What to do if my neighbor was helping me cut down a tree and caused damage to my house?

What to do if my neighbor was helping me cut down a tree and caused damage to my house?

He suggested that a friend of his, who “has a crane and is licensed”, come out and top the tree to make things easier for us. I was interested, so my neighbor called his friend; apparently he had already looked at the tree and asked “how much would you charge me to top that tree?” I agreed to an estimate of $100-$150 in cash. They then returned the next day and dropped a large branch from the tree onto my house. the friend did not use a crane and is not insured. On top of that, They tried to cover up the damages by screwing things back together with drywall screws an tried to lie about it happening. I ask the friend how it happened and he replied, “I didn’t see it happen”. I pointed out the damage to the roof, gutters, siding, and landscape he replied,”Oh, that must have been that 1 limb”. At the moment, the tree is still standing, my house is damaged and my neighbor has my $150.

Asked on September 23, 2012 under Real Estate Law, Wisconsin

Answers:

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