What to do if a city tree falls

The first few minutes

• Check on people first. If anyone is hurt or trapped, call 911.
• Look up before you walk in. Broken limbs can stay hung up in the canopy and drop later. Keep kids and pets away from the tree and from anything underneath it.
• Assume any wire is live. If the tree is on or near power lines, call 911, stay at least 100 feet away, and don't touch the tree, the wires, or anything they're resting on, including a car or fence.
• If you smell gas or a gas meter or line was hit, get everyone out and call 911 from a safe distance.
• Don't drive over or under it. Branches can shift under weight, and a trunk under tension can spring when it moves.

Is it a city tree?

In most Valley neighborhoods, the trees planted in the parkway (the strip between the sidewalk and the curb) and in street medians are maintained by the city or county. Trees inside your property line are yours, even if they hang over the street. A tree from a neighbor's yard is your neighbor's, and that's handled between you, your neighbor, and your insurers.

If you're not sure, ask when you report it. Take a photo that shows where the trunk stood relative to the sidewalk and curb. That photo helps settle the question later.

Who to call

Write down the date, time, and any service request or confirmation number every time you report it. If you call, follow up in writing too: a phone call alone leaves no record.

Don't cut it up yourself

It's tempting to grab a saw and clear the driveway, but leave the city's tree to the city's crews.

• It takes a permit. In the City of Los Angeles, pruning a street tree requires a no-fee permit and removing one requires a permit from StreetsLA. In unincorporated LA County, it's unlawful to trim, remove, or harm a parkway tree without a permit.
• It's evidence. If you make a claim, the condition of the trunk, roots, and break can matter. Photograph it before anyone touches it.
• It's dangerous. Fallen trunks and limbs are often under tension and can spring or roll when cut. That's work for trained crews, especially near wires.

Moving twigs and small branches off a walkway is fine. If it needs a saw, leave it for the crew.

Document the damage

1. Take wide shots and close-ups of the tree, the damage, and where the tree stood, before anything is moved. Video of a walk-around helps too.
2. Photograph the break and the base. Rot, hollow wood, cracks, or lifted roots can show the tree's condition before it fell.
3. Keep every record: 311 or service request numbers, emails, and the names of anyone you spoke with.
4. Find any earlier complaints. If you or neighbors reported the tree as dead, leaning, or dropping limbs before it fell, save those request numbers and dates.
5. Prevent further damage, such as tarping a damaged roof, and keep the receipts.
6. Collect repair estimates and invoices as they come in.

Insurance

Call your insurance company the same day, whether or not you also file a claim with the city. Many homeowners and auto policies cover damage from a falling tree. Tell them it was a city tree and share your photos and report numbers. Waiting can hurt you: insurers may question claims reported long after the fact.

Filing a claim with the city

If a city tree damaged your property, you can file a claim for damages. California's Government Claims Act sets the deadlines, and you generally have to file a claim before you can take the city to court.

City of Los Angeles

• Online: the City's claims portal at claims.lacity.org gives you a claim number right away.
• By mail or in person: Office of the City Clerk, 200 North Spring Street, Room 395, Los Angeles, CA 90012, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Emailed or faxed claims aren't accepted.
• What to include: photos of the damage, repair estimates, and proof of paid invoices. For injuries, include medical records and bills. You can add documents after you file.
• What happens next: the claim goes to the City Attorney's office, an investigator is assigned, and the City pays only if it confirms it's liable.

Other cities and LA County

Every city has its own claim form, usually through the city clerk. In unincorporated Los Angeles County, damage claims for parkway trees go through the County's Chief Executive Office.

Cities sometimes deny claims by pointing to wind or storms. Records showing the tree was dead, diseased, or reported before it fell can make a difference. For serious damage or any injury, talk to an attorney. This page is general information, not legal advice.

After the tree is gone

• Sidewalk and parkway: in the City of Los Angeles, the adjacent property owner is responsible for the sidewalk, curb, parkway, and driveway approach. If the fall lifted or broke the sidewalk, ask StreetsLA about a temporary asphalt repair through its service line.
• A replacement tree: the City Plants program offers free trees to City of Los Angeles residents for the parkway or the yard.
• Your own trees: a fallen neighbor often means more wind and sun on the trees left behind. Check them for new leans, cracks, or lifted soil over the next few weeks.
• Before the next storm: if another street tree on your block looks dead, is leaning, or keeps dropping limbs, report it to 311 now and keep the request number. See our heavy rain guide for the warning signs.