Trees are a beautiful and common part of the Georgia landscape. They provide shade in your yard during the summer and might even reduce the cost to cool your house if they shade your roof. They also provide an aesthetic appeal that can significantly increase a property’s value.
Unfortunately, trees also require significant maintenance. While you may engage in watering, raking, trimming and pest control to protect your trees, not everyone in your neighborhood may be as proactive as you are.
What are your options when your neighbor does it take care of their tree and it comes down on your property?
If it came down on your property, you will probably have to remove it
Although the tree grew on your neighbor’s property, it is a natural element that they don’t have direct control over. When a tree falls because of a windstorm or a car crash, the owner of the property where the tree once stood has no control over those factors. As such, the person who owns the property where it falls will typically have financial and legal responsibilities for removing the downed tree.
Your insurance will probably cover any damages related to a tree crashing into the roof of your garage or breaking windows in your kitchen when it falls. However, there are situations in which your neighbor may have some responsibility. If the tree was visibly rotten, obviously dead or clearly infested with some kind of pests that affected its structural integrity and health, you may have grounds to seek compensation from them or their insurance for the financial impact of their failure to care for the tree.