County to Pay Slide Victims $885,000

In a settlement ending five years of litigation, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors agreed Tuesday to pay $885,000 to the owners of 16 Malibu homes damaged by the Big Rock Mesa landslide.

Three months ago, in a first round of settlements, the supervisors agreed to pay $35 million as the county’s share of a $97-million award to 240 other owners whose homes were damaged or destroyed during the 1983 slide. The state and insurance companies have agreed to pay the rest.

The amount awarded Tuesday, about $52,000 per home, was less than the $146,000 per home the county agreed to pay in January because the houses involved were not as severely damaged, officials said.

All 256 property owners claimed in lawsuits that their homes were damaged because development approved by the county contributed to a rise in the water table that triggered the slide. Under the settlements, none of the parties admits responsibility and the homeowners agree to drop future claims against the county.