Latest news with #propertydamage
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
STL city ordinance law leaves storm victims in limbo
ST. LOUIS – The May 16 tornado damaged but didn't destroy Cheryl Walker's property in The Ville neighborhood. She says she spoke with her insurance company, filed a claim and planned on using the payout for repairs. Cheryl's claims adjuster was referencing state statute and a complementary city ordinance. According to the Missouri Legislative Library, the state statute dates back to 1969, but the original legislation did not include the withholding language. It wasn't added until 1984 through Senate Bill 433. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now It set the amount a city or county was entitled to withhold from an insurance claim at 10%. Supporters said the measure took the profit out of arson and allowed cities to recoup money spent on building demolition. In 1994, the legislature increased the withholding amount to 25%. Amended through Senate Bill 513, proponents noted Kansas City had approximately 1500 abandoned buildings and the increase would help the city address the problem. In 1996, the St. Louis Board of Aldermen passed a bill that included Ordinance 63838. It set a 25% withholding amount on any insurance proceeds resulting from the damage or loss to a building or structure arising out of fire, explosion or other casualty loss. 'When an insurance company pays out to a property owner, the city holds 25% of that insurance payout in escrow. These laws have been very effective at essentially protecting the community from property owners who walk away from totaled properties, leaving the community to deal with the rubble,' Mayor Cara Spencer said. In the mid-90s, FOX 2 reported on the very issue Spencer described. But when it comes to how the ordinance should be applied to storm-related insurance claims, on Monday, Spencer acknowledged it's complicated. 'We do not intend to keep escrow monies from property owners, homeowners who've been victimized by the tornado; we just need to work through the legal questions about making sure we're doing that in a thoughtful way that doesn't jeopardize the program moving forward,' Spencer said. Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe's Office and the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance shared a joint statement with FOX 2 last week, saying: 'Director Nelson has advised the City of St. Louis to consider waiving the holdback on all owner-occupied residential property and keep it in place for rentals and commercial properties. If the City chooses to do so, DCI will work with insurance companies to ensure that these funds are available to residents working to recover and rebuild.' Walker thinks the answer is easy. 'I am hopeful that they can understand something so simple. Just do it. Nike it. Just do it. Waive it. Get to it later,' Walker said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Meridian church sues longtime neighbor, who says: ‘We did not do that'
Alleging an intrusive shed, a protruding carport and sprinkler damage, a Meridian church has taken legal action against a longtime neighbor. In a lawsuit filed in Ada County District Court in late April, Meridian Missionary Baptist Church accused Alicia D. Williams of property damage in excess of $1,000, according to court records obtained by the Idaho Statesman. The suit was filed under Idaho Code 6-202, which addresses civil trespassing. Meridian Missionary Baptist, which is seeking a jury trial, sits on the corner of Meridian Road and East Carlton Avenue in a mixed residential area near downtown Meridian. The defendant's house, which Williams says she has occupied for 19 years along with her husband, borders the church to the east. The church claims it proceeded with the lawsuit after speaking on 'numerous occasions' with Williams and another occupant of the home, and later sending letters on April 29, 2024, and Sept. 16, 2024. Those letters, according to the lawsuit, went unacknowledged by the defendant, and no action was taken to rectify the damage or the 'general trespassing issues.' In official filings responding to the lawsuit, Williams denied the allegations and asked that the case be dismissed. 'We got a letter a few years back asking if they could buy our house because they wanted to make a bigger parking lot,' Williams told the Idaho Statesman. 'We did not sell, and then in the last couple of years, they've started with these couple of complaint letters.' One big issue in the case will involve ownership of a fence. According to the lawsuit, the Williamses erected a shed against the church's fence. The roof of the shed sits on the fence, causing damage, and protrudes onto church property, the suit claims. 'That fence is legally ours. We're legally permitted to build anything we want against our own fence,' Alicia Williams said. 'And if it's sagging a little and needs some repair, that's on us as well, but that has nothing to do with them.' The defendant also is accused of building an RV carport that juts onto church property, and in doing so killed the arborvitae that are planted along the fence line. Alicia and her husband, John Timothy Williams II, say the carport is permitted and legal, and said the church was actually responsible for damaging the trees. 'What's amazing about that is we watched them cut those trees,' Alicia said. 'We did not do that.' The lawsuit also alleges that Williams tore up and broke the church's sprinkler heads. John Williams told the Statesman that he did accidentally run over one of the church's sprinklers, and then offered to fix it, but was told there was no need. The church is asking for reimbursement for alleged damages and the cost associated with investigating the trespass, injunctive relief to prevent future harm and cost of attorney's fees. 'Defendant's actions herein constitute a substantial interference with the Church and Plaintiff's real property and were intentional and unreasonable in character,' the lawsuit alleges. 'Defendant's actions herein constitute an obstruction to the Plaintiff's free use of its property, so as to interfere with its comfortable enjoyment of its real property.' Meridian Missionary Baptist Church has hired Eagle attorney Matthew C. Williams, while the defendant has chosen to represent herself, according to court records. A church representative told the Statesman that it would not comment on ongoing litigation, but later offered to provide a written statement, which the Statesman has not received. Reporter Rose Evans contributed to this story.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Leaders address ordinance preventing storm victims from getting insurance claim payouts
ST. LOUIS – For nearly two decades, Cheryl Walker's family has owned and rented out the middle unit of this row house in The Ville neighborhood. 'My tenant calls and says, 'Mrs. Walker, it's bad,' Walker said. The May 16 tornado damaged but didn't destroy Cheryl's property. She said she spoke with her insurance company, filed a claim and planned on using the payout for repairs. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 'But I have to let you know, you won't get all of it. The city is going to take 25%. They told us we have to send it to them. And I said, 'What?' That's not fair. That's my money,' Walker explained. Cheryl's claims adjuster was referencing state statute and a complimentary city ordinance adopted in the 90s. St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer explained its traditional use in a news conference this week. 'When an insurance company pays out to a property owner, the city holds 25% of that insurance payout in escrow. These laws have been very effective at essentially protecting the community from property owners who walk away from totaled properties, leaving the community to deal with the rubble,' Spencer said. But when it comes to the way this ordinance would be applied to storm-related insurance claims, Spencer acknowledges that homeowners with property damage could be further victimized by not being able to receive the full amount they're paid out. Donate here: Help support St. Louis storm victims Governor Kehoe's Office and the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance shared a joint statement with FOX 2 regarding the matter: 'Director Nelson has advised the City of St. Louis to consider waiving the holdback on all owner-occupied residential property and keep it in place for rentals and commercial properties. If the City chooses to do so, DCI will work with insurance companies to ensure that these funds are available to residents working to recover and rebuild.' While it's still unclear exactly how the city of St. Louis will handle it, Walker believes there's a simple answer. 'My city, which takes my taxes on all the properties I've owned because I've decided to live, work, play, build the city of St. Louis. And you're the one hurting me,' Walker said. 'You're the one hurting me. Give it to me. It's mine. You can waive it. It's a disaster. I'm your constituent. How about that?' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBC
5 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Ontario couple say their riding business washed out by water dumped near their property
An Ontario couple recently learned their local township approved a storm outfall plan that would see water pumped in the land adjacent to their property. As CBC's Farrah Merali explains, the couple says they were never notified of the plan, and the water runoff has crushed their decades-old riding business.
CTV News
6 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Man charged after rocks thrown into several homes in Colwood, B.C.
An RCMP epaulette is seen in Edmonton, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson A 34-year-old man is in custody, charged with mischief, after police investigated several reports of rocks being thrown through the windows of homes near Victoria. The West Shore RCMP say the spree of destruction occurred in the early-morning hours of May 25 in Colwood. Officers responded to the 3000 block of Clement Road at 12:37 a.m. after a rock was thrown through the window of a home, according to a statement from the local RCMP detachment. As the investigation progressed, more complaints poured in about rocks thrown through windows and vehicles damaged in the area, including on nearby Allandale and Owens roads, police said. A suspect was arrested at approximately 7:30 a.m. the same day. Court records show Christopher Elliot, born in 1991, was charged on May 26 with one count of mischief to property over $5,000. He was held in custody pending a court appearance scheduled for June 3. 'This arrest was the result of tireless work by the front-line officers and the collaborative support from West Shore's Investigative Support Team, whose efforts led to the identification of additional victims and witnesses,' Sgt. Kevin Shaw said in the statement Thursday. 'This is a great example of those two units working together to investigate a rash of damage to vehicles and property in support of the eventual arrest.' Authorities say the investigation is ongoing and are asking anyone with information about the incidents to contact investigators at 250-474-2264.
