‘I think it’s crazy’: Tenants learn they don’t have insurance weeks after Baltimore underground fire

By Barry Simms

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    BALTIMORE (WBAL) — Two weeks after an underground fire, 11 News Investigates uncovered new issues affecting tenants who are angry to learn the help they were counting on isn’t coming.

Frustrated business owners and apartment residents are raising new questions and concerns two weeks after an early morning underground explosion and fire on Charles Street in downtown Baltimore.

“I was standing right here when it blew up,” said Jared Miller, a tenant.

The Sept. 29 blast sent manhole covers flying and flames leaping into the air. At least 12 people were displaced from their apartments.

Essence Harris is one of 12 tenants impacted by the fire. She told 11 News Investigates that she got her cat and ran downstairs dressed in her robe.

“They didn’t evacuate me. I woke up at 7 in the morning, and my house was full of smoke,” Harris told 11 News Investigates.

While the street has reopened to traffic, two businesses — Viva Bookstore and Mick O’Shea’s Irish Pub — remain closed because they’re both condemned. Those business owners have insurance.

Residents of an apartment building also thought they had insurance for their personal belongings. Miller said he paid the apartment management company for an insurance policy along with his rent.

“It never feels good losing your things and being displaced and all that. It’s just a crazy situation,” Miller told 11 News Investigates.

But he and others found out the protection they thought they had doesn’t exist.

“Once the fire happened, we’re all calling, ‘Can I get my insurance policy? What do we do? Where can we go?'” Miller recalled asking the apartment management, who he said responded, saying, “Oh, we’re going to call you back. Oh, you don’t have insurance.”

The tenants said they learned the policies were not created until two days after the fire.

“My lease says I have insurance,” Miller told 11 News Investigates.

“We don’t have anything to cover us,” Harris said.

When 11 News Investigates spoke to the property manager, Liam Sweeney, of Stark Property Management, he said, “When this happened, it was on a Sunday. Then, that Monday, I took over management. So, it’s a lot of things I’m trying to figure out. (I’m) just trying to get everything figured out, that’s all.”

Miller and Harris also showed 11 News Investigates emails concerning leases. One of the emails lists a “one-time rent guarantee insurance payment of $1,000.” Another shows a “landlord rent guarantee $800 payment.” But 11 News Investigates did not see anything indicating the term “renter’s insurance.”

“I think it’s crazy,” Miller told 11 News Investigates. “Coming from a renter’s standpoint, this being my first apartment, it’s crazy. I hope other places are not like this.”

Both Miller and Harris were allowed to return to their apartments Monday. Miller told 11 News Investigates that his TV and PlayStation were stolen.

Another manager from Stark returned calls from 11 News Investigates late Monday afternoon, saying the company does not provide renter’s insurance and that it’s written in the lease that tenants should get their own renter’s insurance.

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