At the Lake: State official will hear fire victims' insurance concerns

Two months after the Angora fire, residents who plan to rebuild their homes now await the outcome of their insurance policies and how much companies will break down and separate damage costs from what they consider depreciation.

And if early indication says as much, complaints have begun to roll in. People aren't getting what they expected.

On Thursday, at the request of city and county leaders, residents and victims of Tahoe's worst forest fire can air their concerns and grievances to the state's insurance commissioner at a town hall meeting, 7 p.m. at the Lake Tahoe Community College theater.

Steve Poizner, who holds the statewide elected position, will tour damaged homes and join residents and local officials for the town hall meeting. The commissioner vows to listen to victims' concerns regarding their dealings with insurance companies and what his office can do to protect homeowners from cost-conscious adjusters.

In June, the Angora fire swept through South Lake Tahoe, destroying 254 homes and leaving more than $160 million in damages in its wake. In the weeks and months following the blaze, residents have been working to settle their insurance claims quickly so they can get back on their feet as soon as possible.

A statement released from the insurance commissioner's office says, "the state's leading consumer advocate, Commissioner Poizner has taken swift action to aid fire victims in their recovery efforts. Commissioner Poizner will meet with residents who were impacted by this disaster to offer assistance in getting their insurance claims paid quickly."

Victims of the fire have been reporting to the Tribune that they're not getting what they thought they would get back from insurance companies to cover the cost of their losses. Even those whose homes were damaged, like local Realtor Sue Abrams, say insurance companies like hers have gone back on their word after repairs were issued on her home, which suffered smoke damage and is considered uninhabitable by health officials.

Homeowners are beginning to find out that the deal they signed on the dotted line wasn't what they thought it would be, Abrams said. She pointed to a recent investigative report on the PBS news magazine "Now," which found that fire victims in Southern California and hurricane victims in Florida, New Orleans and Mississippi, report receiving 50 cents on the dollar for what they thought they were getting back in homeowners insurance.

Abrams, who has been an advocate for fire victims and a critic of basin forestry and environmental agencies, said homeowners are now being squeezed by the big insurance companies here. She hopes all fire victims will show up to the town hall meeting to voice their concerns.

"If there is a lesson to be learned, it's that people need to go back and look at how people in Southern California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Kentucky, Florida, have gotten screwed by these big insurance companies," Abrams said. "They'll string you out for a year or two, give you money to get you by with a temporary place to live and clothes, and after a year or so, they're going to come up with a third to half of what you expect. It's going to happen here."