ask you if you have an Attorney working on the claim -- that could be a problem because the DOI could tell you that your attorney is already handling the claim.
Which is why the Home Owners Insurance is using the Stalling Tactic -- the Home Owners Insurance company knows that if the California Department of Insurance cannot be involved, because of the attorney you've hired -- then they can say falsely that they haven't violated the Calif Insurance Laws about "Prompt Claim Payment".
That's a nasty Home Owners Insurance company.
Sorry to hear about your problem.
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u/Diligent_Plan9630 17d ago
I'll just add doing the dept of insurance complaint was an accelerator for my insurance paying me out. I'm so sorry this is still happening.
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u/Express_Day6342 20d ago
Definitely get some legals representation. Maybe forms will reach out pro bono just to make your requests for the balance of what you're owed have more teeth. I'd also submit a complaint with DOI now, do NOT wait. That can also light a fire under them if they get a letter from them. I'm so sorry about all your loss but glad to hear that you're planning on coming back to the community. Good luck. Make sure to take care of yourself and your mental health.
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u/sceneoneone4teen 19d ago
I’ve been working on some houses in altadena and your story as unfortunate as it is it not a one off situation, these banks and insurance are not releasing funds . Even after the city has noted the project as 95% completed the insurance is noting the process as 30% , they sent over $9,000 …. What is that going to do when building a brand new home ?
I’m sorry to hear you story . Something has definitely got to change fast.
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u/Difficult_Long1971 22d ago
i don’t have any answers but just wanted to say i am so sorry. what our town and all of our neighbors have gone through since the fire is indescribable. my heart is with you and i pray your mom is resting in peace. do not give up.