Fire from neighbor's land

[woody]

Got a phone call this morning that the neighbor next to my property let his fire get away and burned about 15 acres of my property and one structure. The house trailer was unocupied but was used for storage. Not sure should I contact a lawyer, the DA or work out something with the neighbor. I don't live on the property but my children do and there is a no burn order for the whole state.

 

[Drstrangeglove]

See what he is willing to do, then go the lawyer route if it's not what you like.

 

[2manyrocks]

If you have property ins to cover the fire, your insurance might pay you and sue him to recover their money. You may need a lawyer to advise you how to handle this.

 

[bcp]

What was the plant growth on the 15 acres?

Bruce

 

[Lineman North Florida]

Try to handle it without dragging lawyers into it, the shoe could be on the other foot one day.

 

[5030]

Sometimes a burn can be good (not for structures) but for invasive weed control.

 

[Jstpssng]

there is a no burn order for the whole state.

It seems like you shouldn't even need to to talk to the DA, they should do their job for something this blatant.

 

[RayIN]

State Fire Marshal office will have a say in this matter too.

 

[airbiscuit]

See what he is willing to do, then go the lawyer route if it's not what you like

That was quite a fire. What was the neighbor's demeanor? Did he offer anything up?

I would start by taking an inventory of what was lost/damaged.

• What was the objective value of the house trailer? What was its worth to you? Was it covered by insurance?
• Is there a loss of appearance or value to the property? (sometimes it is improved by fire)
• What's the WTF dude, value?

Once you have that assessment, ask your neighbor "what do you plan to do about the damage you caused?

Compare that to your list, and see if you need to go to a backup plan.

 

[Thomas]

Talk to him than go from there.