Northern Michigan weather can be beautiful, but stormy weather can result in heated exchanges between neighbors and hundreds of phone calls to insurance agencies annually regarding who is responsible to pay for damage from fallen trees or lawn debris.
So here we will answer the age old question, if a tree falls in the woods, but no-one knows who it belongs to, oh ok, we won’t go there, but we will take a look at this stormy dilemma.
Insurance applies when a tree falls due to covered perils, like storms, lightning, or the weight of ice and snow. The biggest question is which insurance policy applies?
If during a windstorm, a tree from your yard falls into your neighbor’s yard, or damages their home or outbuildings, their home insurance applies. Yes, we know they will not be thrilled. However, in Michigan, home insurance looks at where the tree fell to decide who pays.
This is also the case with the flying trampolines, large limbs, lawn furniture and other objects that are hurled about during a storm. Insurance companies are not about to debate who is the owner of a trampoline that flew into your garage door and damaged it. Unfortunately, your insurance is responsible for repairs.
There have been lawsuits that resulted from dead trees that presented a physical danger to neighbors, and yet the homeowner refused to do anything about it. Therefore, we recommend regular tree maintenance, removal of dead or diseased trees, and trimming branches away from your home to eliminate this issue.