# Let's say a tree on your property fell over and crashed into a neighbor. . . **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 28, 2011, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-say-a-tree-on-your-property-fell-over-and-crashed-into-a-neighbor/594394 "2011-08-28T16:12:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2011, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-say-a-tree-on-your-property-fell-over-and-crashed-into-a-neighbor/594394/21 "2011-08-28T22:14:04Z")
**Biggirl** , here is what a tree thru a house looks like. [http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/718/dsc00800a.jpg/](http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/718/dsc00800a.jpg/) And: [http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/196/dsc00803d.jpg/](http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/196/dsc00803d.jpg/) December 2206 storm near Seattle. No hurricane, but close. Big Douglas Firs in a storm are NOT your friend! ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2011, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-say-a-tree-on-your-property-fell-over-and-crashed-into-a-neighbor/594394/22 "2011-08-28T22:29:43Z")
This happened in July to a neighbor of mine whose tree fell onto a neighbor’s house during a storm and IIRC, he told me the other peoples’ insurance paid for it because it was an “act of God” and not because of his negligence. I’ll echo the suggestion to keep everyone safe, contact the relevant insurance companies and have professionals remove the tree and take care of the damage. Last week I had a very large dead ash tree taken out of my front yard - the question wasn’t IF it was going to fall on my house, but WHEN. I hired a professional tree-removal company and they made it look astonishingly easy…in 2 1/2 hours two guys had the entire thing down, cut into logs, small branches disappeared into the chipper, they raked my lawn and even swept sawdust off the sidewalk. I can’t imagine trying to deal with a giant dead tree, let alone the resultant damage from a fallen one, without expertise and the right equipment. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2011, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-say-a-tree-on-your-property-fell-over-and-crashed-into-a-neighbor/594394/23 "2011-08-28T23:40:03Z")
> [@Daylate](#): > > **Biggirl** , here is what a tree thru a house looks like. > > [http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/718/dsc00800a.jpg/](http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/718/dsc00800a.jpg/) > > And: > > [http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/196/dsc00803d.jpg/](http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/196/dsc00803d.jpg/) > > December 2206 storm near Seattle. No hurricane, but close. Big Douglas Firs in a storm are NOT your friend! Wow. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2011, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-say-a-tree-on-your-property-fell-over-and-crashed-into-a-neighbor/594394/24 "2011-08-28T23:55:10Z")
> [@VunderBob](#): > > Unless your neighbor has part of your tree run through their body, you do nothing until the storm is over. > > Legally, your homeowner insurance has responsibility for the cost of repairs. Morally, you should help with immediate hazard reduction to the extent you’re able (clearing a path through, tarping over the hole in the roof, etc.). You are not legally responsible for a tree that falls over in a hurricane. As far as the situation goes, I help my neighbors with the cleanup since I have a chain saw and tarps for such emergencies. ---
**Author:** ![baila6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@baila6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/baila6)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-say-a-tree-on-your-property-fell-over-and-crashed-into-a-neighbor/594394/25 "2011-08-29T06:22:08Z")
Your neighbor’s [home insurance cost](http://www.quotes-center.com/how-much-is-home-insurance-cost) should cover for the cost of the repairs. Also, you are not legally responsible for a tree that falls during a hurricane. You wait until the hurricane is over and do the cleanup ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-say-a-tree-on-your-property-fell-over-and-crashed-into-a-neighbor/594394/26 "2011-08-29T07:17:39Z")
> [@Daylate](#): > > **Biggirl** , here is what a tree thru a house looks like. > > [http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/718/dsc00800a.jpg/](http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/718/dsc00800a.jpg/) > > And: > > [http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/196/dsc00803d.jpg/](http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/196/dsc00803d.jpg/) > > December 2206 storm near Seattle. No hurricane, but close. Big Douglas Firs in a storm are NOT your friend! That 2nd picture was almost exactly my house - Seattle 2006, and it took out my deck and the corner of my roof - just about 1 minute after I walked back inside the house from the deck. My kids and I went to the other side of the house to look out the window and suddenly booom! ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-say-a-tree-on-your-property-fell-over-and-crashed-into-a-neighbor/594394/27 "2011-08-29T14:20:55Z")
My neighbor’s tree fell on my shed and MY homeowners policy paid for it. They asked me who’s property the tree was on (originally) and didn’t bat an eyelash at paying. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-say-a-tree-on-your-property-fell-over-and-crashed-into-a-neighbor/594394/28 "2011-08-29T15:36:39Z")
> [@VunderBob](#): > > Unless your neighbor has part of your tree run through their body, you do nothing until the storm is over. > > Legally, your homeowner insurance has responsibility for the cost of repairs. Morally, you should help with immediate hazard reduction to the extent you’re able (clearing a path through, tarping over the hole in the roof, etc.). In North Carolina, at least, your homeowner insurance has responsibility for the bit of the tree on you property. Your neighbor’s insurance is responsible for the section of tree on his property. Trust me, I saw a lot of neighbors nearly come to blows over who was responsible for what after Fran. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-say-a-tree-on-your-property-fell-over-and-crashed-into-a-neighbor/594394/29 "2011-08-29T16:26:35Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > From what I’ve heard, “it depends.” > > Generally speaking, if my tree fell on my neighbor’s property, it is my neighbor’s problem, not mine. The exception is if I _knew_ the tree was dead or rotting, and thus had a high probability of falling soon. If that’s the case, then I would be responsible, not my neighbor. This. Unless you caused the storm or were otherwise directly responsible for insterting tree-A into house-B you have no negligence in the incident and are therefore not liable. Generally speaking. ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-say-a-tree-on-your-property-fell-over-and-crashed-into-a-neighbor/594394/30 "2011-08-29T17:41:38Z")
MY neighbor? Light that shit on fire & tell the FD it was lightning. It’s a long story… ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-say-a-tree-on-your-property-fell-over-and-crashed-into-a-neighbor/594394/31 "2011-08-29T18:25:10Z")
From **RaftPeople** > [@](#): > > That 2nd picture was almost exactly my house - Seattle 2006, and it took out my deck and the corner of my roof - just about 1 minute after I walked back inside the house from the deck. My kids and I went to the other side of the house to look out the window and suddenly booom! Yes, that was not a rare sight in Seattle after that storm. I’ve got probably a dozen other photos of similar sights that I didn’t post. Do you live in Chevy Chase? ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-say-a-tree-on-your-property-fell-over-and-crashed-into-a-neighbor/594394/32 "2011-08-29T18:48:17Z")
> [@Daylate](#): > > From **RaftPeople** > Yes, that was not a rare sight in Seattle after that storm. I’ve got probably a dozen other photos of similar sights that I didn’t post. > > Do you live in Chevy Chase? No, now I live in Bothell - but I had a crush on a girl that lived in Chevy Chase when I was younger 🙂 The tree that fell on my house was actually the top 40 feet of one of my neighbor’s cedars, top half snapped off and left the bottom half standing. The trunk was 3 feet in diameter where it snapped (big fat trees with lots of really thick branches). One of their other cedars snapped in half also, but that one went at a different angle and took out my back fence. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2011, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-say-a-tree-on-your-property-fell-over-and-crashed-into-a-neighbor/594394/33 "2011-08-31T03:56:18Z")
So, way back when one of my grandfather’s neighbors had a different neighbor’s tree fall on his fence and kill it, and do minor damage to a shed or garage. The city (Taunton, MA) told the aggrieved homeowner that there was good news: he now owned the fallen tree since it had been “relocated” to his property. :smack: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-say-a-tree-on-your-property-fell-over-and-crashed-into-a-neighbor/594394.md?page=1)