Slip slidin’ away

It’s been wet, wet, wet here in the Pacific Northwest this winter, and nobody knows that better than homeowners living on steep hillsides. On October 8, 2008, a landslide caused serious damage to several homes in Portland’s Southwest hills. More landslides have destroyed homes in Oregon and Washington this month. So, who is to blame?

Buying a home is likely the biggest investment you’ll ever make. You put time, effort, and, yes, money, into making improvements to that home, then one day it slides down the hillside and is condemned, and you are homeless. What? Oregon State geologists have maps that clearly indicate all landslide hazard zones; however, Oregon law does not mandate that residents in such areas need to be notified. So, people living in landslide hazard zones may be completely unaware of the possible dangers. Further, if you know the area in which you live is a landslide hazard zone, you may not be able to get landslide insurance because of high risk!

So, back to the Southwest hills and the landslide. Two homes were destroyed, another one damaged, and two others damaged to the point where they are unsafe to live in. Homeowners have started to file claims with their insurance companies, and some have already been denied. Some have initiated the process of suing their insurance companies for compensation. This, apparently, is the common process–everyone sues their insurance companies, and they finally all come together for settlement talks. Meanwhile, homeowners are left without homes, but you can bet they still have to pay their mortgages.

For more information, see these articles in the Oregonian.

This was posted on Friday, January 9th, 2009 and is filed in the Legal categories.