The Iowa Court of Appeals has ruled there should be a recalculation of the restitution a man convicted of torching a Davenport apartment building was ordered to pay. 

The three-story building in Davenport had been condemned. and Charles Sims of Montpelier had been fired from his job as a maintenance man for the building. Sims was convicted of second-degree arson and third-degree burglary in connection with the fire that destroyed the 100-year-old structure in February of 2009. 

After his conviction, Sims was ordered to pay over $231,000 in restitution to cover three outstanding loans on the property.

The Iowa Court of Appeals has ruled the restitution order should be recalculated to reflect the true value of the abandoned building just before the fire. And the court ruled late fees tacked onto the loans because the building’s owner failed to make mortgage payments on time should not be assessed to the maintenance man. 

A district court will now reopen the case and recalculate the restitution order.