Displaced residents of Casanova Plaza apartments file a damage claim against the City of Monterey.

Since March 9, 2026, when a three-alarm fire ignited from an unknown source around 3:45am in the Casanova Plaza apartment complex in Monterey, the residents – many elderly, disabled and low-income – have endured months of displacement, living out of hotels and with friends and relatives.

All the while, their possessions were trapped inside due to safety concerns and legal restrictions until early October, when the Housing Authority of the County of Monterey allowed residents back into their old apartments. Because many residents are physically unable to move their belongings, All-In Monterey County and Mod Movers stepped up to help. The nonprofit has provided the displaced residents with about $300,000 in donations.

“When they moved into their new places we bought every single one of them a new mattress, end tables, lamps, pots and pans and groceries,” says All-In President Tonya Kosta.

Dozens of former residents have filed a claim for damages against the City of Monterey.

The claim, which may be a precursor to a lawsuit, was filed in September on behalf of 54 former Casanova Plaza residents.

The claim asserts that the City of Monterey’s responsibilities in the matter may include “building inspection, fire inspection, code enforcement, permitting, fire prevention, emergency response, evacuation, rescue, post-incident property access, contamination response, relocation assistance, public safety and related governmental functions.”

City officials, the claim alleges, “may be responsible for acts and omissions that caused or contributed to the fire, its spread and severity, the inability of occupants to be timely warned and to escape, and the resulting injuries, deaths and damages.”

The claims include those related to personal injury, displacement, relocation, loss of access to property and economic loss.

In addition, one claimant, Jason Greer, has a wrongful death claim related to his mother, Mary Teresa Haney, who was transported to Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula on the day of the fire. She was discharged but later returned to the hospital, where she died on May 1. According to the claim, her death resulted from smoke inhalation from the fire, although the cause of her death is still under investigation.

Doreen Ellis, who lived on the building’s third floor and died from the fire, is not a part of the claim.

The claim cites smoke detectors that failed to activate or were not operational, the absence of sprinkler systems, fire alarm and warning systems that did not adequately warn occupants, deteriorated or inadequate electrical systems, wall heaters and related equipment – inadequate means of egress and evacuation for occupants, including those with disabilities and mobility limitations – and other physical conditions of the building that contributed to the origin, spread, or severity of the fire, impaired detection and warning or impaired the ability of occupants to escape.

The claim doesn’t specify a monetary amount, only that it exceeds $10,000. It was discussed by the Monterey City Council in closed session on Oct. 6, and City Attorney Christine Davi stated there was no reportable action.