Insurance dispute keeps fire victim in limbo
From the window of her rental unit, Vicky Earl can almost see the burnt-out shell of her home. It’s a daily reminder of the frustrating effort to rebuild after a devastating fire this summer.
The 63-year-old Barrhaven resident had to flee her townhouse in July when a neighbouring unit caught fire. She’s now renting a place about two blocks away and says, while the fire was traumatic, the months-long uncertainty about when she can rebuild is arguably worse.
At the root of the problem is a dispute between her neighbour and his insurance company that has stymied plans to rebuild.
“I just want to go home,” Earl said. “They could have started rebuilding three-and-a-half weeks ago. But, until they get the house beside us dealt with, nothing will be done. I could have been home by Christmas.”
Earl’s home is Unit B of a fourunit row of townhouses on Claridge Drive. On July 12, a fire in Unit A caused about $1 million in damage and displaced 15 people living in the rowhouses. Three of the units, including Earl’s, are unfit to live in.
Fortunately, no one was hurt as a result of the fire.
The unit next door to Earl’s — where the fire is believed to have originated — was occupied by a pair of people who were renting the property. Earl has been told the pair did not have renters’ insurance and have walked away from the property to find another home.
The owner of the property has insurance, but according to Earl, there seems to be some question about whether the policy permitted the property to be rented.
“Rebuilding after an unexpected event such as this can certainly be a stressful and difficult time, that is why CAA Insurance is dedicated to handling claims with compassion, honesty, and fairness,” said Kaitlyn Furse, a spokeswoman for CAA, the insurance company that holds the policy on the home. “We cannot speak to the specifics ... for privacy reasons, but I can tell you that it is currently under investigation and we are working diligently to come to a determination.”
The investigation by CAA is the main reason Earl, and a family in an adjoining unit, can’t begin to rebuild their homes and get on with their lives. While their insurance companies have come forward with assistance, including paying Earl’s rent while she remains displaced, they can’t begin construction until all of the residents’ insurance companies are on-side.
The delay is causing further issues.
“Think about the amount of water that was poured in there by the fire crews. All that stuff is now rotting and creating mould,” Earl said. “The roofs have to be replaced. The back half of my house was a writeoff due to smoke and other damage. My home is gutted. There have been raccoons in there ... I can’t do anything. I can’t go home until I get some help, and no one seems to want to help us.”
Barrhaven Coun. Jan Harder said she has held numerous discussions about the property with city staff to get things moving, but there is a process that must be followed, so as with any delays caused by insurance company investigations, all parties involved are playing a waiting game.
“I don’t blame any of them for being upset,” Harder said. “We are very aware of it and have handed it over to those who can effect change. I have total empathy for the people living on either side” of the unit in dispute.
Frank Bidin, chief building official for the City of Ottawa, said the city cannot compel anyone to begin a rebuild following a fire. Bidin said city officials have been in contact with both the homeowner and CAA to expedite the process, but it hasn’t helped.
“While the City cannot comment on a specific case, in the case of a building comprised of multiple property owners that has been directly affected by a fire, the property owners often have different underwriters and are at different levels of readiness to rebuild. Building Code Services communicates with the underwriters in an effort to expedite reconstruction of the exterior elements of the building and all individual dwelling units,” he said in an emailed statement. “The city cannot compel or require the property owners to rebuild.”
Harder used the issue to highlight a bigger concern. With more builders turning to high-density, multiple dwelling units like townhouses and semi-detached buildings in a bid to make houses more affordable, issues like this pose a problem that needs to be addressed.
“As we move into issues like affordable housing, a lot of affordable housing will be affordable because of the density,” Harder said.
“You don’t know when you’re going to have a fire in your home. People need to have some autonomy over their property when it may be closely attached. There is more work to be done.”
Think about the amount of water that was poured in there by the fire crews. All that stuff is now rotting and creating mould.