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Thread: Insurance Question - Large Tree Fell On House

  1. #1
    Daffy Duck RedTeamGo!'s Avatar
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    Insurance Question - Large Tree Fell On House

    So, this isn’t my house so I am not in contact with the insurance company, hence why I am curious but not sure how to get answers.

    My dad has a cottage on a lake in Michigan. The neighbor’s tree fell on it during the bad storms last week. A very large tree, right on the top and side. The tree is being removed tomorrow and an adjuster is coming out Sunday. A contractor was looking at the neighbor’s house and my dad asked if he could take a look at his. The guy said there is significant structural damage in his opinion.

    Now, what can be expected in this process? How long does it take? If there is significant structural damage will the insurance company possibly pay for a tear down and new build?
    Last edited by RedTeamGo!; 08-17-2021 at 06:27 PM.
    What would you say.....ya do here?


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  3. #2
    Winning is fun. RiverRat13's Avatar
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    Re: Insurance Question - Large Tree Fell On House

    If only you hadn't ticked off Raisor, you could have gotten an answer...

    I think I'd call my insurance and let them go after the neighbor.

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    Chip R (08-27-2021)

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    Member SteelSD's Avatar
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    Re: Insurance Question - Large Tree Fell On House

    Quote Originally Posted by RiverRat13 View Post
    If only you hadn't ticked off Raisor, you could have gotten an answer...

    I think I'd call my insurance and let them go after the neighbor.
    I don't believe that will work. We had a very large branch fall into my neighbor's house due to a major wind storm a few years back. My neighbor called me to ask me to remove it. I called my insurance company (State Farm) to research it. As it turns out, it was actually my neighbor's responsibility to pay for the removal even though it was my tree. Has to do with the fact that it wasn't a willful act or my negligence that made the branch fall into his house; it was just nature doing it's thing.

    Oh, I still paid for the branch to be removed to be neighborly and all. But when he asked me to pay for his bent up gutters, I informed him that I had already done him a solid so he'd have to handle that himself.
    "The problem with strikeouts isn't that they hurt your team, it's that they hurt your feelings..." --Rob Neyer

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    RiverRat13 (08-18-2021)

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    Re: Insurance Question - Large Tree Fell On House

    Quote Originally Posted by SteelSD View Post
    I don't believe that will work. We had a very large branch fall into my neighbor's house due to a major wind storm a few years back. My neighbor called me to ask me to remove it. I called my insurance company (State Farm) to research it. As it turns out, it was actually my neighbor's responsibility to pay for the removal even though it was my tree. Has to do with the fact that it wasn't a willful act or my negligence that made the branch fall into his house; it was just nature doing it's thing.

    Oh, I still paid for the branch to be removed to be neighborly and all. But when he asked me to pay for his bent up gutters, I informed him that I had already done him a solid so he'd have to handle that himself.
    Yup this is correct... If the tree was clearly dead, the neighbor was aware it was dead, and then failed to cut it down then yeah the neighbor could have foreseen the loss and would be negligent. That will probably involve some arguing.

    If it's a healthy tree they will likely call it an Act of God and have you go through your own carrier.

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    Strategery RFS62's Avatar
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    Re: Insurance Question - Large Tree Fell On House

    Your fence line is like the goal line in football. Once the tree crosses that imaginary line, your insurance takes over.

    If there was a dangerous condition, such as the tree was rotten and known to be a hazard, your insurance company might try to subrogate against your neighbor. But they would still pay you while that goes on in the background.

    If it's just an "act of God", as weather events are, it's all on your insurance company. Most people are very surprised at this, and it's common for one to think that the neighbor's insurance is on the hook.
    We'll go down in history as the first society that wouldn't save itself because it wasn't cost effective ~ Kurt Vonnegut

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    Member kaldaniels's Avatar
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    Re: Insurance Question - Large Tree Fell On House

    Totally not an attorney/insurance agent.

    But I’ve been told you have to serve notice (I assume in a legal letter) to the owner of the property where the tree lies prior to it falling for it to become their responsibility.

    /I’m in idiot so don’t take this as gospel

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    Member 15fan's Avatar
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    Re: Insurance Question - Large Tree Fell On House

    Just went thru this. Bought house 3/27/20. Perfectly healthy oak tree from adjacent property fell into and through house during early morning hours on 4/20/20. We were all in bed asleep. Miraculous none of us were hurt or killed.

    15 months from date of tree fall until we got the CO to move back in.

    (Covid/county incompetence meant 3 months to get building permit. After securing permit, contractor removed entire top of house just in time for hurricane Zeta to pass through neighborhood and dump 5” of rain on house while it had a temporary roof.)

    When you add in all of the non-construction costs (moving out our stuff that was salvageable, replacing furnishings that were damaged, alternate living arrangements while we rebuilt, etc.) our insurance paid out a crazy amount of money.

    The takeaway: over-insure, and then over-insure again.

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    RedTeamGo! (08-21-2021)

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    Daffy Duck RedTeamGo!'s Avatar
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    Re: Insurance Question - Large Tree Fell On House

    15 months! Wow!
    What would you say.....ya do here?

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    Re: Insurance Question - Large Tree Fell On House

    Hey this kinda happened to me today! Power company cant restore power till I get an electrician out and no one can come out tonight...

    Guess I'll just drink warm gin.

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    RedTeamGo! (08-28-2021)


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