Homeowners who suffered from Thomas Fire damage are still fighting insurance companies to recover compensation for their lost homes.

In December 2017, the Thomas Fire reportedly burned over 281,000 acres in California and destroyed over 1,000 homes. The costs associated with Thomas Fire damage were hard on affected residents. Many residents says they faced high water bills as a result of efforts to protect their homes and changes to building codes, which aimed to result in safer, more sustainable homes, meant more money poured into repairs.

Other residents were shocked when Thomas Fire damage revealed that their insurance wasn’t as great as they thought it was. One resident, Carl Z., told the Ventura County Star that he watched through his security cameras as his family home burned down. However, the pain was not over for Carl and his family. Since the loss of their home, they told the local paper that they have been in a battle with their home insurance company.

Carl reportedly used the insurance company for decades on his home, the family’s other home, family members’ homes, and their business.

“You pay into a system for 40 years, you think it’s going to be there when you need it. It hasn’t come through,” said Lisa Z., Carl’s daughter, according to the Star.

In addition to their woes with insurance, rebuilding from the Thomas Fire damage has also been difficult for the family. Their architect reportedly kept trying to build a larger house than what the family asked for or what they could afford. They also say the contractor, which was referred to them, did not have a license to do work, along with a history of bankruptcies.

“My dad is exhausted and stressed all the time,” Lisa told the Star. “The physical health that people are losing can’t be regained.”

Some residents of the area are struggling with new zoning and its effects on the rebuilding process. The Ventura County Star reports that many homeowners are being allowed to rebuild much bigger and higher than the houses that were there before because many of the hillside houses in the area were “underbuilt.”

Although this may be a welcome surprise for rebuilding homeowners, residents like Chris and Deborah D. told reporters that they are disappointed with the change. The couple suffered from Thomas Fire damage and plans to rebuild a two story home with a viewing deck, but they worry that their privacy will be completely eliminated when they rebuild their new home.

“Although we don’t have ocean views we bought our properties on these terraced lots specifically for the fact that all the structures were single story and allowed complete privacy from neighboring lots,” Deborah wrote in her letter to the city mayor and council members.

Like Carl’s family, Chris and Deborah were underinsured and have struggled while dealing with Thomas Fire damage. However, the couple told the local paper that they are happy to be moving forward and say they have a great builder who will give them a comfortable home in the city that they love. Chris said they he never hesitated when faced with the choice to rebuild or not, despite the confusion of new policies.

“Looking back, I’ll do it all again,” he told the Star.