Please help... My friend has been displaced for the past week due to a fire that was caused by a plumber that her landlord hired to repair pipes in the bathroom. The plumber was soldering when a spark started a fire in the wall.The plumber has taken responsibility for this action - as he was the only person on the property at the time. My friend does not have renters insurance. The RedCross supplied her with an emergency hotel room for 2 days, but told her that her landlord was responsible from that point on until repairs were completed. Currently her landlord is suppling her and her two children a hotel room (insufficient, due to no cooking facilities, my friend has spent over $200 in fast food and take alone) and now that the landlords have found that the city is going to inspecting the repairs to the fire damage reconstruction which they know they will fail, as the property also has foundation problems, they are telling my friend they are breaking her lease. This is of course causing great distress to my friend as now her two children and herself are homeless. It is also become suspicious that the plumber plans not to claim this repair on his insurance. I understand that her personal property may not be covered, but does she have any recourse to take any of these parties to small claims court.

The plumbers insurance should be covering for everything including contents. Has your friend tried to contact the plumber to find out what is happening? You can't break a lease to avoid liability like that.

Thank you for your quick answer. Yes my friend saw the plumbing company owner at the property who claimed he was not going to use his insurance... smells a little fishy? And her landlord is refusing to find her alternative accommodations as supplying her a hotel room is getting too expensive, and he states that he only has to pay her a per diem that is equivalent to her rent. ($950 month divided into a daily fee - which I believe only gives her around $32.00 a day)

A little more information. The rental only has 1 bathroom which was badly damaged, so the fire marshal deemed the unit unfit for inhabiting, and SDGE (power company) shut off the power.

Have your friend buy a one or two burner hot plate and a pot and pan to use to make meals in. I lived for 3 months in a motel room using that method and not eating out once. If I can do it she can do it.

And for someone who spent $950 a month on rent why couldn't she have spent $15 or $20 a month on renter's insurance for her contents? Sounds like she does not have much in the brains category to have missed out covering her contents.

Yes, I know this is not legal advice but this is sensible advice.

And the plumber's company insurance should kick in here somewhere.

Even if the landlord does put her up in a hotel/motel at least she's got a roof over her head. The part about supplying cooking facilities is asking a bit too much.

Contact the proper regulatory division for plumbing companies in the state and complain to them about the plumbing company not submitting a claim to their insurance carrier.

Also the landlord should be looking for another unit of his to house his tenant in since the unit is now uninhabitable. Depending on how large a complex the apt is in he may or may not have an empty unit at that location.

Thank you all for your advice.