Who is responsibleto pay for damage to my house if it burnedbecause myneighbor’s house caught fire?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Who is responsibleto pay for damage to my house if it burnedbecause myneighbor’s house caught fire?
I bought this small old house for cash a couple weeks ago. I was in in the process of obtaining insurance on it. However before I got it, my neighbor’s house burned and my house caught fire as well. Who is responsible for paying my damages if my neighbor’s insurance is only covering their house?
Asked on March 30, 2011 under Real Estate Law, Texas
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 13 years ago | Contributor
It may be the case, unfortunately, that there is no one you can look to for compensation. Your neighbor *might* be responsible IF he or she was negligent--or unreasonably careless--in some way (e.g. feel asleep while smoking; used a propane heater in an unsafe way; had several or many candles burning with a window open, so a breeze knocked them over), or if the neighbor intentionally caused the fire (i.e. arson). But there must be fault, either due to negligence or intentional bad act. If there is no fault--for example, the fire was the result of a electrical short, when you neighbor didn't misuse anything; or from lightning; or from some third-party unrelated arsonist--then there is no liability; liability only attaches when someone is at fault.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.