Tree fell on my garage

[curlyjoe]

We had a windstorm early yesterday morning and woke up at 3 AM to the sound of breaking glass in our bedroom. A branch had gone through one of the windows. I went downstairs to find out what happened and discovered a tree had fallen on our detached garage. Unfortunately my CB, ST1300 and my wife's car were in the garage. I waited for daylight and found neither garage door would open and the back door was blocked by debris. Also it did not look safe at all to go in anyway. Later in the day a contractor removed the tree from the garage. At this point I'm waiting on the insurance inspector to look at the damage but I'm confident the garage is a total loss.

I'm really frustrated at this point because I can see my CB and on the whole it looks ok but I can't rescue it!

Here's some pics. In the last one, you can see the CB.

 

[LongRanger_imp]

OMG, that's a terrible story. Very glad to hear no one was hurt. Your poor CB looks like a lost puppy in there. I hope none of your toys were damaged.

 

[curlyjoe]

It does look like a lost puppy. The ST is to the left of it but is mostly hidden.

Is there such a service as "gentle demolition"? It sounds like an oxymoron but it would be great if I could recover all vehicles without creating additional damage to them.

 

[apex1_imp]

I echo the sentiment that it is great news that nobody was hurt.

 

[Django]

Ouch! Too bad. Glad nobody was hurt. This is just one of those things...

 

[suhawk305]

What a nightmare! Best of luck getting though the recovery process.

 

[the Ferret]

one of my worst fears is having a tree fall on my house. In the last 2 years I have taken out 41 trees. There are another 8 or 9 that need to go.

Hope everything is ok when you are able to get inside and survey the damage.

 

[peterbaron]

OMG, what a bad luck, hope everyone and stuff, especially CB+++ are OK

 

[curlyjoe]

Yes, I'm planning to take down a tall pine that is close to the house.

Thanks for the well wishes everyone and the fact that my wife and I escaped injury is the most important thing.
One more pic of the tree service guys in action. They were absolutely amazing.

 

[KiowaEagle_imp]

Is that the garage door behind the CB? Maybe cut a hole in that to get the bikes out? Hard to tell from the pictures.
I echo the sentiments of everyone else though, glad no one was hurt!

 

[curlyjoe]

Is that the garage door behind the CB? Maybe cut a hole in that to get the bikes out? Hard to tell from the pictures.
I echo the sentiments of everyone else though, glad no one was hurt!

You are correct in that both bikes are near the left front garage door. Your idea is worth considering but I'm concerned about disturbing the structure and my own safety. The front of the garage is raked back about 20 degrees. If I start cutting a hole in the door, that might disturb the structure enough so the gable and front part of the roof would fall on the car and bikes.

I'm hoping whomever I get as the demo guy will have some good ideas from past experience.

 

[Cormanus]

Joe, I’m sorry to hear this, but pleased you and your wife were not hurt. I’m sure someone will be able to figure a way to get the bikes out.

Good luck!

 

[SportsterDoc]

I'd first check with house insurance and motorcycle insurance.
Very sorry for your situation, but glad for no injuries.

 

[curlyjoe]

I'd first check with house insurance and motorcycle insurance.
Very sorry for your situation, but glad for no injuries.

I filed a claim for property insurance and am following their their guidance and requirements. I haven't filed claims on the vehicles because I don't know the extent of damage yet.

 

[clearviewx]

I always wondered what happens if a neighbors tree falls on your property and does damage who is responsible.

Glad no one was injured.

 

[Blockhead_imp]

I’m not an insurance professional but my agent told me that you are responsible for damage done to your house regardless of who owns the tree...unless the tree was a hazard to begin with (rotted etc). I’m sure someone who knows more than me will chime in.

 

[Bheezy27403_imp]

That is correct. Doesn't really matter who's tree or property it is on. If it damages your stuff, you will be the one paying.

 

[Rocky_imp]

Very sorry to hear this. Mother Nature certainly can be nasty at times.
I had two very large and high maple trees on my property that had the potential of doing a lot of damage to me or my neighbours so I had them taken down a couple of years ago.
Years ago we never had to worry about hurricanes, but that has changed and the tail end of many hurricanes pass over or near us every year and I was living in fear of them coming down.
It was a good move as one had a rotten core that you couldn't see. All it would have taken was a strong wind in just the right way and it could have been a catastrophe.
I hope insurance can cover some/all of the damage.

 

[SCCBrider_imp]

How's the bike?

 

[curlyjoe]

The contractor did a great job on the demo and we retrieved both bikes and car without the garage collapsing. Also, we retrieved mover, snowblower and generator.

There's not a scratch on either bike! Amazing! The car has some minor damage but we were very fortunate.