photos courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook page
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Glen Rock NJ, a single-family home in Glen Rock, NJ, sustained significant damage after a large shade tree fell onto its roof late Sunday afternoon, February 16.
Emergency Response & Homeowner Safety
Authorities responded swiftly after the homeowner called 911. Officers from the Glen Rock Police Department and firefighters from the Glen Rock Volunteer Fire Department arrived on the scene to assess the situation. Fortunately, the sole occupant of the house was unharmed and managed to evacuate safely.
Home Declared Unsafe
Following an inspection by a Borough of Glen Rock Building Department sub-code official, the structure was classified as “unsafe.” As a result, the homeowner promptly contacted a local tree service and a building contractor to begin emergency repairs, ensuring the home could be reoccupied as soon as possible.
Restoration Efforts Underway
Efforts are now focused on removing the fallen tree and securing the structure to prevent further damage. Local officials are working closely with the homeowner to expedite the restoration process.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by large trees near homes, especially during severe weather conditions. Homeowners are encouraged to conduct regular tree maintenance to help prevent similar occurrences.
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What’s the protocol if a neighbor’s tree falls on your house? Do they pay for the damages?
A relative had a situation recently where their neighbor’s tree branch broke off and hit their house. The damage amounted to about $2,500 and the neighbor did not offer to pay. The neighbor said “just put it through your insurance.”
That’s the standard protocol. If your insurance company feels there was negligence on the part of your neighbor, they will go after him/her for payment.
Homeowners insurance will pay, but there’s that pesky deductible.
I believe that in NJ the only way the owner of the tree is responsible for damage to a neighbor’s property is if the neighbor with the damage has previously identified a potentially dangerous situation to the owner in writing, ideally sent by certified mail.
Some years ago, a very large branch fell on my (slate) garage roof from a former next-door neighbor’s tree. They hadn’t lived there long. The wife, with a young child on her hip, rang my doorbell and offered to pay half. Good, thank you. I got an estimate, wrote it up, and took the information next door. The husband waved me off, saying he had no responsibility and no interest. I returned home, a little dazed.
As it turned out they made some noisy improvements, flipped the house, and moved away fast, making an enormous profit; home prices had just soared.
My tree expert had to use a crane to lift the giant branch to the street–it went directly over my house. I remember watching nervously, but they didn’t drop it. The garage roof required expensive repair as well. My insurance paid except for the $1,000 deductible.
No my neighbors tree fell on our pool we paid everything. Same for a friend’s house. It’s unreal.
The problem with using your own insurance is that your insurance premiums will likely increase. So, it sounds like you have to pay the deductible as well as the increased premiums. That doesn’t seem very fair if the tree originated on the neighbor’s property. If my tree damaged a neighbor’s property (house, care, etc.), I would offer to pay 100%. But, that’s just me…
You are entitled to cut off any of the abutters branches overhanging your property if you don’t kill the tree in the process. As stated above a certified letter may protect you in the event of a loss. If you suspect the neighbor’s tree is a hazard (dying) its suggested *by my tree contractor* to hire an arborist to confirm the health of the tree prior to writing the letter. Sending the letter could lead to further conflict if its an uncooperative neighbor. A ‘gentle’ discussion might prompt them to ‘do the right thing’. My situation was a massive dying tree that the neighbor was too cheap to remove, threatening both our homes. Frustrated after 2 years I hired a tree service to remove all branches hanging over my home, but before doing so, I offered to ‘contribute’ that amount of money towards the removal of the tree. The neighbor took the deal and we remain cordial. (although he should have paid for the complete removal, I’d rather reduce the risk to my property)