Overlooked condition of tree leads to neighbor’s nightmare

RED BANK, Tennessee(WDEF) – A massive tree that fell onto a home and car in Red Bank becomes a reminder for property owners to make sure they understand the condition of trees on their property, especially as the Tennessee Valley enters the spring season when storms are more prevalent.

A Red Bank home owner in the 220 block of Ashmore Avenue who asked not to be identified is dealing with the aftermath of a fallen tree from the neighboring property.

She told News 12 that on Tuesday night, she was inside her living room when she heard a series of noises that included the sound of heavy wind gust.

“I came out and saw that this tree had landed and pretty much swamped my car and branches landed on the end of the house,” the woman said.

Neighbors on the block who are use to branches falling due to windy conditions say they can relate to this home owners frustration.

“We’ve had some high winds last year come through and knock a big tree over. A guy was lucky it didn’t fall all the way on his house; kind of like this. It’s terrible to have your car smashed,” said Chuck Gardner who lives several doors down the street.

The woman who sustained damage to her home and car told News 12 this isn’t the first time she’s had problems with the neighboring tree.

“The tree would drop smaller limbs and I was tired of it falling on my driveway and house and they didn’t do anything,” she said.

The next door property from which the tree fell is under bank foreclosure. The company that manages the property told News 12 they may have overlooked the health of the tree.

A spokesperson for the company that manages the foreclosed property was unable to confirm if the neighbor’s insurance company would be reimbursed for the repairs.

Blewett Tree Service was hired to remove the fallen tree. According to Blewett tree expert Maggie Paden, the tree was already dead and bound to collapse at some point. Paden also said this situation was an example of what can happen if property owners with trees on their property don’t take precautions.

“There’s ladder pruning we do this time of year to help wind flow easier through trees so there’s less pressure on the limbs; looking for dead wood from mushrooms on trees, especially at the bases of trees,” Paden said.

Several local companies like Blewittt will also perform free estimates to give home owners an idea of how much preventative services will cost.