In August, one Redditor asked for advice about the incredible damage they said a neighbor's fallen tree did to their yard.
Trees put clean, breathable oxygen into the atmosphere, cool the ground below them, and raise property values, so it's not surprising that a homeowner would get attached. However, trees growing near homes also need proper care — and, at the end of their lives, they need to be removed.
According to this Redditor, their neighbor neglected that duty. "Neighbor's diseased/dead tree fell onto property," they explained in their post. "They were aware the tree had issues."
According to the Redditor, they were posting on behalf of their father, the property owner. "At the beginning of July, a storm came through and knocked our neighbor's tree down onto our property," they claimed. "This resulted in our fence, deck, pool, and a portion of the garage's roof [being] damaged and smashed."
They weren't the only home affected; another neighbor had their siding and power lines damaged.
According to the original poster, the damages totaled at least $30,000 to $40,000. "Our homeowners insurance won't cover the full bill, despite claiming at the beginning they would do so," they said.
"I know in some cases like this, it's considered an act of God to most insurance companies," the Redditor continued. "But I feel this is a bit different." Apparently, the tree's owner had hired an arborist a full seven years earlier to assess the tree and was informed that it was being killed by fungus.
Despite that report — which was given to both the tree owner and the original poster's family — the neighbor refused to take the tree down until it fell naturally. "We're trying to get her insurance to cover the remaining cost of the damages, but we fear we may need to get a lawyer/attorney involved," the original poster said.
"Any time someone else's property causes tens of thousands of dollars of damages to your own property, yes, you need a lawyer," said one user.
"Honestly, your insurance company should be the one handling the lawyer," another commenter added. "They pay you and then sue your neighbor's insurance."
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