When to file a weather damage claim and who is at fault?

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WAUSAU, Wisconsin (WSAW) – Many home and business owners will be tasked with cleaning up the storms on Thursday. And questions on how to properly clean up the debris and who is at fault will be expected.

Kevin Malovrh is the Managing Director of ADVANTAGE Insurance Services in Wausau. He said the most common misconception is who is responsible if a tree falls on someone’s property and causes damage.

Let’s say you have a tree near your lot line and falls in your neighbors’ yard. The neighbor still thinks it’s your tree. Not so. When the tree falls, I could cut the tree at the lot line and mine is on my lot. Yours is on your land, even though it was my tree that fell on your land, Malovrh said.

Malovrh said homeowners considering filing a claim need to take photos of the damage, from multiple angles. He said homeowners should also repair the damage as quickly and safely as possible to mitigate other damage such as water infiltration through the roof.

The most common deductible these days is $ 1,000. And if you have a tree in your yard, it will probably be under your deductible. The amount for the logging company to remove the tree from the house will likely be close to your deductible. So it most likely makes sense for the owner to pay for himself rather than filing a claim.

He said that when there is widespread damage, the most severe damage takes priority.

It may not be practical [trees in a yard], but if it’s not an emergency from someone with a hole in the roof …

So what is covered?

Malovrh said if the trees are right down in the yard and not touching the structure, many policies will not provide coverage because they are not blocking a driveway or hitting a structure.

He said that while homeowners can remove trees from their properties, there will be times when it is not safe to do so and professionals should be contacted.

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