Let it Snow, let it Snow and weigh down our trees until they come crashing down, said no one ever. Oh, my goodness this winter weather can really do some damage. Here’s your What if Scenario…. “What if a tree falls down and blocks my car in the driveway?”
Take pictures of what occurred, assess the damage and feel free to clean it up (retain receipts if you have out of pocket expenses…just in case). You do not need to wait, leaving yourself trapped. Tree coverage varies quite a bit with homeowner’s policies but the one basic truth about most of the coverages is that it doesn’t cover much. Most likely you won’t be utilizing your insurance unless other damage occurred to your home (deck, fence, roof, etc.). We would suggest taking a good look at what occurred so you know the true extent of the damage, call your Agent for advice and many of us will recommend obtaining some estimates.
Homeowners insurance claims cannot be removed from your record so if you start a claim and the damage is less than your deductible that claim will sit on your record for 5 years with a negative impact (even if nothing is paid out). The goal is to figure out how much damage was caused, what’s covered in your policy then take action based on those facts.
Helpful Tip: Try Facebook or Nextdoor…both of these pages offer the ability to post an ad. Why not post an ad saying free firewood, you just need to come remove the tree. We see these ad’s all the time and people are always more than willing to help with the perk of firewood.