Storm damage: Who pays what? Hopefully not you

Shari Rankin says her neighbor had a dead tree and that he knew about it and also that her husband had told him about it.

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It fell, crushed her fence, and damaged her trampoline. Rankin says her neighbor gave them his insurance information -- Allstate -- and that she filed a claim.

“And then I got a denial email saying that they weren’t responsible, that he was not responsible,” she said.

It’s not clear why. And she really didn’t want to use her own insurance and have that claim on her record.

“What do you do? Except call Jason Stoogenke?” she said.

Stoogenke emailed Allstate, saying Rankin told him they had denied the claim. The company responded, didn’t address any of that, and wrote, “We are in touch with both parties to resolve this claim according to our customer’s policy.”

But Rankin says a few days after he contacted Allstate, the insurer cut her a check for $1,000 to fix the fence and replace the trampoline.

She emailed Stoogenke, “If it had not been for your involvement, we would probably not have gotten the same result.”

So, two lessons so far:

It’s your job to maintain your trees.
If you’re worried about your neighbor’s tree, ask them to address it before it’s too late, preferably in writing. You may even want to attach an arborist’s opinion, but that will likely cost you.

House vs. Car:

If the tree fell on your house: Use your homeowner’s insurance.
If it fell on your car: Use your auto policy, but you need “comprehensive” coverage.

What about other storm damage?

Homeowners insurance doesn’t typically cover flooding, mudslides, and earthquakes. If you get a separate policy, just make sure you know how long it takes to kick in.
If you have a gripe with your insurance company, you can file a complaint with the state’s department of insurance.

Remember:

If ‘your’ tree falls on your property: Use your insurance.
If your neighbor’s tree falls on your property: Use your insurance, as well. Yes, it sounds odd.
But one footnote: If your neighbor knew or should have known the tree was likely to fall, use their insurance.
Or use your insurance and let them go after your neighbor’s insurance.
Last resort: You may consider legal action.

VIDEO: Homeowners claim middleman kept insurance money