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With thousands of trees and limbs scattered across Fort Wayne streets, yards and sidewalks, questions have risen about who will cover the cost of storm damage.
Allstate agent Darren Vogt said his office at 5830 E. State Blvd. was swamped with 150 storm-related claims this weekend. He only receives two or three claims on an average weekend.
Vogt says residents should assess the damage to their property first before filing a claim. A report that 10 shingles blew off a roof is not going to get anything out of a policy. That’s because the deductible on a policy still applies. Vogt advises residents to speak with their agents to know exactly what their policies cover.
Prices for tree removal range from $100 to $2,000 on average. Michelle Rimelspach said she was quoted more than $3,000 to remove the toppled cottonwood tree in her back yard on Briarwood Court. She hired Custom Building and Design of Fort Wayne for $1,800 instead.
Agents report that a common dispute among clients revolves around who takes the blame for the destruction caused by fallen trees. If a tree in one client’s yard falls on the property of another, whose insurance covers the damage? The answer: The insurance of the client with the damage is responsible. But Vogt encourages everyone to “be neighborly and help each other out.”
Agents are currently accessing the cost to replace around 30 fallen trees in Headwaters Park, said the park’s executive director, Geoff Paddock. Paddock says the damage is not as bad as he had at first thought. The bad news is that 12 pear trees were lost that will be expensive to replace. Paddock says the park is well funded by private donors but could still use some help.
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