# Why is my tree falling on my neighbor's house his responsibility?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-tree-falling-on-my-neighbors-house-his-responsibility/722843>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 18, 2015, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-tree-falling-on-my-neighbors-house-his-responsibility/722843 "2015-06-18T12:43:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\
**Post date:** [June 19, 2015, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-tree-falling-on-my-neighbors-house-his-responsibility/722843/21 "2015-06-19T03:27:31Z")

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> [@usedtobe](#):
>
> Instead of a healthy, normal limb falling, it is part of a your tree which was VERY visibly (as in: split in two by lightning) and obviously weakened to the point of imminent failure. A year earlier.  
> NOW are you liable? I would guess “reasonable man” theory would dictate that you should have seen and mitigated the danger to others.

Well I can say that that is indeed the case in the UK: if a tree is in your garden you are required to take reasonable precautions. So if the tree is leaning by a large angle, is rotten or damaged then you are legally responsible for making it safe.  
Furthermore, even if you have taken such precautions, if a tree is felled by an “act of god”, you are still responsible for _some_ of the costs: namely the cost of removing the tree itself.

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