Does anybody have experience with issues arising from trees or branches falling and damaging mobile homes or injuring the park residents?Besides carrying enough liability insurance, do you have any other recommendations?Thanks.
Yes, we have had that happen in a major storm recently. If the tree has green leaves and there were high winds documented, then it’s considered an “Act of God” and there is no liability on the part of the park owner. However, that will not stop a personal injury lawyer from filing suit anyway, so it always ends up with your insurance provider. You should proactively always remove any dead trees or limbs. If those fall, then it’s an open-and-shut case of liability on your part. But living trees and limbs – with weak, interior rotting that cannot possibly be detected from the outside of the tree – are impossible for anyone to detect or remove. So those are the cases that always drive you nuts, because you are completely not at fault. Fortunately, as long as you have a great agent such as Kurt Kelley, you can properly manage this risk.
Any time I have a home move out, I take down any large trees on the lot or neighboring lots while the area is empty… Its much cheaper to do it that way. If you plan on owning the park for a long time, that may be the way to take care of tree issues.Best Wishes!