In a dramatic legal confrontation, two San Francisco residents have taken their neighbor to court over a fire that caused significant damage to their property. On February 13, 2025, Patrick Mooney and Stephen Tom filed a complaint in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco, against Andra Young. The plaintiffs allege that Young's negligence led to a fire originating on her property that spread to theirs.
The plaintiffs, Patrick Mooney and Stephen Tom, are not only neighbors but also co-trustees of the Mooney Tom Living Trust dated September 27, 2017. They reside at 60-62 Carmelita Street in San Francisco and own the residential property which is divided into two living units. According to the complaint, they occupy one unit while renting out the other. Their neighbor, Andra Young, owns and resides at 56 Carmelita Street. The plaintiffs claim that on February 14, 2023, a fire started on Young's property due to her alleged negligence in maintaining her residence's electrical and lighting systems.
Mooney and Tom assert that this negligence directly resulted in extensive damage to their property as well as personal belongings. They further argue under the doctrine of res ipsa loquitur—suggesting that such an incident would not have occurred without negligence—that Young had exclusive control over her property where the fire originated. Consequently, they claim no actions on their part contributed to the fire’s occurrence.
The lawsuit seeks various forms of relief from the court. Primarily, Mooney and Tom are asking for monetary damages for both economic losses and emotional distress suffered due to the incident. They emphasize that these amounts will be determined during trial proceedings but fall within the jurisdictional limits of the court. Additionally, they request compensation for costs incurred during litigation along with interest and attorney’s fees as permitted by law.
Representing Mooney and Tom are attorneys P. Kurt Peterson and K. Nina Reynolds from Peterson Martin & Reynolds LLP based in Lafayette, California. The case has been assigned Case No.: CGC-25-622376 in front of the Superior Court of California located in San Francisco County.