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Edison updates payout plan for Eaton Fire victims. Here's what's new
Southern California Edison transmission towers overlook Eaton Canyon last year.
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Here's what has changed in the Edison payout plan
Edison says it has updated its compensation program for Eaton Fire victims.
Topline:
Southern California Edison announced this week that it’s updating its payout program for Eaton Fire survivors. Those who accept payments must waive their rights to sue the company over the fire.
The details: The company says it will increase legal fee compensation for those who use an attorney to submit their claim to 20% of net damages, up from 10%. Renters will also receive either three months of their pre-fire rent or the “monthly fair rental value” — as calculated by Edison’s protocol (see page 18) — whichever is higher. Originally the offer included only three months of pre-fire rent for tenants. You can find updated sample offers here.
Applied retroactively: A spokesperson for Edison said these changes will be applied retroactively. That means anyone who has a claim under review, an offer extended, or who has already accepted and received their payout should be contacted by an Edison rep this week about accounting for these changes.
Survivors react: Andrew Wessels, a member of the Eaton Fire Survivors Network from West Altadena, called the changes “cosmetic” and said they don’t go far enough in providing desperately needed financial support for survivors. Wessels said Edison’s calculation for the monthly fair rental value “drastically undervalues actual rents.” The company's calculation for a home with a pre-fire value of $1.2 million, for example, sets a fair monthly rental value of $3,333 per month.
Wessels pointed to his group’s extensive blueprint for how Edison could better support fire survivors — which is endorsed by more than 200 local nonprofits and provides recommendations for addressing the escalating housing needs of survivors as their temporary housing insurance runs out this year. “We're at a loss as to why Edison continues to tell the community what it needs rather than listening to what we have to say,” Wessels said.
Where claims stand now: The company says that as of Feb. 18, 2,405 claims have been submitted, 593 offers totaling more than $183 million have been extended, and 86 claims have been paid out or are in process, totaling $18 million.
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