"Woefully Underinsured" Santa Rosa-Area Wildfire Victims File Bad Faith Suit Against CSAA

Like many local wildfire victims, Larry Spanier would like to rebuild his home in the Fountaingrove neighborhood that was burned to the ground in the October 2017 blaze. And like many others, Spanier has found himself severely underinsured with his $727,800 structure coverage provided by CSAA Insurance Exchange insufficient to build another similar house. CSAA has estimated it might take $1.3 million to rebuild, Spanier contends, but he has home construction cost estimates around $2.3 million. “I thought about building a smaller home. I thought about building a prefabricated home, which would be cheaper,” said Spanier, who retired three years ago as an aerospace company executive. “I don’t know why I should settle for less than what I have? I’m entitled to have a similar home or similar quality home. That’s what I would like to really, really rebuild.”