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Landlord's Fire Burns Up My Apartment

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dumbagain

Junior Member
What is the name of your state? OHIO

i lived above a business in Cuyahoga county in Ohio of which my landlord owned and operated. the neon business sign of the outside of the building caught fire and burned up my apartment. i did not have renter's insurance and the lease states that the landlord is not at fault for any fires that break out.

do you think i can get anything out of this?
can the landlord/business owner, electrician, sign manufacturer be at fault?
i was returned my security deposit and 1/2 the month's rent at least.

everything i owned is gone. i have a lot of receipts and i took inventory and pictures of the ruins. it is estimated that about $10,000 worth of stuff was lost (not included keep-sakes). An attorney I spoke to said it would probably cost as much to pay him as my stuff is worth.

The following is from my lease agreement:
Uniform Rental Lease Agreement by RealChek America Inc. 7/98
Notice: ...the resident is hereby advised and understands that the personal property of the resident is not insured by the landlord for either damage or loss, and the landlord assumes no liability for any such loss. the resident is advised that...

He made sure that he "highlighted" this area of the lease. this was a very old building and he was a cheap ass as far as repairs and up-keep was concerned. i wouldn't be surprised if he wired the damn sign himself. can i check if the sign and/or building were up to code?

the fire inspection determined that the wiring to the letters of the sign of the business that i lived above caused the fire. i will go get the report today to see what it says.

what do you think?

WOULD IT BE NORMAL FOR HIS INSURANCE TO GIVE ME ANYTHING IF I APPROACH THEM WITH AN ATTORNEY?
 


Ohiogal

Queen Bee
What part of RENTER's INSURANCE are you having difficulty understanding? His insurance would cover the structure but NOT the personal property of a tenant. You didn't have renter's insurance so it is YOUR fault that you do not have any coverage nor a way to replace your items. Your landlord is not at fault.
 

moburkes

Senior Member
Now do you understand why you need renter's insurance? The landlord didn't cause the sign to catch fire, did he? If he was the cause of it, you MIGHT have a case.
 

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