In addition to adding beauty to your house, well-maintained, healthy trees can raise the value of your property. While this is the case, a tree or large limb falling may result in damage, personal injury, or, at the very least, a mess that nobody wants to clean up.

Who then bears the financial burden a tree falls? If a tree falls and causes harm to someone or property, who is responsible? Is it necessary for you or your neighbor to have a fallen tree removed?

Before you decide who is responsible for paying for the damages brought on by a fallen tree and the tree removal services to hire, there are a few things to consider:

Why did the tree fall?

A tree may fall for various reasons, some of which are beyond your control, while other tree failures can be prevented with the proper maintenance. The most common causes include:

Natural Causes: These encompass a range of environmental occurrences, including hurricanes, snowstorms, strong winds, and any other inevitable and natural occurrences.

Negligence: Any situation in which a tree was not given the required care can be considered negligence. This can involve failing to check for illness or disease in the tree, neglecting to trim or prune the branches correctly, or disregarding the warning indications of a pest infestation.

Who owns the tree?

If you live close to your neighbors or if there are several trees in the immediate area, it might not be entirely clear who owns a tree.

Yours: A tree is deemed to be yours if its trunk grows inside the boundaries of your land. If the tree’s trunk is anchored on your land, it is your property regardless of how much it grows on your neighbor’s land.

Your Neighbor’s: The tree belongs to your neighbor if its roots are inside their landlines.

Shared: You and your neighbor share ownership and responsibility for a tree if its trunk grows directly on the borderline between two properties or in between them as a “boundary tree.”

Will your homeowner’s insurance cover the fallen tree?

Although the insurance provider will ultimately make the decision, the following variables may influence whether your homeowner’s insurance will pay for the expenses incurred when a tree falls on your property:

You’re protected: Your homeowner’s insurance will probably pay for the damage and removal if the tree fell for natural reasons. Your homeowner’s insurance will typically pay 50% of the damage to a shared fence caused by a tree falling from either your property or your neighbor’s property due to natural causes, with your neighbor’s insurance paying the remaining 50%.

Not Covered: Your homeowner’s insurance probably won’t pay for cleanup, removal, or repair expenses if the tree fell due to carelessness, such as neglect.

Who is responsible if the neighbor’s tree falls on your property?

Once more, a variety of factors may influence the appropriate way to address such circumstances. Fortunately, figuring out who is at fault is generally relatively simple:

If an unforeseen event causes a tree on your neighbor’s property to fall onto yours, you are responsible for having it removed. Your homeowner’s insurance will cover all the expenses related to any aftermath, but you will need to contact them.

If a tree falls onto your property due to your neighbor’s carelessness, you will be held accountable for any damages and will bear the expense of having the tree removed.

Who is responsible when a tree on public land falls on your property?

Community officials are responsible for removing a tree and covering all related expenses if one falls on your property from a neighboring park or other public area. You will probably have to rely on your homeowner’s insurance policy to pay for the costs of repairing any losses.

Can you remove the fallen tree by yourself?

No. If you don’t have the right skills and knowledge, removing trees is one of the riskiest things you can do. Despite the allure of doing it yourself, properly removing a tree is a complex process requiring extensive expertise, specific tools, and the proper permits.

You will be held personally responsible for any harm or damage brought on by the tree’s removal, transportation, or disposal if you attempt to do it yourself or if you employ someone without the required license in place of a qualified arborist.

When the duty is placed on you, you should highly consider getting the help of an experienced professional for removal. It can be risky to handle chainsaws and other power tools, especially if you’re not experienced with them, especially after a big storm when the ground is probably still slippery from ice or water.

Even if the utility has turned off the electricity, never attempt to untangle limbs from a power line. A damaged or improperly installed generator could cause electrocution, which could backfeed electricity onto the grid.

Partially fallen trees are also dangerous because they are typically supported by limbs that could buckle if disturbed and fall again.

Because there is a significant chance of on-site injuries, the tree removal business must have workers’ compensation insurance when hiring them to perform dangerous tasks.

Some people try to cut corners and hire the cheapest contractor, but this isn’t the right way to go about it. The best way to do it is to take your time and find a reputable contractor with all the right qualifications.

The contractor might be a little expensive, but they will be worth it as you are sure they will do a good job without putting you, your family, or your property at risk.

Parting shot

Removing a fallen tree can be expensive, mainly if it causes property damage in its aftermath. Thankfully, making preparations now will guarantee your house, family, and neighbors a safer environment.

You should take good care of your tree and ensure that it doesn’t fall. This calls for you to address even the smallest issues within the shortest time possible.

If a tree falls and it’s your responsibility to remove it, ensure that the removal is done by experienced and certified tree removal companies Chevy Chase.