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The policyholders in the suit, as well as several other impacted homeowners, the lawsuit said, are unable to rebuild their homes without “relief from the legal system.”

Another homeowner, who did not wish to be named but has lived on the road for 15 years, said the situation had become "awful".

"We had none of the rights of homeowners, and all the obligations of renters," said Diana, who together with her husband Chris, bought a shared ownership property in east London in February 2020.

Gardner called Avenatti a “legal predator” and said that if it weren’t for him, she would be a homeowner, would own a car and would have savings.

Since then, the complaints have ballooned with some homeowners even holding a protest in April outside State Farm General’s claims tent on Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena.