When a tree falls on your house in Ohio, whether it’s your own or a neighbor’s, it can cause significant damage and stress. Knowing what to do when this happens is crucial to ensuring your safety and navigating the legal and insurance implications specific to Ohio.
What to Do When Your Own Tree Falls on Your House
- Safety First: Move your family and pets to a safe area away from the fallen tree and any potential hazards, such as downed power lines or damaged structures.
- Use Extreme Caution Around Downed Power Lines: If a tree has downed power lines, stay at least 30 feet away from the lines and any objects they are touching. Assume all downed lines are live and dangerous. Call 911 immediately to report the situation, and notify your utility company as well. Never attempt to move or touch the lines yourself.
- Assess & Document the Damage: Once everyone is safe, carefully assess the damage from a distance, taking clear photos and/or videos from various angles, both inside (if safe) and outside the house. This documentation will be crucial (and often requested) when filing an insurance claim. Do not attempt to remove the tree or climb onto the roof to inspect the damage yourself. Look for any immediate dangers, such as gas line breaks or electrical hazards.
- Call Your Insurance Company: Contact your homeowner’s insurance provider to report the incident. They will guide you on the next steps, including how to proceed with repairs and how to manage the removal of the tree. Documenting the damage immediately, as illustrated above, will save you a good deal of time during this step.
- Call the Professionals: Reach out to Harrison’s Pro Tree Service to handle the tree removal safely. Our expert team can also assess the health of any remaining trees on your property to prevent future incidents.
What to Do When Your Neighbor’s Tree Falls on Your House
In Ohio, the responsibility for a fallen tree can vary depending on the circumstances. If the tree fell due to a storm or other natural causes, you and your own homeowner’s insurance will typically need to cover the damage. After all, a tornado could uproot a tree from down the street and drop it on your house, and there is absolutely nothing your neighbor could have done to prevent this! However, if the tree was dead, diseased, or otherwise hazardous and your neighbor had been notified of this, they might be held liable for the damages. Ohio law specifies that a tree owner is responsible only if they were negligent, meaning they had actual knowledge of the tree’s weakened condition and failed to act.
- Contact Your Insurance Provider: Report the damage to your insurance company. They will assess whether the situation falls under an “act of God” or if negligence was involved. It’s important to know that expectations and requirements of homeowners can differ between urban and rural areas, so consulting your insurance provider is a must in this scenario!
- Discuss with Your Neighbor: Open and civil communication can help resolve any disputes or clarify liability. Remember, accidents happen, and no one can control the weather. This is your neighbor, and you may be living next to them for a long time.
- Professional Assessment: Harrison’s Pro Tree Service can evaluate the tree’s condition and provide expert advice on any remaining risks.
Whose Tree Is It?
In Ohio, tree ownership can sometimes be tricky, especially when a tree is on a property line. Ohio law states that a tree growing on the property line is deemed jointly owned by both neighbors. This means that any decision regarding the tree, including its removal, should ideally be made jointly. However, if a tree’s limbs or roots extend into your property from a neighbor’s tree, you do have the right to trim them, but only up to the property line.
Be Proactive: Regular Tree Health Assessments To Prevent Tree Falls
As a tree owner, being proactive about your tree’s health can prevent significant damage to your property and others. Here’s why regular assessments by a professional tree service like Harrison’s Pro Tree Service are essential:
- Preventative Care: Regular inspections can identify potential hazards, such as dead branches, diseases, or structural weaknesses, before they become dangerous.
- Insurance Benefits: Demonstrating regular tree care can be beneficial when dealing with insurance claims, as it shows you’ve taken steps to maintain your property responsibly.
- Peace of Mind: Knowing your trees are healthy and well-maintained reduces the risk of unexpected incidents, especially during storm season. Documented efforts of maintaining your trees can also potentially absolve you of liability in instances where your tree damages the property of a neighbor.
Secure Your Property From Tree Falls with Harrison’s Pro Tree Service
At Harrison’s Pro Tree Service, we pride ourselves on being the top-rated arborist service in Springboro, Ohio. Our expert team is dedicated to ensuring the safety and health of your trees. Whether you need emergency tree removal, regular maintenance, or a professional assessment, we’re here to help. Don’t wait until it’s too late—contact us today to schedule a consultation and protect your property from future risks.
