People who lived at The Reserve at LaVista Walk apartments in Atlanta on November 10, 2023, the night of the fire, may qualify to claim an equal displacement payment, compensation for documented property losses, or $2,500 per child from the $8.45 million LHNH LaVista class action settlement. Claims are due November 22, 2026, and the final approval hearing is set for January 5, 2027.
Current Status
Claims are open. The court granted preliminary approval on August 24, 2026, and set a 90-day window, so claim forms, opt-outs and objections are due November 22, 2026; the official sources give no timezone. The final approval hearing is scheduled for January 5, 2027, at 1:30 p.m. No payment date had been announced as of September 27, 2026.Free settlement alerts
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What Changed Recently?
On August 24, 2026, U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May preliminarily approved an $8,450,000 settlement in Lanz v. LHNH LaVista LLC, No. 1:23-cv-05344, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, and appointed Simpluris as settlement administrator. The case arises from the fire that swept through The Reserve at LaVista Walk apartments in Atlanta on the night of November 10, 2023, forcing residents to evacuate and destroying or damaging their belongings.Residents sued the property’s owners, LHNH LaVista LLC, LHNH LaVista TIC II and LHNH LaVista TIC III, along with Silverpoint Management and Avenium Group, alleging premises liability, nuisance and negligence. The defendants deny liability and contend the fire resulted from a criminal act by a tenant. The parties settled after more than two and a half years of litigation and mediation. A separate proposed class action over the same fire, filed in November 2025, was voluntarily dismissed a month later.
Who Qualifies?
The settlement class is every person who lived at The Reserve at LaVista Walk on November 10, 2023, adults and children alike, plus their assignees, successors and the insurers that paid fire-related property claims. Defendants’ leasing records show 283 adult residents. People who already settled their fire claims, assigned them or took them to final judgment are excluded, along with two individuals the settlement names. Each resident may submit one claim form, and a parent or guardian files for each child.How Much Can You Get?
After attorneys’ fees of up to one-third of the fund, litigation expenses, administration costs and taxes, the net fund is split into three parts:- Displacement payment: a fixed $1,300,000 pool divided equally among every adult who files a valid claim. If all 283 adults file, that is about $4,594 each; fewer claims mean larger shares.
- Child payment: a flat $2,500 for each child resident, paid in full and not reduced.
- Property-loss share: the rest of the fund is paid pro rata on the value of documented property losses, shared equally with insurers who paid residents’ claims. Class counsel expects the average property-loss claim to be about $20,000 before any pro rata reduction.
What Proof or Notice ID Is Required?
Every claim requires proof of residency on November 10, 2023, such as a lease, rent receipts or a utility bill for the unit, along with the unit number. Property-loss claims also require an itemized list of what was lost with values and supporting documents, such as receipts, bank or credit-card records, photos or video, replacement estimates or a signed itemized inventory, plus records of any insurance payments received. Claims for children require proof of the adult’s authority, such as a birth certificate, and the last four digits of the child’s Social Security number.What Is the Deadline?
Claim forms are due November 22, 2026, 90 days after the August 24 preliminary approval order. The same deadline applies to opting out and to filing objections with the court. The official sources give a date only, with no timezone.How Do You Take Action?
File online, with document uploads, through the official LaVista Fire Settlement website, or submit a paper claim form by mail using the instructions there. After filing, claimants can use the website to check their claim’s status and respond to any requests from the administrator.What Happens Next?
Class counsel will file for final approval and attorneys’ fees about two weeks before the November 22 objection deadline. Judge May will consider final approval at the January 5, 2027 hearing. After approval and any appeals, Simpluris will value property-loss claims and distribute payments; no payment date has been announced.Sources and Verification
- Official LaVista Fire Settlement website
- Order granting preliminary approval (Aug. 24, 2026)
- Class settlement and release agreement and settlement plan
- Motion for preliminary approval (July 22, 2026)
- Class action complaint
- CourtListener docket — Lanz v. LHNH LaVista LLC
Questions
What if my renters insurance already paid for my belongings?
Insurance proceeds for personal property are subtracted from the property-loss claim, so the same loss is not paid twice; money your insurer paid for additional living expenses or loss of use is not subtracted. Residents whose property loss nets to zero after insurance still receive the full displacement payment.
Can I file for my children?
Yes. A parent or legal guardian files for each child who lived at the property on November 10, 2023. Each child receives a flat $2,500, paid in full rather than reduced pro rata, with proof of the adult’s authority to act for the child and of the child’s residency, which can be shown with the same documents as an adult in the unit.
I moved out of state after the fire. Can I still claim?
Yes. Eligibility depends on living at the property on the night of the fire, not on where you live now. Notice goes out by mail and email with skip-tracing to find former residents, and claims can be filed online through the official settlement website.
What happens to the money if residents opt out?
The settlement lets the defendants take back $26,000 for each valid adult opt-out, which comes out of the property-loss pool. Opt-outs filed for children do not trigger that reversion.
