Who pays for trees that damage power lines?

[Hobby_Man22]

I had a tree fall over that was just outside my property line on the utility easement. There's a ton of trees both inside and outside of my property line. Luckily it didn't hit the power line. Was wondering who pays for that.

 

[dchawk81]

In Pennsylvania it's the owner of the dominant estate. So basically you since the easement is just for the utility line.

 

[ycgoat]

Around here the power company will trim and remove trees that are in their way with in the easement, some times that means butchering a tree or shrubs that some one was fond of.

 

[billconner]

Not sure I understand question but I believe in most states in US if a normal healthy tree on your property falls from natural causes and does damage on your neighbors property, or power company's, you are not liable. If however it's a damaged or dead tree or branch you knew of, you might be deemed negligent and thus liable. I'd really expect the power company to have trimmed it.

 

[Barnabas]

The Power Company owns the line up until it gets to the mast at your house. Thus they cover damage to the lines between the street and the house. If the damage was caused by somone's negligence, then they will go after that person. If you cut down a tree and it falls into the power line, you might be held responsible. If the tree falls naturally, they might go after Mother Nature.

 

[sjvicker]

Give your power company a call and see what they say. At the very least this is you giving them notice they might have an issue.

 

[racecougar]

Likely varies from locale to locale.

My local power supply company states this:

Trees and Your Service | Ameren Missouri

Following a major thunderstorm or ice storm, Ameren will restore power as quickly as possible.

www.ameren.com

 

[engineer2]

Did a vacation rental a week after one of their 200 year old oak trees blew over on a storm. They hadn't finished the cleanup yet. Destroyed the neighbor's shed. The trunk was cut at the property line and the neighbor told me each owner was responsible for what fell on their side per the insurance company.

 

[u2slow]

Sounds like free firewood to me.

Here, you (homeowner) are responsible for your own trees, and the OH drop crossing onto your property.

 

[Hobby_Man22]

Not sure I understand question but I believe in most states in US if a normal healthy tree on your property falls from natural causes and does damage on your neighbors property, or power company's, you are not liable. If however it's a damaged or dead tree or branch you knew of, you might be deemed negligent and thus liable. I'd really expect the power company to have trimmed it.

Give your power company a call and see what they say. At the very least this is you giving them notice they might have an issue.

I see 3 or 4 trees up my street that have branches leaning on top of power lines. Those are the lower ones though, so maybe the power company doesn't care since it's probably the phone and internet company. I don't think they're as on top of things as the power company is

 

[Hobby_Man22]

So if it's an act of god then the power company just fixes it and carries on with life? I wonder what the cost is for a home owner to have to pay to resplice a line back together.

 

[leadfoot415]

So if it's an act of god then the power company just fixes it and carries on with life? I wonder what the cost is for a home owner to have to pay to resplice a line back together.

Can tell you from personal experience with the rural electrical co-op at the cottage... they assume all responsibility of any tree coming down naturally on the lines (old, rotted, storm, etc), but if you are a ***** (like me and my father) and attempt to trim trees close to the lines and cause the damage yourself, you will pay dearly. Especially if the mishap occurs on a holiday weekend.

We were told to just let rotted trees fall naturally, and if we saw something in immediate danger of falling but still somewhat upright or caught in another nearby tree to call them and they will dispatch a crew to clear. They (electric co op) does 5 or 10 year line clearance on their own.

 

[wssix99]

The power company doesn't own the tree or the land. They just have the right to put their stuff on the easement. The owner of the land owns the tree.

 

[wssix99]

So if it's an act of god then the power company just fixes it and carries on with life? I wonder what the cost is for a home owner to have to pay to resplice a line back together.

Yes, it's the power company's problem. They have crews that trim trees and remove problem trees. If one falls and cuts a line, they are responsible. If the line falls and starts a forrest fire, the power company is responsible. There were some recent fires in CA where the utilities had to shell out massive damages for this kind of thing.

... That being said, they deploy their crews with a risk-based approach. The highest voltage lines in the riskiest areas will get attention first. There are also people safety issues: (Most States should have similar regulations.)

Tree Trimming and Vegetation Management Information

www.cpuc.ca.gov

... But if the tree falls and doesn't hit a power line, the mess falls upon the land owners to deal with.

 

[rancherbill]

Here, the utility will trim the trees in the easement and do the ones on your property, if they will hit the power lines. Your agreement to have power service granted them access years ago. From the power pole to your house is your responsivity.

Idiot neighbours planted trees near a power line and the utility comes out every several years and cuts all the branches off one side of the tree. They look totally stupid and are a monument to the stupidity of people who would plant trees under a power line.

Your question "was outside your property line' so they would pay for it.

 

[dchawk81]

Your question "was outside your property line' so they would pay for it.

By definition, he owns part of that easement. Easements don't move the property line.

Being on an easement doesn't shift responsibility.

 

[Firebrick43]

Were the power lines glowing?

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

You pay the power company very month. They use a portion of that money for maintenance (trimming trees) and repairs (lines that get damaged.

 

[driftpin]

Idiot neighbours planted trees near a power line and the utility comes out every several years and cuts all the branches off one side of the tree. They look totally stupid and are a monument to the stupidity of people who would plant trees under a power line.

Called, "wrong tree, wrong place."

Here in so FL, call the power company to report trees impinging upon the powerlines, and they will send out a contractor to clear the encroachment. This sometimes results in interesting trim patterns, my favorite is the 'deep-V' of the canopy of a mature canopy tree.

 

[Max]

Around here the power company will trim and remove trees that are in their way with in the easement, some times that means butchering a tree or shrubs that some one was fond of.

A HOA on a street by me got the bright idea of planting a string of trees directly under the street power lines. The power co let them grow for a bit, then a tree trimming crew noticed them. They “trimmed” them them to essentially 10 foot tall stumps. It took the HOA awhile to figure it out, but they eventually yanked them all and put in shrubs. There are a lot of trees around here, and the trimming crews do not mess around…

 

[Metal-Marc]

So if it's an act of god then the power company just fixes it and carries on with life?

Can't sue God.

 

[gmcgeo]

In Pennsylvania it's the owner of the dominant estate. So basically you since the easement is just for the utility line.

Yep, this happened to me recently. They sent me the bill

 

[Higgins]

I had a tree fall over that was just outside my property line on the utility easement. There's a ton of trees both inside and outside of my property line. Luckily it didn't hit the power line. Was wondering who pays for that.

No One!

Actually, the person who lot it fell over on is responsible!

Had that happen several times back in IL, the neighbor was a very difficult individual! Cut 2 trees at the property line and left the remainder of the tree for him to cutup and remove! His insurance company responsibility !!

AL

 

[cutt]

This happened to me last spring. Storm blew a top out of a pine tree on to my service line to my shop. In Alabama, the power company came an restrung the line once a had everything fixed. It was my neighbors tree of which he was not responsible. Act of God law.

 

[mikedodge]

Here the power company cuts branches that can damage the lines. We have an easement and they took down two of our trees that they claimed were a risk. They were nowhere near the lines but several years before that they lopped off the tops of them so I have the feeling that they ended up with a lot off people going after them after their cutting killed their trees and caused damage so they were trying to get out of the situation.

 

[junkyardwarrior]

can't speak for that situation but I have a 60' yellow pine that's about 45 foot from my shop and about 50' from the house. It ain't looking too hot. I called the insurance company the other day and asked them what my options were. In the past they'd split the cost to remove the tree. Not anymore. They said that it'd have to fall and damage the house, shop, or the neighbor's house before they'd pay anything. Seems counterproductive to the way they used to do it but whatever. I guess it'll just have to fall.

 

[Certified Drunk]

If the tree is healthy and falls in a wind storm, it's an act of mother nature. The owners responsibility is only whats on his side of the fence and the power lines are the utilities responsibility.

 

[Jeepster04]

Must depend on the state. Around here, its always the power company.

 

[K'ledgeBldr]

The Power Company owns the line up until it gets to the mast at your house. Thus they cover damage to the lines between the street and the house. If the damage was caused by somone's negligence, then they will go after that person. If you cut down a tree and it falls into the power line, you might be held responsible. If the tree falls naturally, they might go after Mother Nature.

This^^^^ is the basic basis.
But ultimately- WE (all electrical customers) pay for it!!!

 

[u2slow]

Rather than bicker, check out your PoCo's website. Mine says:

Trees and plants on your property

As a property owner, you’re responsible for keeping the service wires on your property clear of vegetation. Branches rubbing on our service wires wear through the weather coating and may cause home electrical appliance damage.

Trees and plants near power lines

We work hard to make sure that our power lines are secure, and that includes maintaining the vegetation that grows near them.

www.bchydro.com

 

[csp]

Rather than bicker, check out your PoCo's website.

This is the advice given in every on of the OPs threads, and yet he still hasn't figured it out yet. He's either dense between the ears of the biggest troll on this website.

 

[Hobby_Man22]

Q see

This is the advice given in every on of the OPs threads, and yet he still hasn't figured it out yet. He's either dense between the ears of the biggest troll on this website.

I checked. It didn't say anything. I have centerpoint in my area

 

[Mr_fixit]

I had a tree fall over that was just outside my property line on the utility easement. There's a ton of trees both inside and outside of my property line. Luckily it didn't hit the power line. Was wondering who pays for that.

No one pays for it . it stays on the ground. if it falls in the road, maybe the boro or township cuts it off the road. If it bugs you on your property, you're going to pay or cut it yourself.

 

[Hobby_Man22]

No one pays for it . it stays on the ground.

I'm talking about the power lines

 

[Mr_fixit]

I work for a utility in Pa. If it breaks the lines, the power or phone company will pay to fix their lines, the phone company will pay to fix their lines. Some power companies trim regularly, some less often. Phone companies rarely trim anything, anymore. Too many trees, too cheap, not enough workers. In PA there's so many trees dying from this bug or that bug and storms, ice & wind are always dropping trees. The power or phone company doesn't own the trees, but they get stuck trimming to get customers back in service.

 

[toolmiser]

Our neighbor had two trees almost on our property line. 40 year old silver maples that were rotten. Young person bought the house last year, we pointed out the tree issues. They got a couple estimates for removal, and since they were in the power lines the estimates were $5,000 each. They talked to the power company, and they said they would remove the parts near the lines in preparation for having the rest taken down. But they wouldn't deal with the brush. I helped haul about 15 loads of brush, and then paid for the cost of one of the two tree removal which after the initial power company, cost came in at $2,500. I told neighbor that it was cheaper than if (when) the tree blew onto our house.

 

[G-ManBart]

The Power Company owns the line up until it gets to the mast at your house. Thus they cover damage to the lines between the street and the house. If the damage was caused by somone's negligence, then they will go after that person. If you cut down a tree and it falls into the power line, you might be held responsible. If the tree falls naturally, they might go after Mother Nature.

Not true in every state.

Here in Michigan the power company is responsible up to the pole. From the pole to your house it's on the owner.

 

[mepstein]

Yep, this happened to me recently. They sent me the bill

I’m in SE Pennsylvania. My neighbors tree took down a big transformer. Lit up the sky with pretty colors, a big bang and lots of sizzling. Power company came out and cleared it. Left all the wood on his property but he never saw a bill.

 

[Boilerhouse]

In my area, the power company is responsible to inspect the lines over their right of ways and remove potential problem trees or branches no matter whose property the trees are on. The line from the main pole, to the house, once it is over the owners property, is completely the owners responsibility to maintain.

 

[lazyriverrat]

If the tree damages the line as a result of a weather related event it will be considered an "Act of god".
If it is the result of negligence, such as home owner or contractor damaging lines or equipment attempting to remove a tree it would be their dime.