Neighbor's Tree

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boater07
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Neighbor's Tree

Post by boater07 »

My neighbor has a huge maple tree on his property that leaves a lot of work for me in the fall.
The leaves are quite large and after raking, I can easily fill a dump truck.
Is this just a part of having neighbors or should I expect them to prune and make the tree more manageable. How about helping me with cleanup?
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Sheepdog
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by Sheepdog »

That is part of owning a property. You are responsible for your property. Your neighbor is not responsible to clean up leaves and limbs from their trees if and when they fall on your property, or even the tree itself if it falls on your property, except if the tree was diseased and not maintained..
Last edited by Sheepdog on Thu Aug 07, 2014 11:24 am, edited 1 time in total.
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stingray5688
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by stingray5688 »

if you are looking for personal finance advice, costco yard waste bags are typically cheaper than home depot or lowes.

my neighbor used a leaf blower and blew his own leaves into my yard. so you could blow/rake your neighbors leaves back into his yard.
Last edited by stingray5688 on Thu Aug 07, 2014 11:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
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fareastwarriors
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by fareastwarriors »

Talk to your neighbor? Ask him/her to trim it more if possible.
tim1999
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by tim1999 »

If any branches from the tree extend over onto your side of the property line, trim them back to the property line.
rec7
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by rec7 »

You have the right to trim what is over your property but I would ask the neighbor first. That is what I do.
TN_INVEST
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by TN_INVEST »

I'm pretty sure that you can trim said limbs back to the property line.

I'm sure you can work something out with the neighbor (he might have no idea how you feel). He might even pay some (or all) of the costs of pruning...or at the very least he might allow you on his property to trim the tree.
Mingus
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by Mingus »

You should expect them to prune it and keep it healthy.

I use my lawnmower to mulch the leaves that enter my space from neighboring properties. I don't rake except to pull leaves back from the house and landscaped areas into the grass where the lawnmower can mulch them into the earth.
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mhc
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by mhc »

I regularly trim my neighbors' trees that hang over my property. That is part of living in a neighborhood.

I enjoy the benefits of my neighbors' trees. I like having them near the property line. The price is some extra yard work, which I enjoy, especially trimming trees.
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jebmke
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by jebmke »

Mingus wrote:You should expect them to prune it and keep it healthy.

I use my lawnmower to mulch the leaves that enter my space from neighboring properties. I don't rake except to pull leaves back from the house and landscaped areas into the grass where the lawnmower can mulch them into the earth.
Same here. There is usually a final cleanup that the lawn guy doesn't get that we have cleared up in December. Probably 75-80% of the leaves end up mulched. And we have a lot of leaves - probably 8-10 large oaks and assortment of other trees.
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pshonore
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by pshonore »

Mingus wrote:You should expect them to prune it and keep it healthy.

I use my lawnmower to mulch the leaves that enter my space from neighboring properties. I don't rake except to pull leaves back from the house and landscaped areas into the grass where the lawnmower can mulch them into the earth.
Prune a large Maple tree?? I'm guessing we're talking a tree that might be 50 feet tall with a bigger canopy. Pruning that would be a major expense. Better to make maple syrup if he lives where It gets cold enough. :happy
Mingus
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by Mingus »

pshonore wrote: Pruning that would be a major expense. Better to make maple syrup if he lives where It gets cold enough. :happy
Dead branches and such. Or if a street tree, the limbs need to be so many feet above the right of way.
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cfs
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by cfs »

Daily routine.

Every morning after my lung distance run I take care of the front of my home, cleaning the sidewalks of all the leaves from my tree, and at the same time I do the same thing for my neighbors on each side of my house, they go to work early and I try to keep the front of their homes clean, total time for this evolution is around 15 minutes every morning, not a big deal.

Thanks for reading.
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dolphinsaremammals
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by dolphinsaremammals »

cfs wrote:Daily routine.

Every morning after my lung distance run I take care of the front of my home, cleaning the sidewalks of all the leaves from my tree, and at the same time I do the same thing for my neighbors on each side of my house, they go to work early and I try to keep the front of their homes clean, total time for this evolution is around 15 minutes every morning, not a big deal.

Thanks for reading.
Sigh. I had a neighbor who did that with a leaf blower every day.
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munemaker
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by munemaker »

rec7 wrote:You have the right to trim what is over your property but I would ask the neighbor first. That is what I do.
My neighbor (or perhaps his children) trims the limbs of my evergreen trees that overhang his property. I don't have a problem with that at all.

Then he throws the cut branches over the fence on to my property, which I do mind. There is a wooded area nearby where they could be disposed of, so I am guessing he is just making a statement of some kind. I pitched them back over the fence once, and he just threw them back again. Since then, I have been disposing of them in the interest of maintaining good neighbor relationship. I cleaned up really well along the fence line and let him know that I did (not specifically mentioning the cut limbs being pitched on to that area of my property). Next time the cut branches end up in my yard, we are going to have a chat.
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Kosmo
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by Kosmo »

Cherokee8215 wrote:If any branches from the tree extend over onto your side of the property line, trim them back to the property line.
This is what I was going to suggest. But it may be worth consulting an arborist or a landscaper with experience trimming maple trees. You don't want it to look like you took a chainsaw and sheared off everything that crossed the property line.
dolphinsaremammals
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by dolphinsaremammals »

In my experience, large trees only occasionally need pruning, to remove dead or dangerous branches. And as others have said, you can prune on your side of the property line but not on theirs.

If an arborist determines that the tree is dangerous, that's a legal matter.

My sister-in-law has a thing about leaves. Leaves! Leaves! she goes in the autumn, like someone going around saying Unclean! Unclean! She actually moved to a house in an area with no trees.

In my view, leaves are free mulch or compost. If you don't want them, there are likely to be avid gardeners in your neighborhood who do, and who may even be willing to rake them up to get them. When I used to live, leaves in those big paper bags sitting out at the curb were sure to be gone within a day.
Last edited by dolphinsaremammals on Thu Aug 07, 2014 12:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
dolphinsaremammals
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by dolphinsaremammals »

Kosmo wrote:
Cherokee8215 wrote:If any branches from the tree extend over onto your side of the property line, trim them back to the property line.
This is what I was going to suggest. But it may be worth consulting an arborist or a landscaper with experience trimming maple trees. You don't want it to look like you took a chainsaw and sheared off everything that crossed the property line.
One of my neighbors did that to my large oak. :oops: Then a couple of years later, she moved away. I left the oak as is, after a tree guy assured me it would not fall due to the uneven weight. I wasn't going to kill a tree, and I figured she had to look at it too.

I trim my evergreens as needed around Christmas time, free decorations.
Last edited by dolphinsaremammals on Thu Aug 07, 2014 12:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Professor Emeritus
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by Professor Emeritus »

munemaker wrote:
rec7 wrote:You have the right to trim what is over your property but I would ask the neighbor first. That is what I do.
My neighbor (or perhaps his children) trims the limbs of my evergreen trees that overhang his property. I don't have a problem with that at all.

Then he throws the cut branches over the fence on to my property, which I do mind. There is a wooded area nearby where they could be disposed of, so I am guessing he is just making a statement of some kind. I pitched them back over the fence once, and he just threw them back again. Since then, I have been disposing of them in the interest of maintaining good neighbor relationship. I cleaned up really well along the fence line and let him know that I did (not specifically mentioning the cut limbs being pitched on to that area of my property). Next time the cut branches end up in my yard, we are going to have a chat.
In our neighborhood we all trim our own trees and dispose of the branches.
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munemaker
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by munemaker »

Professor Emeritus wrote:
munemaker wrote:
rec7 wrote:You have the right to trim what is over your property but I would ask the neighbor first. That is what I do.
My neighbor (or perhaps his children) trims the limbs of my evergreen trees that overhang his property. I don't have a problem with that at all.

Then he throws the cut branches over the fence on to my property, which I do mind. There is a wooded area nearby where they could be disposed of, so I am guessing he is just making a statement of some kind. I pitched them back over the fence once, and he just threw them back again. Since then, I have been disposing of them in the interest of maintaining good neighbor relationship. I cleaned up really well along the fence line and let him know that I did (not specifically mentioning the cut limbs being pitched on to that area of my property). Next time the cut branches end up in my yard, we are going to have a chat.
In our neighborhood we all trim our own trees and dispose of the branches.
I think...you cut them, you dispose of them, and you should never throw debris on to your neighbor's property. To me, this seems like common sense.
barnaclebob
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by barnaclebob »

Related story:

A neighbor's tree lost a branch that punched a hole in my grandma's new roof, the neighbor's (or their insurance) paid for it. Not sure if that's the law or that they were just nice about it.
ten2go
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by ten2go »

Cherokee8215 wrote:If any branches from the tree extend over onto your side of the property line, trim them back to the property line.
Trim the roots over the property line too! ;-)
rec7
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by rec7 »

I have a neighbor that has an unkempt area close to my property but on their property. So I offered for free to trim and upkeep it. They are happy and so am I.
user5027
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by user5027 »

Our neighbor (30 years) and I have a running joke. Whenever he sees me raking leaves he yells over "Hey, stop stealing my leaves!"

We also joke about who keeps their lawn the shortest (like a glass table top) in the fall so the wind blows the leaves over to the other guys property.

All in good fun. :D
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Rainier
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by Rainier »

I live in heavily forested CT. It will be a cold day in hell before I care about where my leaves land.
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6miths
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by 6miths »

And of course your neighbor's mature maple tree is probably adding a few thousand or more dollars to the resale value of your home. Written as I sit overlooking my backyard trees which include a dozen 100 foot tall black walnuts - talk about a love-hate relationship!
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GerryL
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by GerryL »

At this very moment I am making apple sauce ... from the neighbor's apples. Granted, these are some that she brought over, but they fall in our street I get her peaches that come into my yard. And another neighbor is providing me with mass quantities of Asian pears. Actually, sort of messy, but we get along fine.

Another neighbor had a giant cherry tree that shaded all of our yards and made a gooey mess on my hardscaping every year. The tree was also destroying another neighbor's fence so that neighbor (the pear tree owner) paid to have it cut down. The owner was not happy about losing the cherry tree but agreed because the damage was so obvious -- and the other person paid. We all get along -- except for the owner of the cherry tree. In this small-lot neighborhood I have never even met her or seen her in her yard -- in over 15 years -- and my bedroom window looks directly down into her back yard and deck. Better to talk to neighbors and establish relationships before issues arise.
Alan S.
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by Alan S. »

All this talk of trimming the branches on your side are immaterial if the prevailing fall winds deposit the leaves into sections of either property. If the winds end up with the leaves from a neighbor's tree accumulating on your property, without a very understanding neighbor you are just out of luck.

And cutting the tree down creates new problems If you are dealing with a poplar/cottonwood tree because the invasive root system will produce hundreds of suckers popping up in the following summer within 75' of the stump. Stump killing chemicals take time to work, but the roots regenerate if cut off from the stump. Am dealing with this now, and it is worse than the leaves were!
Colorado14
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by Colorado14 »

I feel your pain....my neighbor's leaves keep me busy for a few weekends each fall. I removed 3 trees from my backyard (not cheap) because they were infringing on my neighbor's yard (other side of the house - other neighbor). I called the city experts, who claim that I'm well within my rights to trim anything that's over the property line, but I don't want to shell out the $$ to do that, as I paid a lot to have my trees removed, so therefore think my neighbor should maintain the trees so they don't take over 1/3 of my yard. I've asked nicely, multiple times, but no success yet. Sigh....
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sdsailing
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by sdsailing »

Some folks would clearly be better off in a condo-type living situation. Glad I have good neighbors.
Leeraar
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by Leeraar »

Don't start a war. In my case, poaching on their trees to make maple syrup is its own reward.

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Aptenodytes
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by Aptenodytes »

Problems like these emerge when the pattern of tree-friendliness is uneven. In the good old days, at least in my neighborhood, everyone had trees and liked them. My leaves landed on my neighbors, but my neighbors' leaves landed on my yard. In the big picture, everything came out even.

It is when someone comes in who hates trees that the equilibrium is thrown off. If he cuts down all his trees, out of his animus, then suddenly what was a quite benign condition of reciprocity and fairness is intolerable to him. Neighbors' leaves and twigs land on his yard, but he's not sending detritus to anyone else -- the relationship is uneven. And because it became uneven as a response to his tree-phobia, he resents the situation horribly. Suburbs with smallish lots don't function well if the boundaries are considered absolute and if the airspace is considered inviolable. Urban boundaries work fine in that manner, but it isn't practical out here. I don't think you should live here if you hate trees that much.

All suburbanites suffering from tree-hating neighbors, you have my hard-earned sympathy.
likegarden
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by likegarden »

I have a similar problem with a row of Giant Arbovitaes which a former neighbor planted too close to the property line. They want to grow 9 ft over into my property just where a path is. I understand that the air over my property belongd to me, so I prune branches back to about 1 ft over my property. Neighbor accepts that. People buy relatively inexpensive and good looking arbovitaes Green Giant and do not realize that those will be 40ft tall and 20 ft wide when mature and will keep growing.
In respect to leaves, blow them back over to neighbor. Large leaves sail long distances. Oak leaves from houses down the road here start blowing in with the wind when everyone is finished raking.
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JonnyDVM
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by JonnyDVM »

It's part of owning a house. I wouldn't say a word.
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Cut-Throat
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by Cut-Throat »

boater07 wrote:My neighbor has a huge maple tree on his property that leaves a lot of work for me in the fall.
The leaves are quite large and after raking, I can easily fill a dump truck.
Is this just a part of having neighbors or should I expect them to prune and make the tree more manageable. How about helping me with cleanup?
See this thread for a Proper Perspective. http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtop ... 2&t=144364
user5027
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by user5027 »

Cut-Throat wrote:
boater07 wrote:My neighbor has a huge maple tree on his property that leaves a lot of work for me in the fall.
The leaves are quite large and after raking, I can easily fill a dump truck.
Is this just a part of having neighbors or should I expect them to prune and make the tree more manageable. How about helping me with cleanup?
See this thread for a Proper Perspective. http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtop ... 2&t=144364
I hope my biggest worry is my neighbor's leaves.
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runner9
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by runner9 »

barnaclebob wrote:Related story:

A neighbor's tree lost a branch that punched a hole in my grandma's new roof, the neighbor's (or their insurance) paid for it. Not sure if that's the law or that they were just nice about it.
I know the law, at least around here, is that a tree is treated as if it just fell from the sky when it hits something. It doesn't matter what yard it came from unless it was diseased or otherwise in bad shape and neglected.
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greg24
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by greg24 »

JonnyDVM wrote:It's part of owning a house. I wouldn't say a word.
+1. If you live in a house next door to a giant maple, you're gonna have maple leaves fall in your yard.
MtnTraveler
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by MtnTraveler »

I feel for you because I am in almost the exact situation. My neighbor planted a cottonwood when they moved in (original owners of a 30 yr old home) right on the property line. The tree is right up against their house so all the branches are cut off on that side. So the only branches on the thing extend over the fence line into my yard. When I moved in 12 yrs ago, it wasn't a big deal but now majority of the branches are 8-15 ft over the property line and nearly touching my roof. Having researched the laws of my state, Colorado, when the tree falls onto my roof (it moves a LOT in the wind) it will be my insurance that has to pick up the bill because apparently I own those dang branches because they are over the property line. In the spring I get 95% of the cotton and in the fall I get 95% of the leaves (it will be 3-4 inches thick on 1/4 of my backyard). The only trees I have on my property (and none are right on the property line) are pine trees so they aren't having any extra work due to my landscaping decisions. They are nice neighbors but when my homeowners insurance went up because I was deemed a high fire risk because there are 6 cottonwood and aspens they planted on the property line that are less than 5 ft from my house I really started despising their landscaping decisions. Once I have enough money saved up I will have an polite conversation with them saying I will pay for the branches to be cut off. I don't think they will be against it but I do think I will have to pay for it. Honestly I know that tree is going to fall into my roof and cause damage if I don't do anything and I can't afford another 95% increase in my homeowners insurance. (After a 8k wildfire damage claim they raised my rates 110% - got it down to a 95% increase - because of the claim and my neighbors trees).

I grew up in a totally different environment (everyone had 1+ acres and pine trees to the point no one planted anything) so this kind of situation was never on my radar looking at house. Again though, it really wasn't a problem for the first 8 yrs I lived in this house.
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Toons
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by Toons »

mhc wrote:I regularly trim my neighbors' trees that hang over my property. That is part of living in a neighborhood.

I enjoy the benefits of my neighbors' trees. I like having them near the property line. The price is some extra yard work, which I enjoy, especially trimming trees.

+1 Same here :happy
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agent13x
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by agent13x »

user5027 wrote:
Cut-Throat wrote:
boater07 wrote:My neighbor has a huge maple tree on his property that leaves a lot of work for me in the fall.
The leaves are quite large and after raking, I can easily fill a dump truck.
Is this just a part of having neighbors or should I expect them to prune and make the tree more manageable. How about helping me with cleanup?
See this thread for a Proper Perspective. http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtop ... 2&t=144364
I hope my biggest worry is my neighbor's leaves.
Agreed. Talk about first world problems. Boo hoo.
placeholder
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by placeholder »

I don't care much about the neighbor's leaves or my own for that matter but the house across the back fence has a huge sweet gum and I get tons of those spiky balls and those are a pain because the leaf vac doesn't like them and they don't compost well.
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BolderBoy
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by BolderBoy »

Sheepdog wrote:Your neighbor is not responsible to clean up leaves and limbs from their trees if and when they fall on your property, or even the tree itself if it falls on your property, except if the tree was diseased and not maintained..
Are you sure about that? Wouldn't that give the property owner who does not own the tree, the right to remove the tree without the owner's consent? If my neighbor's tree is blown over onto my house in a wind storm, my insurer tells me they'll be going after the guy who owned the tree for the damages.
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Sheepdog
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by Sheepdog »

BolderBoy wrote:
Sheepdog wrote:Your neighbor is not responsible to clean up leaves and limbs from their trees if and when they fall on your property, or even the tree itself if it falls on your property, except if the tree was diseased and not maintained..
Are you sure about that? Wouldn't that give the property owner who does not own the tree, the right to remove the tree without the owner's consent? If my neighbor's tree is blown over onto my house in a wind storm, my insurer tells me they'll be going after the guy who owned the tree for the damages.
Yes, I am sure. If my neighbor's tree is blown onto my property or even my house, I am responsible (really my insurance company). However, if the tree was in poor condition, the neighbor could be determined to be at fault.

edit: i did a Google search with the words "Fallen Tree Liability". Here is just one from the Washington Post of many which describes responsibility. http://www.washingtonpost.com/realestat ... story.html The general rule is that unless the neighbor knew or should have known that his tree was unsafe, he is not responsible even if it hurt you or your family member or damaged your property. Our courts follow the old common law: It’s your property, so take care of it, unless you can prove your neighbor was negligent.
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runner9
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Re: Neighbor's Tree

Post by runner9 »

I have Erie Insurance and I know they've said the same thing in newsletter, Q/A publications, etc. It's as if the tree fell from the sky unless it was diseased, clearly in bad shape, etc.
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