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A San Diego County city has agreed to pay about $4 million to settle a lawsuit over a 2005 landslide that damaged or destroyed 22 homes.

The deal, outlined in a signed settlement was confirmed by Oceanside City Attorney John Mullen.

Mullen said it will not be final until the city reaches separate settlements with insurance companies.

“We do not expect those agreements to be final for another 30 days,'” Mullen said.

The California city has already paid out $1.5 million as a first installment, said attorney John Schroeder, who represented the homeowners.

The hillside collapsed in January 2005, damaging some homes and pushing mud into the backyards of others. Six homes had to be demolished.

The suit blamed the slide on leaks in utility lines. The city blamed heavy rain and an unstable slope.

The city does not acknowledge any liability in the settlement.

Considering the damage caused, the settlement is small but “it’s better than nothing,” said Veronica Tingzon, whose backyard was damaged in the slide.

Topics Lawsuits