If A Tree Falls In A Storm In Massachusetts, Who Is Responsible?

Winter Storm Sage wreaked havoc here in Western Massachusetts. Not to say that the Boston area didn't get hit with wind and rain, but snow is the story here.

All Tuesday morning long, we talked about snowfall, downed trees and downed power lines. That was the story. Heavy, wet snow blanketed The Berkshires causing schools to be closed for two days in a row now.

Power outages were also a main topic of discussion as Eversource crews were working round the clock to help restore power in the area. Heavy snow on trees on powerlines is a recipe for disaster.

Pictures of fallen trees littered social media pages across The Commonwealth on Tuesday and Wednesday, which begs the question...

If A Tree Falls In A Storm In Massachusetts, Who Is Responsible?

You, unfortunately.

After some poking around, this is what found...

Generally speaking, if your property is damaged, you are responsible for the damages. It doesn’t matter if the tree or limb came from your property, your neighbor’s property or even municipal property.

Explains who is responsible for a tree that falls on a neighbor's yard.  "legally speaking, your neighbor is not liable for a healthy tree falling down during a major storm event....On the other hand, if the neighbor’s tree was diseased or decayed, was known to be at risk of falling and the neighbor ignored it, there could be negligence and liability. Either way, if you have homeowner’s insurance, the insurance companies will sort out fault and blame." -mass.gov

I hope you found this post informative.