Downed trees: Who is responsible for the cleanup?

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Hurricane Milton left several neighborhoods littered with downed trees.

Some fell away from homes, some crushed homes, and others fell on their neighbors’ property.

The hurricane ripped the roots of a massive tree out of the ground, sending it right onto Kathryn Wilson’s roof.

“A water pipe busted in the attic so we have to get that fixed so our water is shut off right now because of that. Ceilings fell down in three of the bedrooms and our living room. We had so much damage, so much ruined furniture, kids toys.”

Outside, she’s hired workers to start to remove the tree, a long and costly process. A drive through the county revealed downed trees in numerous neighborhoods.

And now come the questions: How do you hire someone you can trust? And is my neighbor responsible if their tree falls on my property?

First, make sure the company you hire has insurance.

When someone else’s tree falls on your house, fixing the damage is your issue — at least in the beginning.

If the tree falls on your house, you insurance company will fix the damage and then choose whether or not to purse the neighbor for neglecting to remove the tree. No one wants to be on either side of this situation.

Just last month, I spoke with Anna Marie Fiallos, with Pinellas County Consumer Protection for some advice on being proactive.

“It is very important to have a plan in place and get prepared for a storm before it comes,” Fiallos said. “It’s always recommended, if you have trees or debris to clear that up to get trees trimmed if they’re looking sickly or weak branches, get that cleared up.”

Fiallos said you should call your insurance company for guidance before taking action.

“Sometimes it needs to stay where it is until the adjuster can come out and survey it,” she said.

If you’re going through your insurance company, make sure you save all of your receipts for anything you do to help prevent further damage.

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