Later, the occupants of the Fannie Mae property started a fire in November 2021, causing damage to the home of a woman who lived two doors down.
State Farm paid more than $75,000 to the homeowner’s claim as a result of the fire, and has sought to recover that money through the lawsuit.
Fannie Mae, who filed for refusal the following month, said she had been trying to evict squatters from foreclosed properties since November 2019. However, that eviction process was extended after then-governor Tom Wolfe ordered a halt to eviction in response to the COVID-19 pandemic decision in March. 2020.
Because of this moratorium on eviction, Fannie Mae argued that she had no legal liability to State Farm, since she had no control of the property at the time of the fire.
“Although Fannie Mae initiated legal eviction proceedings prior to the moratorium, due to the moratorium being continuously extended, the squatters continued to remain unlawfully on the property until November 2021, which is when the alleged fire occurred,” the government-sponsored Mortgage Authority wrote. . .
“Fannie Mae did not have a duty of care recognized by Pennsylvania law at the time of the alleged incident to State Farm, and claims against her should be dismissed as a matter of law.”
Terms of the settlement between the two companies were not disclosed, according to a report by Law 360, with attorneys for both parties declining to comment.
State Farm’s latest legal development comes after it filed a patent lawsuit against Amazon in November 2022.
In a complaint filed in Delaware federal court, the state farm alleged that Amazon copied technology used in its health assistance product for seniors, including check-in and monitoring features, a “circle of friends” feature for coordinating caregiver responsibilities, and a chatbot feature.
“This is just the latest example of Amazon using its broad platform and global reach to absorb other companies’ innovations for its own gain,” the insurer said in its filing.
