THOUSAND OAKS : Fireplace Owners to Be Compensated

The insurance company of an Agoura Hills fireplace framer plans to compensate residents in two housing tracts for repairs on their dangerously constructed hearths, a Thousand Oaks official said Friday.

But the city and Aetna Insurance, the company representing the fireplace framer, William L. Chapman, are still trying to work out the terms of the compensation agreement, said Barry J. Branagan, the city’s director of building and safety.

Branagan said the city is asking residents who live in the developments in the Wildwood and Newbury Park areas to compile a list of contractors they want to fix their fireplaces, which were incorrectly framed with potentially combustible wood instead of bricks and mortar.

The city will then advertise for bids on the project, he said. “That way we’ll have a better idea of how much it will cost,” Branagan said.

A group of residents, maintaining that building inspectors failed to warn them 10 years ago that their home fireplaces were dangerously constructed, has threatened to take the city to court unless the homeowners are compensated for damages and repairs.

As a result, the city is attempting to negotiate a settlement with the insurance company on behalf of about 200 residents who cannot use their prefabricated fireplaces until they are repaired. Branagan said he expects the matter to be settled by the end of May.