3 On Your Side: Who Pays When Trees Damage Property
By Jim Donovan
PHILADELPHIA (CBS)--All over the region the clean-up is underway following this latest bad weather. Many homeowners are dealing with ice coated branches, limbs and downed trees. If you've experienced tree related damage 3 On Your Side Consumer Reporter Jim Donovan has information on filing an insurance claim for repairs.
Trees down in yards, trees down on houses, trees on top of cars - there's always a lot of confusion when it comes to these type of claims. So what's covered, and what's not? Well it depends on a number of factors. Here's what you need to know:
If YOUR tree falls on YOUR house YOUR insurance company will pay for removal of the tree from your home and repair your home as well.
If YOUR tree falls on your NEIGHBORS house your neighbor's homeowners policy is going to be responsible for cleanup and repair. It's considered an Act of God and your neighbor should file a claim with their insurance company. and vice versa.
If any tree falls in your yard, but doesn't hit anything. In most cases, it's up to you to pay for its removal.
Finally, if your car gets hit by a tree or is damaged by flying limbs you need to file a claim against your vehicle's comprehensive coverage.
By the way, if you have a tree that's in bad shape, maybe it has stress cracks, weak branches, or hollow or decayed areas, and you don't do anything about it, if it comes crashing down you could be held liable. So if you dodged a bullet this time around, you may want to deal with those dangerous trees now, before your luck runs out.
