Our neighbor accidentally set our acreage on fire, insurance?

You have limited coverage under your homeowners insurance for the fire damage to the six trees. It doesn't matter if they were planted on purpose or not.

Nothing else is covered, as nothing else was damaged. The grass will grow back, and much faster, if you throw some seed onto it.

You'd have to sue the neighbor for the "loss of value" to the land - which is NOT going to be "substantial". It's temporary. A year from now, no one will ever know. You'd have to prove to a judge, the loss of value. And right before it comes to trial, photos of how it looks, will completely negate whatever you claim. You'll be paying a lawyer $10,000 or more, up front, for this lawsuit.

I've personally handled this type of claim 7 times in my history of being an insurance agent. We live in a large agricultural area and folks around here like to "burn off their land". When they do so, sometimes, they accidently burn their neighbors land. That's covered under the at-fault party's liability portion of their homeowner's claim.

You need to inform your neighbor you'd like reimbursement for the damage you incurred. In turn, your neighbor should submit a claim to their insurance company. Your neighbor has no deductible requirement under the liability portion of the claim.

The insurance company will require you submit proof of your loss. The losses I have seen paid involve extensive damage to large lots of trees. Acres and acres of them.

If you decide to turn a claim in to your insurance company, you'll have a deductible to meet and depending upon the type of trees, only a limited amount eligible for reimbursement. Before submitting a claim to your own insurance company, consider the effect it will have on your claim history and premiums.

Your insurance company is not conning or scamming you. They have given you correct advice in that this is the way to make the claim and you are correct in that you will have to pay the excess. However this does not follow as A leads to B that your renewal premium will increase. The claim has to be made in this way because while your neighbour is technically at fault here, your neighbour's policy covers her contents and belongings - not yours (just in the same way as your policy does not cover your neighbours contents and belongings). Your insurance company will pay out on the claim for which you will have to pay the excess and then your insurers will claim that money back from your neighbours insurers. This may all seem unfair but it is the correct way that this would be done.

You could take you neighbor to small claims court. There is nothing wrong with that. You can put the claim in on your homeowners insurance but you loose a "claims free discount" for a few years. You need to ask your insurance agent or company how much that discount is to see if it is worth putting in claim or not.

How much are the trees worth? How much would it cost to replace the trees?

You can be reimbursed for the trees but nothing on the land that was burned.

Ask the neighbor to grade the area and throw some seed down. Done..and done.

does the police know? that would be criminal charges against your neighbor if it can be proven that they did this......then call your insurance company and they can go after your neighbor! let the insurance companies fight it out, but honestly, what can you be reimbursed for? charred burned grass.............there is no money for that