TOWSON, Md. — The recent storms have caused trees to collapse on top of homes and in yards.
“Know where you stand with your trees, and there is so many warning signs that a licensed tree expert is going to be able to convey," said Johnny Giorgilli, who is a part of Nationwide Tree Service.
Johnny Giorgilli, who is an expert on trees and tree removal, says it's important for people to take the right steps after a tree has fallen on their property.
He said there are a lot of misconceptions about what to do.
“They believe that their insurance company is going to be paying for everything, it’s unfortunately not. In many cases, their deductible is equivalent to or actually below what they would be allowed to have it cleaned up," he said.
He says it's important to contact a legit tree removal company that will work with yourinsurance.
Don't try to remove a tree alone or with the help of family and friends.
He says it could be dangerous, and the expenses will then have to come out of your own pocket.
“Outside of a fire, and you’re properly insured, it is exactly what you’re paying for insurance for. So there is no reason for a home owner to try and tackle it themselves. In fact, about a mile from here, there was a homeowner that did that and ended up having their house boarded up for a year because they were then in a battle with the insurance company because they in essence did the work," said Giorgilli.
After a disaster, many people and companies will offer their services to help clean up any damage, Giorgilli says to be sure to only deal with licensed companies.
“One of the things we do is we always provide our certificate and license information; homeowners should be asking to see that as well as not just assuming that it's all good and active, but they can call the department of natural resources and find out that the person is properly licensed,” said Giorgilli.
He also said people should be aware of the conditions of the trees on their property at all times of the year, especially the ones near their home, to reduce the potential for property damage if and when a tree falls.
