AI assisted in creating this article via our own research, with final edit by a dedicated human
When a neighbor’s tree crashes into your backyard, taking out a fence or damaging your shed, your first question is probably, “Who’s footing the bill?”
It’s a question that plays out time and again, especially after storms roll through. One consumer, Chad, recently asked consumer investigator Dale Cardwell about this exact scenario:
Late last year, the neighbor behind my parents’ house had three trees fall into their backyard, damaging a fence and a shed. Who’s responsible for the cleanup and repair costs?”
The short—and surprising—answer? In most cases, not the neighbor.
Georgia’s Fallen Tree Law: What You Need to Know
In Georgia, the law governing tree damage is clear but counterintuitive. Under what’s often called the fallen tree responsibility law, the property owner where the damage occurs is typically the one responsible for cleanup and repairs—even if the tree came from the neighbor’s yard.…