Former reality TV star Spencer Pratt and his wife, former “The Hills” actress Heidi Montag, have filed a lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles for the extreme mismanagement that led to the destruction of their $3 million home in the Los Angeles wildfires earlier this month.
On January 21, Pratt filed the lawsuit in California’s Superior Court in Los Angeles County, where he argued that the destruction of his home was “an inescapable and unavoidable consequence” of Los Angeles’ mismanagement of water. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit include Pratt, Montag, Pratt’s mother Janet, and someone named William Pratt.
Spencer Pratt is suing the State of California after he and his wife, Heidi Montag, lost their home in the Palisades fire.
Their insurance company dropped him when they pulled out of California.
Spencer’s TikToks after the fire are the best thing about TikTok today. pic.twitter.com/qjb0iT7NQ0
— Mila Joy (@MilaLovesJoe) January 11, 2025
In the lawsuit, Pratt alleges “inverse condemnation” — which allows property owners to seek compensation for any damages to their property caused by the government.
The former reality TV star specifically cites the Santa Ynez Reservoir, which he describes as being “out of commission since February 2024.” Pratt also alleges that the city of Los Angeles and the Department of Water and Power (LADWP) had decided to “operate the water supply system” despite the reservoir being drained as part of an effort to save money. The Santa Ynez Reservoir is reportedly still awaiting minor repairs and has been shut down for nearly a year with no work being done.
“With the Santa Ynez Reservoir effectively out of commission, hydrants in Pacific Palisades failed after three tanks each holding one million gallons of water went dry within a span of 12 hours,” the lawsuit states.
“Defendants deliberately designed and maintained this water supply system in this way, despite Los Angeles being in a fire-prone area,” the lawsuit continues.
The suit also highlight past criticisms from a union employee who spoke with The Los Angeles Times for an article published January 10.
“It’s completely unacceptable that this reservoir was empty for almost a year for minor repairs,” Gus Corona told the outlet. “This work should have been done in-house, and they shouldn’t have depended on a contractor to do it; I truly believe it’s something that could have been avoided.”
Pratt and his family’s lawsuit demands an undisclosed amount of money in damages and attorneys’ fees, as well as a trial by jury. The damages will include their destroyed properties, loss of enjoyment of their properties, loss of wages, and loss of earning capacity.