Homeowners Insurance Canceled Renewal Because of a Neighbor’s Tree. Looking for Advice. . (NY)
Our homeowners insurance company recently chose not to renew our policy because of a large tree on our neighbor’s property that overhangs our house. They said they wanted the tree removed.
The problem is that it isn’t our tree. Our neighbor doesn’t want to remove it but said we can trim any branches that extend onto our property.
My concern is that if the insurance company’s issue is the tree itself falling, trimming the overhanging branches doesn’t seem like it would eliminate that risk. The whole tree could still fall on our house, so I’m hesitant to spend thousands on trimming if it doesn’t meaningfully address the concern.
With all the recent storms we’ve been having and so many trees coming down in our area, it’s definitely made me think more seriously about the risk.
We’ve already switched to a new insurance company, so we’re covered. We’re also considering hiring a certified arborist to assess the tree before deciding what to do.
Has anyone dealt with a situation like this? Would you pay for an arborist’s report? Does trimming overhanging branches significantly reduce the overall risk, or does it mainly help prevent falling limbs?
I’d really appreciate any advice or experiences.