A New York-based insurance company has filed a lawsuit against a Schaumburg woman over claims her two sons started a fire that damaged neighboring condominiums.
QBE Insurance Co., as subrogee of Lexington Green Condominium Association, filed suit Dec. 4 in Cook County Circuit Court against Jennifer Melling and her two teenaged minor children.
According to the complaint, Melling's sons were alone in the condo they shared with their mother on Thornhill Court in Schaumburg on July 16, 2013, when a fire spread out of their control as an alleged result of them playing with a fire-starting device or matches.
The two boys evacuated the apartment building and contacted the fire department, the suit states, adding that the fire caused damage to multiple properties, including to Melling's unit.
QBE Insurance Co. alleges Melling failed to supervise her minor sons and did not secure the fire-starting device. The company further accuses her two sons of handling a fire-starting device without care.
The company seeks in excess of $100,000 in damages allegedly caused to the property and is represented by attorney Mark McGuire of Grotefeld Hoffmann in Chicago.
Cook County Circuit Court case number: 2014L012593.
This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note, a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt and represents only one side of the story.
as subrogee of
Condominium
Insurance company blames minors and their mother for fire at Schaumburg condo
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