Storm damage - tree from neighbouring land

Yorkie1

I and my neighbours back into a secondary school which has a row of mature horse chestnut trees on it.

Overnight, a very large branch has come down. Some of it is in my neighbour's garden, and some it is on my shed and in my garden.

I suspect that the trees have not recently been checked for safety, as this tree had a crack in the trunk near (albeit not at) the point of the split.

I haven't yet checked my insurance or spoken to my neighbour, but I'd be grateful for any thoughts about whether the school has any liability for:

A) chopping up the branch
removing it
C) paying for any repairs to property such as the shed, its contents, or the fence it is also resting on.

Many thanks 

DullGreyGuy

You'd have to either 1) establish they were negligent (ie an average person would have realised there was an issue with the tree and had not taken any action to deal with it) or 2) that they have a legal obligation to inspect the tree every X months/years and had failed to do so. 

In the vast majority of cases like this there is no negligence and it's an "act of god" with each party having to carry their own losses. 

Yorkie1

Thought that might be the case - thanks for taking the trouble to reply.

Off to have a word with the neighbour to see if we can share the work ...

RAS

Don't ask, don't get. At least speak to the school.

Eldi_Dos

If someone nearby has a woodburner they might be willing to do the clear up in return for the logs

Yorkie1

Thanks all. My neighbour has spoken to the school, who seem willing to assist. Tree surgeon is apparently coming tomorrow - I had thought of people with log burners, but the branch is huge, perhaps over 0.5m in diameter.

Definitely a job for someone with professional gear in places, at least!

sjones12121994

Determining liability for the fallen branch involves complex factors. Property owners typically handle debris removal on their land. Liability for repairs to property may depend on whether the school was negligent in maintaining the trees. Document the damage with clear photographs and check insurance policies for coverage. Consult legal professionals for specific advice tailored to your situation and consider notifying the school about the incident. There are also professional plumbers like at Will's plumbing that could help you get out of this muddy situation.