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'Inadequate' settlement for 6 victims and survivor of deadly 2014 fire

PORTLAND (NEWS CENTER Maine) -- The family of one of the victims in a deadly Portland fire is disheartened by a low settlement number. Six people were killed and one person survived the Noyes Street fire In 2014. It’s considered one of Portland’s deadliest fires.

The families of every victim and survivor are splitting the $300,000 settlement awarded February in a civil suit. The case was dismissed in April. Each estate of a victim killed will receive $45,000 from the fire insurance policy of landlord Gregory Nisbet. The survivor will receive $30,000.

Brad Pattershall is the attorney for the estate of Christopher Conlee. Conlee was 25-years-old when he died in the fire. Pattershall says Conlee's mother is frustrated by the low settlement number and also because of the length of the three-and-a-half-year legal process.

"It's inadequate,” said Pattershall. “All you can really get for your client is money, and it's true some amounts of money can bring a little more comfort and make life a little easier, but when that number is very low for the loss of a 25-year-old, in my client's case, it's especially disappointing.”

An affidavit with detailed financial information assured legal teams from all parties the $300,000 insurance policy was Nisbet's only asset. Releasing the financial information took time because of an ongoing criminal case.

Nisbet was acquitted from manslaughter charges in connection with the fire. Oral arguments for his appeal, over serving jail time for a code violation, is slated to take place May 15th at 1:30 pm.

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