GREENSBORO, N.C. — Powerful storms can tear down trees crushing whatever's below.
Tiffany Perrin of Greensboro who is currently dealing with tree damage wrote to WFMY News 2 asking, "If you're renting property and your landlord's tree falls on your car who's responsible for it? Shouldn't the landlord pay for the damages since it's his property?"
To verify we spoke with Christopher Cook owner of Alliance Insurance Services based out of Winston-Salem.
You might not like this answer, but Cook said most of the time it's going to be the car owner's responsibility. It doesn't matter where the tree is or who owns the property it's sitting on.
So if this happens to you, you'll likely have to pay for the damage out of pocket unless you have comprehensive coverage on your car insurance policy.
"Comprehensive coverage is really for acts of nature things like hail damage, hitting an animal, lightning, flood, a limb falling on it," Cook said.
Cook said many people confuse tree damage coverage, but said it's important to get it straight.
"Homeowners policy or a renters insurance policy is intended to protect your belongings, but it specifically excludes any vehicle that is intended for road use," Cook said.
According to Cook, there is only one instance where the liability would fall to the landlord.
"If a tree were dead, he or she knew that it was dead, and it was causing a liability exposure to someone else," Cook said.
So we can verify if a tree falls on your car, it's up to you to pay for damage, unless you can prove the owner of the property knew it was dead and was a hazard.
If you have had issues with trees on a property you're renting, Cook explained it's important to notify your landlord in writing.
This way you have a better chance of recouping the money from them to pay for damages.