Latest news with #Solorzano
New York Post
11-07-2025
- New York Post
California homeowner accuses squatters of burning down home while family was still inside
It's a cautionary tale for mobile-home owners everywhere. A Fresno, CA, family is homeless after a fire destroyed their trailer in the early hours following July 4. Victor Solorzano shared the home, located in a mobile-home park, with his wife, two young children, and father-in-law. Now, there's little left. In speaking with local news outlet KSEE24, Solorzano shared how he managed to get his family out before the fire engulfed the home. He also shared his suspicions about the cause of the incident: squatters. Now, the question becomes: How does a mobile-home owner like Solorzano rebuild—and who is responsible for the damages? The problem with squatters When asked how the fire started, Solorzano said he believed a group of homeless individuals who had set up camp in the park were to blame. Victor Solorzano, a California resident, shared a mobile home with his wife, two young children, and father-in-law, and the trailer was destroyed due to a fire on July 4, according to reports. GoFundMe 'There's always squatters. The property managers are always, you know, trying to get them away, but they always just seem to keep coming back,' he said. He found the squatters' belongings right beside his home shortly after the fire, he added. Meanwhile, Fresno fire officials told the outlet that the incident is being ruled accidental. They confirmed the fire began on a pile of items nearby that then spread to Solorzano's trailer. However, they could not determine exactly what ignited the fire. In California, evicting squatters can be a complicated process. State Sen. Bob Archuleta sponsored a law, which was passed in 2024, allowing property owners to file a 'no trespass' notice with local police. This gave law enforcement the authority to respond and remove squatters, though it doesn't prevent them from returning. However, in California, squatters have legal protections that prevent their immediate removal from a property. Before you can evict a squatter, you must first serve them with an eviction notice or notice to quit, as outlined in California Civil Code Section 1007. If a squatter occupies your property and refuses to leave, they may invoke squatters rights—and in some cases, even attempt to file an adverse possession claim, which allows someone who openly occupies and uses property without the owner's permission, for a certain period of time, to potentially gain legal ownership of that property. Rebuilding without insurance Adding to the family's challenges is the fact that, while they owned the trailer, they rented the land it sat on—and Solorzano said he didn't have renters' insurance. 'Right now, our most urgent needs are finding temporary housing and replacing basic clothing and essentials,' he wrote on the family's GoFundMe page. Owning a mobile home but renting the land is a 'quite common' arrangement in California, according to Brooke Bremmer, an attorney specializing in property and habitability law at Sweet James. However, it would've behooved Solorzano to get that renters' insurance, since the park's policy does not cover everything. 'The park's insurance generally covers liability and common areas, while the individual's policy insures the home itself,' she explains. Moreover, if the family had insurance, all of their home would've likely been covered. 'Most homeowners' insurance policies are structured to cover losses caused by fire, regardless of who started it (assuming it was not the homeowner's intentional act or otherwise excluded, like war or nuclear hazard),' Bremmer says. 'This means that even if a fire was caused by squatters, the homeowner would typically be able to file a claim and receive compensation under their policy.' Still, the mobile park owners might potentially be liable for the fire, and considering the family didn't have insurance, that's important. 'If the mobile-home park owners or managers knew that squatters posed a risk and failed to take reasonable steps to secure the premises, such as failing to maintain fences, gates, or patrols, they could be found negligent,' Bremmer says. 'Under California law, landowners have a duty to take reasonable steps to secure property and prevent foreseeable harm (Civil Code 1714, general negligence standards). If squatters were a known, ongoing issue, the park might have breached a duty.' Additionally, if the mobile-park owners alerted city authorities and nothing was done about it, another avenue to explore would be a government claim. Bremmer concedes, though, that these are 'hard to prove and subject to claims presentation requirements within six months.'
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Florida shrimpers say Trump's new international tariffs could save their industry
The Brief Space Coast shrimpers are hopeful that President Trump's new international tariffs will protect the struggling U.S. shrimping industry by making cheaper, unregulated foreign imports less competitive. With over 90% of shrimp coming from overseas, local captains say the tariffs could help revive domestic production and keep their boats in the water. BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - Shrimpers on the Space Coast are thankful for President Trump's new international tariffs. Right now, the industry's saturated with foreign imports, putting local shrimpers out of business. Local shrimp captains say the tariffs could change that. By the numbers More than 90% of shrimp are imported into the United States from other countries. Florida's coast is full of shrimp, but that's not what Americans are eating! "China started shipping shrimp into the country, and that's when our prices went to nothing. I mean, we're getting prices that were 50 years ago," said shrimp boat captain Woody Moore, who supports the new tariffs. American shrimpers can't compete with child labor and cheap foreign farming. What they're saying "Imports have flooded the markets, so we're told to stay home," said Marilyn Solorzano, a fifth-generation shrimp captain who also supports the new tariffs. She says it's not fuel prices or storms killing the local seafood industry. "The worst thing I've seen yet is the influx of imports," said Solorzano. "It beats all, and it has to be stopped." She says American shrimpers only produce about 6% of shrimp. The rest comes from overseas. "We've had so many imports flooding the market we've had to tie our boats up," she said. Local shrimpers struggle to sell their catch because foreign products are way cheaper to buy. "It's half the price," said Mike Merrifield, who owns Wild Ocean Seafood Market. Foreign shrimp may come from the other side of the world, but it's still cheaper to buy. What's next Seafood industry experts are confident the international tariffs will level the playing field. "What the tariffs will do is it will raise that artificially low price," said the local seafood store owner. The tariffs will make foreign shrimp more expensive, so local shrimpers can keep up. "We can produce more than 6% of the shrimp in this country when given the chance, but they don't want to buy the product because they want to buy cheap," said Solorzano. "It's a lot cheaper, and they'll buy them because the consumer doesn't really know the difference in the import and the domestic," concluded Moore. These captains are confident the new tariffs will help prioritize products from the U.S. Another concern these shrimpers have about relying on foreign countries for food is that it's not regulated like the U.S. is. With so much shrimp coming from overseas, it's impossible to test and check all of it, so we don't know what other countries are really putting in the food we eat. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines FOX Local: Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV The Source FOX 35's Reporter Esther Bower interviewed several shrimp boat captains on 4/9 at Wild Ocean Market located at Port Canaveral. She also interviewed another captain over zoom on 4/9.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘We'll be connected for life': Wichita teacher donates kidney to classroom para
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Laura Solorzano has been a prekindergarten para for seven years. 'I like working with kids,' Solorzano said. 'You watch how they come in not knowing a lot, but when they leave, it's a totally different kid. They've learned so much, and it just feels rewarding that you're able to help some kids learn.' The teacher she was working with in her classroom moved in December 2022. The new teacher, Jamie Proffer, stepped in. It turned out to be the perfect timing. 'We were sad she was leaving,' Solorzano said. 'But then Mrs. Proffer came in, and it was for a reason. Everything works however God wants it to work.' 'I started here in 2022, and my husband had been the assistant principal here for four years before that,' Pre-K Teacher Jamie Proffer said. 'So, I already knew about Laura's story. I knew that with COVID, she had gotten sick, and then her husband had passed away. So I kind of already knew of her and met her once, and then just kind of prayed for her throughout that time. And then when I started here, she had just been putting together her story, to put out there as a request for a living donor.' Local teacher makes deal with students, joins band Solorzano got sick and was in need of a kidney donor. 'I am diabetic, and I also have polycystic kidney disease,' Solorzano said. 'So whenever COVID happened, I got really sick with COVID, and then after that, my kidneys just went down, and the function of my kidneys weren't so good. I started going with my nephrologist, and he said we're getting close to needing a dialysis if you don't get a kidney donor. I was praying. 'Please, God, I don't want to do dialysis.' I was like, 'Just send someone, please.' I just left it to God's hands.' She posted her story on social media, hoping to find one in January 2023. 'A lot of people sent me messages stating that they're going to get tested and stuff like that,' Solorzano said. 'Then Mrs. Proffer said, 'I went ahead and got tested.' I'm like, 'You did?' Time went by, and then one time she comes in and she says, 'I got approved.' I go, 'You got approved for what?' I didn't know what she was talking about because it had been a few months, and she goes, 'To donate my kidney.' Like, 'No way!' We both started crying.' 'We went ahead and did the blood work, and we were a perfect match,' Proffer said. 'So we're like, 'OK God, I guess this is what we're doing.' So, we moved forward. And just having felt connected with her for a few years before even really getting to know her, it didn't seem as hard of an ask. So yeah, I decided to go for it.' They completed the transplant in November 2023. 'I just left it in God's hands, and he did,' Solorzano said. 'He sent me Mrs. Proffer. She's my angel.' 'It's really rewarding,' Proffer said. 'Yeah, it was an honor. We'll be connected for life. So that can't do anything that help the team serve and love kids together.' Solorzano is now a single mom after losing her husband to COVID-19, and she says she is grateful for a second chance. 'What I feel for her, it's just indescribable,' Solorzano said. 'My perfect match. Who knew? There's a lot of people who need a kidney. Don't lose hope. Just keep faith.' Solorzano is doing better with her new kidney and wants to continue working with kids. Proffer encourages others to consider organ donation. 'You probably know someone that would benefit from being a donor,' Proffer said. 'And if you're healthy and you can do it, I think it's completely rewarding.' If you would like to nominate a person or business for Positive Connections, fill out KSN's online contact form. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
With Trump taking an ax to DEI, these are the ways companies can legally bulletproof their diversity practices
President Donald Trump signed an executive order ending DEI programs in the federal government. Given the spotlight on DEI, lawyers say private-sector companies should asses their own policies. It's "almost certain to create a chilling effect on corporate DEI initiatives," one lawyer said. Corporate America's DEI practices are facing scrutiny like never before. And thanks to President Donald Trump's executive order ending diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in the federal government, the private sector's DEI efforts have come under heightened legal risk. Trump's order encourages the private sector to end "illegal DEI discrimination and preferences." As part of that plan, the order tasks each federal agency to "identify up to nine potential civil compliance investigations" of enterprises including publicly traded corporations and large nonprofits. Given the current spotlight on DEI initiatives and Trump's executive actions targeting them, employment lawyers told Business Insider that companies would be wise to assess their own diversity-related programs with legal counsel to make sure they're ironclad in case of federal investigations or workplace lawsuits. "The main thing that employers should be doing right now is conducting what we call either a DEI audit or a vulnerability assessment," said Michael Thomas, a California lawyer specializing in corporate diversity practices at the firm Jackson Lewis. Under this type of assessment, companies would work with outside counsel to review their policies and practices related to DEI and equal employment opportunity. Thomas said DEI initiatives that focus on the requirements of federal equal-employment-opportunity laws are most likely to be legally compliant. Hiring quotas and preferential treatment to certain groups of people were already illegal and now pose a higher legal risk, Thomas said. "The law hasn't changed," he said, but "your scrutiny has increased, the attention has increased, and you face potential legal, reputational, and brand risk from both your majority, for lack of a better phrase, and also your underrepresented groups." Jon Solorzano, a partner at the law firm Vinson & Elkins, said the legal grounds involving diversity initiatives haven't really changed, "but the risks have." "DEI initiatives are not, in and of themselves, problematic," said Solorzano, who advises public and private companies on areas related to ESG (environmental, social, and governance) and risk management. "It's just that there is more scrutiny on the acronym, and now the full force of the federal government has squarely taken aim at this concept," Solorzano said of DEI. Solorzano said he'd already spoken with numerous companies that had inquired about whether their DEI policies were compliant with the law and what, if anything, they should do to change their practices to minimize their risks of being a target of an investigation. "This executive order is almost certain to create a chilling effect on corporate DEI initiatives," Solorzano said, adding that he expected to see even more companies roll back their DEI efforts. But companies "need to be careful about clumsily nixing all initiatives," Solorzano said. "Pulling out of initiatives, just because it is politically disfavored at the moment, may not be the right thing for a business over the long term. But careful calibration of the risks and values of pursuing these initiatives remain critical." Domenique Camacho Moran, a partner at the law firm Farrell Fritz in New York, also said it was "critical" for every organization to continue evaluating its DEI-related policies to ensure they aren't "in the interest of doing something good, inadvertently crossing the line." DEI programs, which many companies have adopted in recent years, "often talked about commitment to equal opportunity" and about "educating the workforce," Camacho Moran said. "They rarely included numbers or targets for specific diversity initiatives." Those programs, however, "were not scrutinized closely by a variety of government agencies," Camacho Moran said, adding that some of them "articulated programming and opportunities that emphasized a particular minority group or particular protected class." Lawyers said that because of the current political climate, they now expected employers to face an uptick of lawsuits alleging discrimination and so-called reverse discrimination. Peter Woo, also a lawyer at the firm Jackson Lewis, said it was likely employers would see a rise in internal complaints from employees who are for and against DEI initiatives, which would probably translate to more lawsuits. "Companies should have a heightened sense of awareness now in terms of how to approach these because of the fact there will be more inquiries, more complaints internally," Woo said. Thomas said that there had been legal challenges to DEI programs since the Supreme Court's 2023 ruling ending affirmative action in college admissions and that he expected those challenges to increase with Trump's executive actions taking aim at DEI initiatives. Ron Zambrano, the employment-litigation chairman at the California law firm West Coast Trial Lawyers, also said he expected to see a rise in lawsuits related to companies' DEI efforts. The complaints could even cite Trump's executive order targeting DEI initiatives "as a form of legitimacy," Zambrano said. He added that those possible lawsuits would succeed only "if they would have succeeded regardless of Trump or Trump's executive order." "It does happen. There is reverse discrimination. It absolutely does exist, but it's not as pervasive as just, like, well, the existence of DEI means that only minorities are going to have the advantage," Zambrano said. "That's the implication, right? That's the fear. That's the messaging." Read the original article on Business Insider Sign in to access your portfolio
