Jump to content
ChrisJM981

Snow plow property damage

Recommended Posts

Due to an unrelated injury I was unable to shovel for the first time in the past 30 or so years. I hired a local snow removal company (allegedly insured as per the contractor) that came and placed markers along the driveway. Unfortunately when plowing they pushed the plowed snow right through my fence. I contacted the contractor and he stated he will fix it after the storm and that it happens. It's been 3 days and he hasn't come by. I've documented the damage, but I'm debating if I should file a report with the town police or contact my homeowners insurance in case the contractor doesn't repair the fence to my satisfaction. It is a brand new vinyl privacy fence less than 6 months old. 

Your thoughts?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Not a lawyer....but if it were me, I would document the hell out of it. 
Might ask the township PD if they will write a report on it. They may or may not, but it’s worth the phone call to ask. 

I don’t know what your deductible is for your homeowners insurance,  or the extent of the damage to the fence, but it’s worth looking into. 
If homeowners pays out, they may seek relief with the contractor. You can always sue in small claims for recovery of the deductible. 
 

I’d be on the contractors radar, that’s for sure. If he doesn’t respond via phone, written correspondence (certified letter) will help establish documentation. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Have you tried calling him again?   This kinda stuff does happen.  Give him some time to figure it out.  In a snow storm like this i was up for about 2 days.  One more day of cleaning trucks and equipment  then a solid day or so just recovering from it.  Give the guy some time. 

  • Agree 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I was going to say, you might be in a slight misunderstanding as to exactly when he's planning on coming out.  He might want or need to wait until the snow melts off.  I would even suggest he wait until the season is over to do the repair.  If it happened once it can happen again.

Perhaps tomorrow, you give him a call and calmly discuss his thoughts on when he plans on coming out.  I would even have ready for him the material source so he knows exactly what is needed to replace it.

Finally, if you don't already have it, install a call recorder app on your cell phone, or do most of your conversing through texts.  It helps for everyone to have a more precise/written record of what was said and when.

  • Agree 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

The contractor is required to have snow plow insurance, if he is a small local guy doing a few homes he may not. You can always get an estimate to repair and offer to have it repaired with him covering the cost, if he is going to repair remember he is going to send hopefully a US citizen most likely a kid with no experience with vinyl fence. I would secure the fence to get you through the winter and repair in the early spring.  

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

An additional suggestion:

whether or not you've paid the snow contractor in full for the season, I would get a firm estimate from the fence people who put it in for you, pass it along to the plow guy, and let him come back with a response.

  • Agree 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
7 hours ago, ChrisJM981 said:

Due to an unrelated injury I was unable to shovel for the first time in the past 30 or so years. I hired a local snow removal company (allegedly insured as per the contractor) that came and placed markers along the driveway. Unfortunately when plowing they pushed the plowed snow right through my fence. I contacted the contractor and he stated he will fix it after the storm and that it happens. It's been 3 days and he hasn't come by. I've documented the damage, but I'm debating if I should file a report with the town police or contact my homeowners insurance in case the contractor doesn't repair the fence to my satisfaction. It is a brand new vinyl privacy fence less than 6 months old. 

Your thoughts?

document the hell out of it. record all convos with him.

  • Agree 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Your contractor does damage on your property while working for you sounds like a civil matter, not criminal, not traffic.  I doubt the PD will care.

I'd call again and have a polite, friendly conversation.  He might already have you on his schedule.  

30 years ago, I was plowing snow for the first time and figured I would just push the snow through the holes in a chain link fence.  Turns out packed snow doesn't push through like I though it would.

  • Like 1
  • Agree 1
  • Haha 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

As said, maybe give him a friendly call to clarify when he plans to come and inspect the fence and when he expects to have the sections replaced. It is a weekend and he may not have contacted or heard back from a fence company. I suspect this will take a couple to a few weeks.

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
14 hours ago, maintenanceguy said:

30 years ago, I was plowing snow for the first time and figured I would just push the snow through the holes in a chain link fence.  Turns out packed snow doesn't push through like I though it would.

Sounds like you just weren't going fast enough. 

Help plow snow GIF on GIFER - by Shalilbine

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
14 hours ago, maintenanceguy said:

Your contractor does damage on your property while working for you sounds like a civil matter, not criminal, not traffic.  I doubt the PD will care.

I'd call again and have a polite, friendly conversation.  He might already have you on his schedule.  

30 years ago, I was plowing snow for the first time and figured I would just push the snow through the holes in a chain link fence.  Turns out packed snow doesn't push through like I though it would.

It's leaving the scene of an accident with property damage. I'm not saying I'd want him to receive a summons, but I'm a firm believer in documenting everything. I have the pictures and text messages. so I guess I should be fine with that? I can't see the bottom of the fence since it's blocked by a mountain of packed snow. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    No registered users viewing this page.



×
×
  • Create New...