A Louisiana neighbor generally may not arrange a roof so that rainwater falls on the adjoining property. Civil Code article 664 states that rule directly. The harder disputes involve a downspout, gutter, driveway, or grading change that collects water and sends it toward the property line. That is different from rain following the land’s…
A Louisiana neighbor does not have to wait for a wall, roof, balcony, chimney, sign, or other construction to collapse before asking a court to act. Civil Code article 661 provides a direct remedy when a building or other construction is in danger of falling. The immediate goal is safety. Leave the danger area…
Waiting to object to a building that crosses a Louisiana property line can change the remedy. It does not automatically transfer ownership of the land. Louisiana Civil Code article 670 gives a court discretion to let an encroaching building remain when the builder acted in good faith and the neighboring owner waited an unreasonable…
You may be able to resolve the damage to your car while an injury claim remains open. Before accepting the money, though, read the check, the accompanying letter, and any release together. A payment described over the phone as “just for the car” can come with written terms that reach further. The practical question…
A towing bill can keep growing even while the insurance companies are still deciding who is responsible for the crash. The immediate problem is practical: find the vehicle, learn the daily rate, and decide where it should go next. The legal question of who ultimately pays may take longer. In Louisiana, payment can depend…
A Louisiana vehicle-damage claim can include reasonable rental or other transportation costs while a damaged vehicle cannot be used. The source of payment matters. Your own insurer owes only the rental coverage provided by your policy, while an at-fault driver’s insurer may owe reasonable loss-of-use expenses as part of the property-damage claim. Louisiana law…
A vehicle can be repaired correctly and still sell for less because buyers, dealers, and valuation services account for its accident history. Louisiana law allows a vehicle owner to seek that remaining loss in value when a third party negligently damages, but does not destroy, the vehicle. A diminished value claim is a valuation…
A slow or disappointing home insurance claim is not automatically bad faith. Louisiana law asks more specific questions: what information did the insurer have, when did it receive that information, what amount was due, and was a failure to pay or properly handle the claim arbitrary, capricious, or without probable cause? Those questions are…
Contents coverage pays for covered loss to the movable property in a home: furniture, clothing, electronics, kitchen equipment, tools, and the many ordinary items that are expensive to replace all at once. On many homeowners policies it appears as Coverage C, separate from the amount available to repair the dwelling. The limit shown on…
Renters insurance protects interests that a landlord’s property policy usually does not: the tenant’s belongings, the tenant’s potential liability to other people, and sometimes the added cost of living elsewhere after a covered loss. The details depend on the policy, but seven points explain most of the coverage questions Louisiana renters encounter. 1. The…
When a homeowners insurer will not pay enough to repair a house, the first useful question is not whether the company is being unfair. It is why the company reached its number. A denial may turn on an exclusion, the cause of the damage, missing proof, depreciation, a deductible, or a disagreement about the…
This article provides general legal information, not legal advice. Policy language, endorsements, deductibles, deadlines, and outcomes depend on the specific facts. Reading this page does not create an attorney-client relationship. Two Louisiana homeowners can buy policies with similar names and still have very different protection. One policy may cover the house against any direct…
If the insurer says your car is totaled but the offer will not buy a comparable replacement, ask for the full valuation report. The dollar amount alone does not tell you whether the company used the right vehicle, mileage, equipment, condition, or market. Before challenging the number, find out what is actually disputed. A…