Legal Question in Real Estate Law in Minnesota

Home Owner Liability

My neighbor's house (which is being occupied by renters) recently had a house fire. The heat from the fire melted the siding on my house and burnt my fence. The fire inspector said the cause was an electrical fire. The fire chief said this house has had a few electrical problems in the past. The owner has coverage on the property, but no liability insurance. My questions - 1) Is the property owner liable? 2) If he is liable, what do I do since he does not have any liability coverage? Thanks--name removed--


Asked on 1/28/06, 10:02 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Steven Vatndal Law Office of Steven J. Vatndal

Re: Home Owner Liability

If the owner can be shown negligent in the maintenance of the house or selection/oversight of tenants, the owner can be found liable. Citations for relevant code violations would be evidence of this. Liklihood of success can be determined only after a more detailed review of the evidence. Even if there is no insurance coverage, a judgment against the owner would become a lien against the property (and other collection tools would also be available). If you wold like to discuss this further, please e-mail me ([email protected]).

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Answered on 1/30/06, 9:31 am


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