EDISON’S DIRECT COMPENSATION PLAN FOR ALTADENA TENANTS

Is it good? Bad? Fair? Unfair? What should you do? The answers are complicated and depend on your personal situation, but at a high level, we can say with confidence that Edison’s proposed settlement plan is vastly underpaying most tenants and does not address the real costs of the losses we have faced and will continue to face in years to come.

Total-loss tenants who rented free-standing single family homes with multi-person families are treated best under Edison’s proposed plan; smoke-damaged standing structure tenants are treated worst. On November 13th, ATU held a meeting to walk through the details of the plan and to provide tools to help you figure out your own situation; please have a look below and as always, you are welcome to reach out to us with any questions or just to discuss your situation with a fellow tenant. We are not lawyers, this is not legal advice - we’re just displaced Altadena tenants trying to figure this out too.

Hang in there, neighbors.

QUICK RESOURCE LINKS

Edison Compensation Settlement Mtg Slides
Edison's Wildlife Recovery Compensation Program Link
Andrew's Wildfire Recovery Compensation Calculator

Zoom Recording of ATU’s November 13th Meeting
(English)

Zoom Recording of ATU’s November 13th Meeting
(Spanish)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Working with Lawyers

  • Until you sign all documentation, lawyers can't give you a specific number. Once you've signed, they have a fiduciary responsibility to you. It's actually a red flag if they give you a dollar amount before you've signed on.

  • Most likely yes. Non-economic damages (like pain and suffering) will typically be higher through litigation, especially when it comes to the grievance of your renter experience specifically.

  • There's a lead litigation team with experienced lawyers handling the collective case. Your most important choice is finding a lawyer you feel comfortable with who has experience with personal injury, property loss, and can help assess your specific damages and impacts. Wildfire-specific experience is helpful but not required since fault will be determined collectively.

  • It's important to work with attorneys who specialize in mass tort cases. Here are some examples:

Edison Compensation Plan vs. Joining the Mass Tort Lawsuit

  • Edison has specific guidelines about defining the "claimant group" in their materials. Check their documentation for details on household vs. individual claims.

  • Absolutely. You are completely independent from your landlord's decision. Also note that landlords receive substantial compensation from Edison's plan, so don't let that pressure you.

  • Yes, you should still try. Smoke and damage don't stop cleanly at arbitrary borders. Call lawyers and see if they'll represent you.

  • No, that's very unlikely. The Camp Fire involved PG&E, which went bankrupt. Edison is not likely to face bankruptcy due to California's state wildfire fund.

Tenant Rights & Landlord Issues

  • File a complaint with the Department of Public Health (DPH). If you need help writing a letter to your landlord, reach out for support. If you're in touch with neighbors, consider forming a tenant association to advocate collectively.

  • Send a demand letter citing SB610, which specifically addresses tenants' right to documentation about testing and remediation. You can find template letters that cite this law. Also cite DCBA's updated rent caps for unincorporated LA County regarding the rent increase.

  • Landlords can only evict for very specific "just cause" reasons. If they want you to leave outside of these specific use cases, they must pay you through a tenant buyout agreement (also called "cash for keys"). This is strictly regulated by LA County - they must file disclosures and pay specific amounts.