Arson

[tacoman359]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Connecticut

My house was burnt down by a 17 year old kid a while ago. The kid claimed to have accidentally flicked a cigar towards our porch on the same day, hours before the fire started. He said he was on our property cleaning up. This was not how the fire started, though. The fire started in the basement of our house.

Our family was on vacation and kids were partying at our house (without our permission or knowledge) while we were gone. I have a list of names of the majority of these kids. They have admitted to drinking alcohol at our house. None of them are 21 or older. I don't think any are even 18.

There was something stolen from the house (a pill bottle) and some of the kids admitting to driving our lawnmower (using the key) but the lawnmower not have the key in it. The kids are admitting to being on our property but not to being in our house. They were in our screen porch, which was locked. The police are saying that this does not place any of the kids in our house. The police say they can do absolutely nothing about it because the fire was supposedly an accident.

Several of the kids, including the one who burnt down our house, have lied under oath and the police are aware of this.

I'm hearing a lot of stories about our house but I cannot verify any of them.

What can we do? We would like to sue to regain the value of all our possessions and to make up for our suffering, but would that even be possible?What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

 

[Zigner]

What was the cause of the fire?

 

[antrc170]

Of course you can sue, winning is a different matter. I would suggest you start by filing a suit against the minor and parents of the kid who "flicked" the cigar toward your porch. Even if the court rules that to be an accident criminally, there may be civil negligence.

 

[Kiawah]

Where is your homeowners insurance company?

 

[tranquility]

Your insurance company is the only real avenue here.

Not only do you have a really rotten set of facts (Prove who started the fire.), but also the size of the "pot" of money is small.

To extend liability vicariously to a parent of a minor in CT requires the act to be malicious or willful. I don't know that the OP can prove *who* did the act, let alone his state of mind. (Torts of Minors in CT)

Because extension to parents is uncertain, it is unlikely an attorney will take the case on contingency as they may not get paid even if they win. Only through the OP's insurance company will a lawyer/investigator come in to the picture to garner the facts needed to see if a law suit is appropriate.

 

[tacoman359]

The cause of the fire is undetermined. The only thing known is that it started in the basement.

Our insurance company is not investigating. The police refuse to work with them and they do not think it is worth it to spend their time and resources on it.

We have talked to a lawyer, and they told us that the most we could get if we sued each of the families is $5,000 each because the kids would file bankruptcy. I did not know that a 17 year old kid could file bankruptcy.

 

[Zigner]

Let's be clear here. You don't have a single shred of evidence that these kids were even IN your house, let alone started a fire.

Your insurance will (should) pay your damages.

 

[tacoman359]

I understand that. Our insurance does cover us. It doesn't cover all the antiques in our house.

A pill bottle was stolen from our house. I don't get how that is not evidence that kids were in our house.

 

[Zigner]

I understand that. Our insurance does cover us. It doesn't cover all the antiques in our house.

A pill bottle was stolen from our house. I don't get how that is not evidence that kids were in our house.

It's evidence that your pill bottle is missing. It is NOT evidence of who took it.

As for the antiques - that's on you. You should have maintained an appropriate type/level of insurance for those items.