Landowners in a landslide-plagued Lake County subdivision have filed 41 separate claims against the county.
Their Santa Rosa attorney, Michael Green, said the amount sought has yet to be determined but "it's going to be a large claim."
Sources close to the case say each claimant is asking for $5 million.
County supervisors discussed the claim in closed session Tuesday but did not take action, said Supervisor Tony Farrington, whose district includes the Lakeside Heights subdivision.
Such claims generally must be filed and rejected before claimants can file a lawsuit.
The landslides left seven Lakeside Heights homes uninhabitable and triggered voluntary evacuation notices to 10 others. The claims contend that all the subdivision properties have been compromised and their values diminished by the slides.
The landslides, which began in March and stabilized in mid-May, were caused by leaks in the county water system, according to the claims.
But county officials say the cause is unclear.
There also were massive leaks in the subdivision association's irrigation pipes and there may have been construction defects. The possible defects include poor soil compaction and, in one case, lack of rebar in a home's foundation, Farrington said.
The homes damaged by the slide were built on soils that had been transported from another location, he noted.
Farrington said the issue is complex and likely will require a court to determine a cause, or causes.
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