And these payments have been neither quickly nor fairly paid to victims contrary to Judge Montalis promise to victims. All Rights Reserved. The trust has paid out $1.88 billion to date to more than 35,000 victims, and the new influx will allow that payment to swell to about $2.5 billion. In the meantime, between attorney's fees and taxes, fire victims are watching what settlement payments they do receive get smaller, along with their dreams of rebuilding anytime soon. The Un-Trustworthy PG&E Fire Victim Trust (PVT). He will be replaced by Cathy Yanni, who has been with the trust since it was created two years ago as the claims administrator. No class action has been certified in either the civil court or the bankruptcy court. One of the hallmarks of trust administration is transparency. So, 85% of the wildfire victims voted to accept the only deal offered. We have a trustee who is making $150,000 a month, a top claims administrator is making $1,250 an hour. Every day we are forced to hold the stock, leads to more costs and more taken away from victims, for sure, said Will Abrams, who lost his home in the 2017 Tubbs fire in Santa Rosa. And the Hedge Fund investors have been paid in full over nine months ago with huge stock incentives in PG&E stock bonuses for accepting the Fire Victim Trusts deal, and as soon as they received the PG&E stock at full market price and their stock bonuses for accepting the victims deal, they sold all their PG&E stock with hundreds of millions dollars in profits, paid from the $55 billion PGE bankruptcy settlement. More information about the PG&E bankruptcy is provided below. Read the press release here. hb```e"B eap@a~il=6Q,NwkGFGRWTl%Xl) c$sAf>OL2aT`fafa? Newsom. Most fire victims are still waiting to be paid by PG&Es Fire Victim Fund, investigation finds. On September 29th, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill which will make PG &E wildfire victims' settlement payments state tax-free, but as of right now fire victims must still And one-half (i.e., $6.75 billion) of the victims settlement languishes in PGEs underperforming stock.(1,2,3,4,5,6,13). But its enterprise value of $60 billion is under 8 times estimated EBITDA over the next 12 months, whereas peers trade over 11 times, according to Refinitiv. KQED. I believe that we needed an open line of communication with the trust which I did not get the feeling Justice Trotter supported that, but I do believe we have that going forward with Cathy Yanni.. As noted, Judge Montali is also an octogenarian at 81 years of age and was recently appointed again for another 14-year term as a U.S. bankruptcy judge in April of 2021, meaning hell be 95 when this term of service expires. Apparently, no one can stop Trustee Trotter from selling victims shares at a loss. Also, the trust gained another $480 million through the sale of 40 million shares of PG&E stock. No victims are on the committee. REUTERS/David Swanson. Analysts on average predict PG&E will make over $9 billion of EBITDA in 2023, compared with less than $6 billion in 2018. California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, Christopher and Urmila - 2017 Tubbs Fire Victims, FEMA can help California communities recover under the Stafford Act, Home insurance availability, affordability AND quality is shrinking: States and the Feds must coordinate and take action to protect homeownership in the US. Why? San Francisco, CA 94104, 2023 | ATTORNEY ADVERTISING MATERIAL | Privacy Policy & Disclaimer | Sitemap. In addition to the program statistics below, you can access Trust information using the Information and FAQs menu tabs above. We never share your information with third parties. But all is fine with PGE now and their business and profits are growing again (though their stock is still trading at about $12 per share still under water for the victims stock). Cook, 70, and his family are scraping by, living in a rented home 100 miles (161 kilometers) away in Davis, where he shares a three-bedroom rental with his 68-year-old wife, Leslie, their four adult children and three grandchildren. I hope 2023 will be a good year for fire survivors and am delighted to share that the Fire Victim Trust announced today that it will be increasing pro rata payments from 45 percent to 60 percent effective January 31, 2023. Your attorney will prepare the necessary information about your case and file a proof of claim on your behalf in the PG&E bankruptcy court. (2021a, May 17). Claimants (or their lawyers, if represented) can access their confidential claims information, notices, and other program materials by logging into their secure Portal account here. Rick Silva has been with the Paradise Post since June 1994 as sports editor. Worse, the risk from fires has only been partially addressed. He noted that the bankruptcy court created two pots of money, one for the insurance companies and another for fire victims, including federal and state agency claimants. (12) The victims' owned about 24% of the stock in PGE. And, Trustee Trotter, 86 when he was appointed by Judge Montali is now 88 draws a salary of $125,000 per month as the Trustee. Wildfire victims do not lose their right to compensation because of the bankruptcy and should consult an attorney about preparing a claim. By our calculations, our attorneys for our PG&E Fire Victim Trust settlement were fairly compensated for the time they spent on our claims processing with the Trust. PG&E was forced into bankruptcy after its equipment sparked the Camp Fire that killed at least 85 people and nearly wiped out the Northern California town of Paradise. I think that is a positive for the trust and the fire victims, Crowder said on Wednesday afternoon. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Officials for the trust declined to provide KQED with a list of companies it is working with and what it has paid them. "This trust was set up to help people get back on their feet and recover after a destructive fire. California Senator Dianne Feinstein introduced companion legislation in the Senate. While the TCC acts in the collective interest of all tort claimants, the committee does not represent any individual homeowners, renters, businesses, or other wildfire victims in their damage claims against PG&E. If you have a claim for fire-related damages, you are considered an unsecured creditor of PG&E for purposes of the bankruptcy process. Read the lettershere. United States Trustee Program Director Elliot - Fix the Biggest Victim Economy Ever Created by the U.S. Bankruptcy Program! WebIt appears the Fire Victims Trust will end up owning more than 20.9% of PG&E because the stock value is so low and it will take more shares to reach $6.75 billion in value. There are a number of bankruptcy attorneys and financial advisers This bill has been a long time coming, and I look forward to continuing this effort with Rep. Thompson so survivors can finally get a financial reprieve.". PG&E filed for bankruptcy voluntarily, and the company is not insolvent. He approved the deal crafted largely favoring the interests of PG&E, Wall Street Hedge Fund investors that owned approximately 10% of PG&Es stock, and a small group of victims law firms that represented large groups of wildfire victims. The IRS letter echoed articles you have These individual victims should not be left to fend for themselves in a creditor class outnumbered by sophisticated and deep-pocketed financial institutions and insurance companies.. And we certainly should not be asking them to pay taxes on funds that are going to their lawyers this would be double taxing the settlement dollars. The industry leader for online information for tax, accounting and finance professionals. The PGE Fire Victim Trust was created by Judge Dennis Montali to manage the adjudication and distribution of the wildfire victims' $13.5 billion settlement from PGE that was awarded to the victims' by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court. In his letter to victims, Trotter recounted the creation of the trust and its recent history. PGE is Fine and Raising Electric Rates on Customers Again. Fire Survivors Suffer and Wait. The Trust issues Determination Notices daily and issues payments twice a month. At the time of that delivery, the stock was trading at approximately $9 per share, he wrote. Newsom arbitrarily approved their safety rating while they continue to start fires and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), also appointed by Gov. Victims, however, have been waiting 4, 5 and 6 years for their compensation which, when it comes to the lucky few, is pennies on the dollar. opt-out claim, and issuance 90% of all Determination Notices. The lawsuits were subsequently coordinated into a single mass tort proceeding in San Francisco County Superior Court (JCCP No. Because of errors in the setup of how the trust was established, the tax issue was left unresolved, he said, triggering unnecessary delays that hindered victim compensation. And our family of five did much of the heavy lifting gathering, researching lost items costs, and spreadsheeting in detail our real and personal property claims which in most cases was to no avail, as the Trust ended up not paying over 40% of our bona fide claims. PARADISE, Calif. - Victims from the Butte Fire, North Bay fires, and Camp Fire will receive an increased pro-rata payment from 30% to 45%. "We remain right on the exact same spot with the identical house we replaced," said Internicola. I will continue to work with the Town, the County and the Trust to get results for fire victims.. 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March 12, 2021, San Francisco On Monday, March 15, the Fire Victim Trust (FVT) will begin distributing the first round of pro rata payments toward satisfying the claims of individuals and families who suffered losses in the 2015 Butte Fire, 2017 North Bay Fires and 2018 Camp Fire. Sign up for NBC Bay Areas Housing Deconstructed newsletter. If PG&E performed well, so would they. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Montali, a 23-year veteran of the U.S. Bankruptcy system (now 81 years of age) was chosen by the system to preside over the largest bankruptcy in U.S. legal history which concluded in July 2020. Your attorney will continue to represent you throughout the remainder of the proceedings until your case is resolved. However, we encourage all potential claimants to discuss their case with an attorney in a timely manner to begin the process. This time period may be shorter than the statute of limitations that might otherwise apply in the civil court. By filing for Chapter 11, PG&E will be allowed to continue its business operations while restructuring its debts and resolving liabilities. The Trust reviews claims and issues Determination Notices daily and disburses payments twice monthly, compensating Fire Victims for economic and non-economic damages caused by the 2015 Butte, 2017 North Bay, and 2018 Camp Fires, including destruction or damage to real estate and personal property, additional living expenses, lost wages, business losses, emotional distress, personal injury or death and related medical expenses. Director Ward is one of the nations foremost emergency managers with broad experience working at @DHSgov @fema @FEMARegion9 as well as Cal OES. It is surprising to me that the enormous task managing a $13.5 billion trust would go to an octogenarian in the twilight years of his life, let alone his professional career, addressing the adjudication of settlements for 68,870 victim families and businesses. Trotter said that once the trust was created, the only employees working for it were he and Yanni, who was his claims administrator. Will new regulations do enough to keep homeowners from losing fire insurance. This increase was made possible by the Trusts cumulative sales of 190 million shares of Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) stock since October 2022. "That's the one that probably disturbs me the most," said Internicola. Access unmatched financial data, news and content in a highly-customised workflow experience on desktop, web and mobile. Trotter, a retired California Appeals Court judge, charges $1,500 an hour, according to court filings, while claims administrator Cathy Yanni bills $1,250 an hour. North Bay Wildfires (includes 22 major fires), Cathy Yanni appointed Administrator of Wildfire Assistance Program, PG&E and Tort Claimants Committee reached $13.5 billion settlement, Hon. San Francisco, CA Cathy Yanni, Trustee of the Fire Victim Trust (FVT), announced a pro rata payment increase from 45 percent to 60 percent effective January 31, He leaves his leadership at the Trust at the end of June 2022. "We don't have enough to rebuild and we're just essentially stuck," Camp Fire Survivor David Breed recently told ABC7 News. He (and now Ms. Yanni) has complete discretion over when and how much to sell the victims PGE shares. On January 9 and 10, 2023, FVT sold 60 million shares of PG&E stock. 7305 to amend IRS Code of 1986 for certain fire survivors' claimants. Or I knew when to call it good., When disaster hits, FEMA can help communities recover under the Stafford Act (Disasterassistance.gov). and Claims Administrator Cathy Yanni. After this sale, we now own about 21%. None of these entities were required by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to take one-half of their settlements in PGE stock. He said the trust had begun to make partial payments to about 9,500 of the 67,170 victims. Under the terms of their bankruptcy, PG&E pledged to pay victims $13.5 billion in cash and expected stock sales. (2022, May 25). The family knew they wanted to rebuild. As Governor Newsoms office stated in a letter to the U.S. The trust initially received around 480 million shares at $9 each. They were just asking legitimate questions on behalf of their constituents. This is different from a class action lawsuit. Primarily, those debts and liabilities relate to wildfire claims. Read the responses, , the Trust sent letters in support of H.R. In April 2002, he was named Managing Editor. (1), The insurance companies and city and county governments also were paid in full over nine months ago for claims they paid to victims (subrogation reimbursements $11 billion and government claims of $2 billion, respectively), and the victims lawyers started reaping their full fees and costs as victims settlement determinations started trickling in nine months ago. The FVT was created in July 2020 and funded with both cash and shares of stock pursuant to PG&Es Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization. (1,2,5,13), The Sting - The PG&E U.S. Bankruptcy and PG&E Fire Victim Trust, This petition addresses how the unbridled power of the U.S. Bankruptcy system and its Judge (Dennis Montali), Wall Streets Hedge Fund Managers, Pacific Gas & Electric corporation (the largest U.S. public utility) and its lawyers, insurance companies and governments and victims lawyers worked together and/or independently to financially dominate and become the largest beneficiaries of the $55 billion PG&E wildfire bankruptcy payouts. March 12, 2021, San Francisco On Monday, March 15, the Fire Victim Trust (FVT) will begin distributing the first round of pro rata payments toward satisfying the claims of It certainly appears that the lawyers, either working for the Trust or victims, were and are being paid well and in full for their services. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world's media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers. And Trustee Trotter, in his not-so-infinite wisdom, has already sold 100 million shares of the victims PGE stock at $12.04 per share for a $212 million loss. Newsom and the California State Legislature enacted Senate Bill AB 1054 which provides full (100%) compensation for future wildfire victims after July 2019, but does not cover the 2015, 2017, and 2018 wildfire victims whose plight spawned the legislation and who are currently being paid about 60% of their bona fide claims losses and Trustee John Trotter is only paying 45% of the 60%. So, out of the gate our settlement went from $13.5 billion to $12 billion, and today the stock is about $1.1 billion underwater and victims have experienced a $212 million dollar loss in their Trust funds because Trustee Trotter chose to sell 100 million of victims' shares at $12.04 per share. "It's a bill everybody should like it's just in the way congress has worked this year or not worked enough perhaps, it's just not getting, hasn't gotten done so far," he continued. He also said the trust hired Morgan Stanley to manage the sale of the first 100 shares of stocks, netting the trust $1.2 billion. ), Trustee of the Fire Victims Trust, announced in a letter to fire victims Tuesday that he will be retiring effective June 30. Retrieved June 5, 2022, from https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2022/05/06/666497.htm, (3) Allyn, J. That price created a shortfall of approximately $2.4 billion less than expected, and it has lingered between $10 and $12 and closed at $9.78 as of Friday, June 17, 2022.. Legislation could make PG&E settlement money for CA wildfire victims tax-free from the federal government, but the bill is stuck in Congress. (16) Nonetheless, over 35% of wildfire victims are still waiting years later for their settlements and the vast majority have asked for reconsiderations, challenging the Trusts settlements as unfair and their claims as woefully under paid. At the time, before the vote of approval by the victims, several the victims lawyers concurred that it was a good deal and victims would be paid right away. When recently challenged by a letter from the Butte County Board of Supervisor's who presented legitimate questions about the pace and process of the Trust's claims processing, the thin-skinned Trustee refused to respond to the Supervisors and called them "you people" "politicians" with "uninformed, slanderous conclusions". Any sale, disposition or other transaction involving the Trusts shares follow strict guidelines as outlined in filings with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Without all your input I have no idea how we could have recovered. The trust owns about 24% of the companys shares, worth around $4 billion. Get a confidential review of your case at no cost. RELATED: Fire Victim Trust answers questions about $51 million spent as CA wildfire victims await payments. I recommend them without reservation., We cannot thank you enough for all your support, education and assistance through our recovery from the 2017 Tubbs Fire. A vote for Yes or No was essentially all the victims received no substantial input. 52. Who may act as Legal Representative for a Minor Claimant, and what Read the responses here. Their millions upon millions of dollars from their 33% contingency fees from hundreds/thousands of wildfire victim clients they represent (plus costs) were in the balance and the sooner PG&E came out of bankruptcy, the sooner theyd start to get paid as the PG&E Fire Victim Trust excruciatingly slowly started to make pro rata (that is, partial) payments to some of their clients. Give the people you love peace of mind by helping them be financially resilient and prepared.ThisGive Peace of Mind Gift Catalogis full of free tips to help spark important discussions and actions around disaster preparedness. CHP Responds To Fatal Rollover Crash On Hwy 128 In Napa County, Napa County Under Coastal Flood Advisory, Flood Watch, Wind Advisory, Most Napa County Government Offices Closed Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday. However, the 68,870 wildfire victims (approximately 250,000 people) have been short-changed and slow-paid pennies on the dollar and were required to take one half of their settlement in PGE stock. Review our firm's. We are sympathetic to the fact that the complicated claims evaluation and payout process required by both California law and bankruptcy law can be hard for anyone to understand, said Yanni. He said his rent is triple what he paid for his mortgage in Paradise. In the aftermath of each fire, thousands of people sought refuge in their vehicles, emergency tent communities or FEMA camps. Today, the Fire Victim Trust holds almost a quarter of PG&E shares. (2022, May 6). These include the more comprehensive data now available to the Trust as more and more fire victims claims are filed and analyzed.. - The Dixie Fire is now the second biggest wildfire since 1932, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Indie Pop Star Michelle Lambert Plays Market and Main in Martinez! San Francisco Chronicle. The news that PG&E agreed to a $13.5 billion fire settlement with lawyers for victims means that plaintiffs are a step closer to getting compensated. Trotter also said that the trust is hoping to maximize their assets by getting a loan from the state of California or from some other instrument that will allow the trust to complete and increase their prorated statements without having to sell more shares in a down market. Newson, just approved two new rate hikes to PG&E customers (including all PG&E victim customers) totaling a 23% increase to rate payers effective March 2022. The House and Senate will be in session in mid-November. So far, he has lost over $212 million dollars selling the victims stock and pays everyone on his Trust team exorbitant salaries and fees. We are making every effort to pay as much as we can, as quickly as we can.. KQED analyzed federal bankruptcy court filings, court transcripts and correspondence between victims and staff of the Fire Victim Trust. NORTH BAY, CA U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena) co-introduced legislation Wednesday that would ensure fire survivors are not taxed on payments received from the PG&E Fire Victims Trust. An unidentified spokesman for the Fire Victim Trust told KQED the fund has now increased its payments to families, putting $195.2 million into the hands of those who lost loved ones, homes and businesses to fires caused by PG&E. PG&E declared bankruptcy in 2019 amid wildfire-related claims of $30 billion. Editing by John Foley and Marjorie Backman, Bond spat is odd look for Melrose deal machine, Lufthansa offers Alitalia heir last chance to fly, Chinas demographic decline can be boon, not doom, Bank of Japan has learnt danger of half-measures, Just Eat delivers right takeaway orders, finally, See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. The Tort Claimants Committee (or TCC) is designed to give the individuals and families most affected by the 2017 and 2018 fires an independent and official voice throughout the bankruptcy case. "They have these enormous legal costs and theres not much to show for it.. Compensating victims will be a recurring challenge; giving them a volatile asset prone to falling in value turns out to be a poor solution. Under the direction of Cathy Yanni (Trustee), the Fire Victim Trust is ever-focused on resolving Fire Victims claims to help them recover and move on successfully with their lives. And, again, our deal was crafted by these players such that victims would receive a $13.5 billion dollar settlement, but half of that amount (i.e., $6.75 billion) was to be paid to the victims in PG&E stock, only to find out that when PG&E exited bankruptcy the victims stock was already over $1.5 billion underwater. If you suffered losses in the following or related fires, you may be entitled recover legal damages from PG&E: We invite North Bay and Butte County fire survivors to contact our office at any time to review your case and understand your legal options. We are looking for a Governor to vote for that can help us get "fair" compensation as promised by PGE bankruptcy Judge Dennis Montali. In the first pro rata payment, each claimant will receive 30% of the value assigned to their claims. My goal is to keep the cost of administration below or as close to 1% as possible, Trotter wrote of the Fire Victim Trust. The insurance trust received $11 billion in cash to satisfy its claim of having paid $16 billion to its insured and for maintaining an additional $4 Were not quite there yet, but getting closer! All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. and the Claims Administrator Cathy Yanni, the Fire Victim Trust provides an efficient and equitable process to compensate Fire Victims for both economic and non-economic damages caused by these fires, including destruction or damage to real estate and personal property, additional living expenses, lost wages, business losses, emotional distress, personal injury and death. Newsom put his imprimatur on this deal and soon thereafter gave PG&E a safety regulation pass so they could exit the bankruptcy process and continue to operate with business as usual, that is, with little ongoing responsibility for making major wildfire mitigation efforts to their electric service lines and a backstop of California tax payers funds to payoff their next victims at 100% of their losses. Fix the Biggest Victim Economy created and approved by you and Judge Montali. Distributing a portion of the bankruptcy settlement funds before claims could be fully evaluated was an unprecedented move, but a necessary one given the extreme hardship facing many individuals whose losses from the wildfires have been compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic and by the 2020 wildfires in Northern California. Many more fire victims are struggling to do the same. Again, the majority of wildfire victims had been waiting 3 to 6 years (in our case 3 years) and his words fair settlement in a reasonable amount of time washed over us like a long-awaited shower after being stranded in the wildfire jungle for years. I am proud to introduce this bill alongside Rep. [Doug] LaMalfa to help our constituents receive the money they are owed, and will continue working to ensure survivors have the resources they need to recover from these tragedies.". At the closing of the PG&E bankruptcy trial in July 2020, Judge Dennis Montali (the judge and only judge presiding over the PG&E bankruptcy proceeding) proclaimed and I paraphrase and quote him: This PG&E $13.5 billion dollar wildfire victim settlement will allow for victims of the wildfires to be compensated for their losses quickly and fairly. That finally sounded good to the 68,870 families who lost homes and personal property in 2015, 2017, and 2018 Northern California wildfires for which PG&E was accused of and admitted to in court their negligence for our losses and was now officially named responsible for our losses. We are in good hands! It has been burning for 28 days and is 27% contained, the state agency said on Aug. - PG&E, the nations largest electric utility, told the California Public Utilities Commission on July 18 that its equipment may have been involved with the start of that fire. - The company filed for bankruptcy in January 2019 following a series of wildfires in 2015, 2017 and 2018. The shares have lost 15% of their value in a month. Landslide Debris Cancels ACE Train Service Through Niles Canyon, Water Agencies Seek Solution to Unhoused Residents Living in Creek Beds, Man Accused in Wife's Murder Made Shocking Google Searches in Days After Her Disappearance, Michigan Family Gets Life in Prison for Killing Family Dollar Guard Over Face Mask Dispute, SF Residents Give City Officials Earful About Increase in Crime, Decrease in Quality of Life, Rain Wednesday Will Add to Historic Wet Period in Bay Area. 115 0 obj <> endobj Https://Inthesetimes.Com/Article/California-Fire-Victims-Awaiting-Payment-from-Utility-Company Retrieved June 5, 2022, from https://inthesetimes.com/article/california-fire-victims-awaiting-payment-from-utility-company, (11) Morris, J. M. (2021, August 23). He said their first task was to design a system that allowed 70,000 fire victims to make claims, which he said took time to create and make it capable of receiving and reviewing more than 250,000 unique claims. Since then Trotter said they have received more than 19,000 personal injury claims and more than 400 death claims. The court-ordered trust of over $13 billion was established for survivors of devastating Northern California wildfires including the 2015 Butte Fire, the 2017 North Bay PG&E is in the process of paying $13.5 billion to survivors of the deadly Butte, North Bay, and Camp fires; legislation will protect these funds from federal taxes. What's wrong with this picture? This petition originates from one familys continued trials and tribulations with The Biggest Victim Economy Ever Created: The 2020 PG&E Fire Victim Trust, which was setup to fail the victims by bankruptcy Judge Dennis Montali and continues to treat them unfairly, despite Montalis promise to pay the victims quickly and fairly. Https://Leginfo.Legislature.ca.Gov/Faces/billTextClient.Xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB1054 Retrieved June 5, 2022, from https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB1054, (6) Woodrow, M. W. (2022, February 23). Forgot Password? Please Wait This Portal is the secure website to exchange information between a Fire Victim or a Fire Victims law firm and the Administrators of the Fire Victim Trust. Only persons authorized by the Claims Administrator and the Claims Processor may use this Portal. An unidentified spokesman for the Fire Victim Trust told KQED the fund has now increased its payments to families, putting $195.2 million into the hands of those who lost loved ones, homes and businesses to fires caused by PG&E. He said the trust had begun to make partial payments to about 9,500 of the 67,170 victims. Governor Haruhiko Kurodas battle with market forces has entered a new phase. The trust has also dealt with 100 emotional distress claims along with more than 20,000 loss of income claims and 38,000 real and personal property claims, which include the value of loss of vegetation and the cost of tree replacement. Happy New Year. Her office says it's currently in the Finance Committee. I have heard firsthand the concerns survivors have faced when navigating the ambiguous tax code. (15). California established a $21 billion wildfire safety net for state utilities that PG&E can tap if it has over $1 billion of fire claims in a year. (18), (1) Jamali, L. J. Check out Bay Area safety tracker, Bay Area Life; Sundays at 6:30 p.m. on ABC7, Fire Victim Trust answers questions about $51 million spent as CA wildfire victims await payments. The trust owns about 24% of the companys Claimants with Submitted Claims Questionnaires (CQs), ,the 10/31/22 . Take a look at more stories by the ABC7 News I-Team. "Fire victims have lost homes, belongings, and for some, even their loved ones," said LaMalfa (R-Richvale), who co-introduced the bipartisan legislation. Now valued at over $10 each, Trotter says the difference could be taxed around 45%, meaning more money Happy New Year. Congressman LaMalfa says the IRS took 5 months to get back to lawmakers about how fire victims who received PG&E settlement money should file their taxes so they wouldn't overpay or underpay and be facing penalties or fines. Governor, we are one of 68,870 families and businesses (250,000 Californians) waiting for full relief for our PGE-caused losses. What lawyers earn that kind of money perhaps a handful of patent attorneys? (2020, December 19). Retrieved June 5, 2022, from https://www.capradio.org/articles/2021/05/17/a-cascade-of-outrage-follows-investigation-into-pge-fire-victim-trust-expenses/, (5) California Legislative Information. PGE stock is currently trading around $12 per share (currently a $1 billion loss to the victims' PGE shares) and it must trade at about $14.50-plus per share for the victims' stock value to equal $6.75 billion. There are eight categories of claims types. "All legislation that is not passed and signed does lapse as of January 2nd so we would put that bill right out on January 3rd as soon as the swearing in is over with and get going again because our constituents have waited long enough," said LaMalfa. In November, Yanni told KQED she expected it would take two years to pay all victims with claims. Some fire survivors fear it will take much longer. The longer it takes, the higher the cost of overhead will be. That voicemail was widely criticized by local politicians and inspired another letter from the board. (14), The PGE Bankruptcy Court settlement, which Governor Newsom approved, favors and fully compensates everyone except the wildfire victims. (2022, May 6). The court-ordered trust of over $13 billion was established for survivors of devastating Northern California wildfires including the 2015 Butte Fire, the 2017 North Bay Broadly, the process involves the following steps: With support from the Governors office and the California legislature, PG&E is expected to emerge from bankruptcy under a reorganization plan in secure (or investable) financial condition. To the supervisors' points, it is clear that the excruciatingly slow processing of claims that we victims have suffered through for years demonstrates that the deal that Judge Montali helped craft and approve, and his long-term colleague and fellow octogenarian, Trustee Trotter, is overseeing, and which Gov. Shortly after the October 2017 North Bay Fires, members of the affected communities began filing lawsuits against PG&E based on the companys alleged role in causing the disaster. If you're on the ABC7 News app, click here to watch live, Videos show parade of storms toppling trees across SF Bay Area, The warning signs your tree may fall during next storm, 18 killed in helicopter crash near Kyiv, Ukraine, including children. Newsom correct the inequities in the PGE wildfire victims' settlement awards that are being adjudicated by the PGE Fire Victim Trust and fully compensate the victims of the 2015, 2017 and 2018 Northern California wildfires as required by California's "inverse condemnation" law which says "if you broke it, you fix it" (which applies to public utilities) and, more importantly, by doing what's morally right. Under the direction of the Trustee, the Honorable John K. Trotter (Ret.) On November 14, 2022, the Trust sent letters in support of H.R. This petition focuses on the victims of the Northern California wildfires between 2015 and 2018, including all wildfires in this period for which PGE was held legally responsible for victims losses in their 2019 U.S. Bankruptcy filing and proceedings and codified in their exit from their bankruptcy process, resulting in the creation of the PGE Fire Victim Trust. This increase was made possible by the Trusts recent sales of Pacific Gas & Electric stock. Because unlike all the other bankruptcy claimants, the victims received one-half of their $13.5 billion dollar settlement in PGE stock. They should not have to pay taxes on these payouts. Congressman LaMalfa along with Congressman Mike Thompson introduced legislation that would exempt fire victims receiving compensation from the Fire Victim Trust from having to pay federal income tax on their settlements. Accordingly, it is important to understand the full scope of your legal damages, how to properly document your losses, how to complete the claim form process, and how to ensure a fair amount is allocated to your claim. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. 1 Sansome Street, Ste 2830 https://twitter.com/Cal_OES/status/1609310956794019840. (4), And the legions of lawyers and consultants from the Greenberg law firm in North Carolina (who Trustee Trotter hired) are surely making handsome consulting fees, though the Trustee keeps these fees close to his chest wonder why? As of January 12, 2023, the FVT had issued determination notices to 91% of all claimants and paid claimants over $5.93 billion. The new payout, effective Feb. 15, will allow victims to gain 45% of claim value, instead of the current 30%. The victims stake has fallen in value to around $4 billion. Republican Assembly Leader James Gallagher (R-Yuba City) said there had been many challenges with the trusts administration. It was done on our dime before being done by the attorneys before the trust was established., We recognize that because of PG&Es bankruptcy, the fire victims have been waiting a long time for compensation, Trotter said in a statement. VIDEO: Will new regulations do enough to keep homeowners from losing fire insurance? Capradio. Accordingly, if you or a loved one experienced personal injury, property loss, business losses, or other damages, you should consult a lawyer in a timely manner. And all of the victim attorneys (with just a couple of exceptions) said at the time that this was the best deal the victims could probably get, and if we rejected it, PG&E could file for Chapter 7 and we could lose almost everything and it could take years for that to happen. Sound rich to you? %PDF-1.6 % The victims had minimal input into this process. 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