If a tree fell on my car and totalled it but it was parked in my apartment parking lot, what is the landlord responsible for?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
If a tree fell on my car and totalled it but it was parked in my apartment parking lot, what is the landlord responsible for?
It
Asked on December 16, 2013 under Accident Law, Pennsylvania
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 10 years ago | Contributor
Your landlord is not your insurer: he is not responsible for damage to your property (e.g. your car) that occurs on the landlord's property unless the landlord was at fault in some way. In a "tree falling on car" situation, that means that the landlord must have known that the tree posed a hazard (or that it would have been unreasonable for the landlord to not know): for example, the tree would have had to have been visibly and obviously sick, dead, leaning/falling, etc. Unless the landlord had reason to know this tree was a particular hazard, he would not be liable.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.