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Guest
I live in New york State and I rent a house. In July of 2000 there was a fire that started in one of the bedrooms. I was home at the time(this happened in the middle of the day on a Saturday)The local fire dept. was called and then I put the fire out.(which I ended up in the hospital for smoke inhalation) The fire dept determined that the fire was started by the stereo. Which by the way was not on. I contacted my landlord who in turned contacted her insurance co. The insurance co. sent a claims adjuster. He examined the damage and asked me to sign a release form so he could take the stereo back with him. At the time he agreed that it did look like the stereo indeed started the fire. The damage to the bedroom was repaired and cleaned. Mind you nothing of mine was replaced or cleaned,just what the landlord owned. I do not have renters insurance. In December I received a letter from a Insurance Recovery Co. saying that I owe their client (the insurance co. for my land lord)$5,595.94 for damages due to the fire.After speaking to this insurance recovery co. the person I spoke to said that since I owned the stereo that it is my responsibility to reimburse the insurance co.and they will take all legal actions to insure that this will happen. I also was told that this is state law in my state. I called my land lord who in turned called her insurance co. to complain that this was not right. She was told that do to neglect on my part this was legal for them to do. She pointed out that the fire dept. stated that the fire was started by the stereo, and also that the claims adjuster stated the same. She was told that upon their own investigation the it was found to be neglect on my part. She asked how or what was the determining factor in this finding which she could not get a answer to this. She asked for the report and was told she could not have a copy of it. My land lord is behind me all the way. The bottom line is, I know that the stereo started the fire, the insurance co. has what is left of the stereo, the insurance co says it was neglect on my part and wants the money. I'm a signal parent and do not have the money to pay them nor do I think I should have to since it was the stereo that started the fire. In other words it was a accident that I had no control of. I do not have the money to hire a lawyer but just make a little more of the limit for any aid. What can I do or in what direction should I go.