Who pays for damages if a neighbor’s tree falls on your house?

A plethora of trees were downed last weekend when Hurricane Matthew stormed through the Grand Strand, causing damage to many houses.

What if a tree on your neighbor’s property fell on your house? Shouldn’t your neighbor pay for the damages?

Actually, no.

In situations like that, the homeowner whose house was damaged is expected to file on their homeowner’s policy.

“That’s a question we often get during windstorms and hurricanes,” said State Farm spokesman Roszell Gadson, who covers South Carolina. “You would work with your own insurance company.”

Gadson said homeowners should always review their policies and ask questions of their agents so there are no surprises.

If you have a question you’d like answered, email sneditors@thesunnews.com.

This story was originally published October 13, 2016 at 12:33 PM with the headline "Who pays for damages if a neighbor’s tree falls on your house?."