Am I legally responsible for breaking a window of a house with a golf ball if the house is located on a golf course?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Am I legally responsible for breaking a window of a house with a golf ball if the house is located on a golf course?
Ball hit a tree and hit a window of a house, breaking the first pane of glass. Homeowner came out and I told her it was my ball. I gave her my number. Obviously that was not my intent. Who is legally responsible here in MI to pay for the repairs? I would assume sitting that close to the green on a golf course they should have had some insurance to cover this. I understand morally this falls on me, but legally it falls on the homeowner for living next to the green on a golf course, and they should have insured themselves against this. There is assumed risk with living there.
Asked on July 12, 2011 under Real Estate Law, Michigan
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 13 years ago | Contributor
Yes, you are legally responsible to make good with the property owner to repair the window you broke with the errat golf ball you hit regardless of intent to damage the window as a general rule of thumb in this country. Whether the property owner has insurance is not relevant for the cost to repair the damage caused. Most insurance policies have a deductible to be paid by the property owner out of pocket as part of the repair process and claim.
Just because someone owns property near a golf course and there is the possibility of errant golf balls damaging the home, the property owner is not expected to make repairs out of his/her pocket for damages caused by some golfer who has a bad slice.
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.