Lateral and subjacent support, in the
law of
property, describes the right a landowner has to have that land physically supported in its natural state by both adjoining land and underground structures. If a neighbor's
excavation or excessive extraction of underground liquid deposits (i.e.
crude oil or
aquifers) causes
subsidence (e.g. causing the landowner's land to cave in), the neighbor will be subject to
strict liability in a
tort action. The neighbor will also be strictly liable for damage to buildings on the landowner's property if the landowner can show that the weight of the buildings did not contribute to the collapse of the land. If the landowner is unable to make such a showing, the neighbor must be shown to have been
negligent in order for the landowner to recover damages.