… in the forest, it probably won’t matter. But what happens if you suddenly hear “TIMBER!!!” and that tree falls across your house, or your fence, or your outdoor gazebo, etc., then what? Especially if the person yelling “timber” is your neighbor?
Trees do fall. That is their nature. Sometimes they age, die, and the roots are no longer able to support the weight. Then they fall. Sometimes they are struck by lightning and topple. Occasionally an inexperienced tree cutter will position a chain saw so that a tree doesn’t fall neatly in his or her own yard, but rather across a neighbor’s fence. And then, of course there are windstorms, which can easily topple trees.
Generally, losses caused by trees are covered. If a windstorm causes trees to fall on covered property, then any damage done is covered. But what if it isn’t a windstorm, but our inexperienced woodcutter? Many policies cover damage done by falling objects, and certainly in this instance the tree is a falling object. Ditto a tree that, for whatever reason, just falls.
What about coverage for the trees themselves? Many commercial property and homeowners policies provide a limited amount of coverage for trees, shrubs, and plants if damaged by a small number of perils, such as fire or lightning, or vandalism. There is a limit for any one tree, shrub, or plant. Obviously, since windstorm is a frequent cause of loss for trees, loss caused to trees, shrubs, and plants is often not covered.
So what happens after the tree(s) fall, damaging your house and your deck? First, of course, check for damage; if there is damage and you believe it is covered (or even if you are not sure) call your insurance company or insurance professional. Remember, if a claims adjuster cannot immediately get to your home (or business) to inspect the damage, the policy conditions obligate you to do your best to protect the property from further damage.
Your homeowners policy might well cover the expense of removing the tree from your house. For one thing, the damage cannot be repaired without removing the tree, so this cost should be absorbed into the repair expense. Ditto the deck. But if the tree has just fallen and damaged a fence, but is too heavy to be easily broken up, check your policy to see if the “debris removal” coverage will pay for the expense to remove the tree. Many policies do. Some homeowners forms now will even pay to: 1) remove fallen trees if they block a drive preventing access by a motor vehicle registered for use on public roads; or 2) block a ramp or other fixture designed to assist a handicapped person enter the dwelling—and these even if the fallen trees have not damaged other covered property.
Commercial property coverage forms generally contain coverage for debris removal expense of trees felled by certain perils. And, similarly to homeowners forms, the cost to remove trees that have damaged covered property should be absorbed into the repair cost.