MEMPHIS, Tenn. – – A Midtown woman is facing costly vehicle repairs after a tree fell on her car at the Belvedere Gardens apartments during Saturday’s storm.
Valencia Wafer claims her insurance told her the damage isn’t covered by her policy. Now, she feels apartment management should help her but isn’t.
“All the times I’ve called the office. I’ve sent emails,” she said. “And there’s been no response.”
WREG learned management might be responsible for those repairs. City code says property owners are required to maintain trees and cut them down if they’re dead.
Furthermore, Insure.com says property owners can be liable for the damage trees cause when they fall if the owners knew the tree was dead but didn’t remove it.
Many trees at Wafer’s complex appear to be healthy but she believes the tree that fell on her car wasn’t. The leaves were still green but she claims she found rot and termites when it fell.
“Had (management) been paying attention to the trees you would have seen that tree was rotten,” Wafer said.
WREG knocked at the leasing office to see if management regularly checks the integrity of the trees but no one answered. So, WREG called the company that runs the complex, Diamond Properties, and left a message but no one called us back.
“You would think management would care just a little bit more but they don’t,” Wafer said. “I’m not asking for any more than I’m due.”
It may boil down to that tree. Was it dead or alive? Who decides? WREG will keep you posted.
Wafer said she hasn’t hired an attorney and is hoping for a resolution before she considers that.
