AKRON, Ohio — An Akron man is growing frustrated and worried for his safety more than a month after part of a tree came crashing down onto the house where he lives.
Photos show the large branch that fell July 3 onto a rental home on Chalker Avenue in Akron, causing significant roof damage. The branch fell from a neighboring property during a storm.
Nathan Myers, who lives on the first floor of the home, was watching TV when he was startled by the impact.
"It sounded like a freight train, literally, and the house just (makes a sound effect) like that, the whole house," Myers said.
Myers, who is disabled, said he fears what's left of the tree is not stable.
"I have neurological problems. I have neuropathy," Myers said. "What if I'm sleeping in the middle of the night and we have a storm, and the storm comes and crushes the house and kills somebody?"
Myers said he reached out to the company that manages the neighboring property, asking them to take down the tree.
"I feel like my voice is falling on deaf ears," Myers said.
Crossroads Management Realty confirmed to News 5 that it manages the property where the tree stands but offered no comment about the situation.
Myers' landlord said she had to pay her $2,500 deductible to have the large branch removed and is waiting on a claim from her insurance company to repair the damage to the house.
Insurance agent Meghan Thompson from Thompson and Hummel Insurance said it's typically considered an act of God if a neighbor's tree falls on your house, so it becomes your responsibility through your insurance coverage.
"You're insuring your property, so if your property is damaged, it's your property," Thompson said.
But if you're worried about a neighbor's tree potentially falling, Thompson suggests talking with that neighbor and documenting your concerns.
"And then they have a paper trail showing that they were nervous that this was going to happen again and they asked them to please remove the tree," Thompson said.
Because of the damage, water now leaks into Myers' bathroom whenever it rains. He says he plans to keep speaking up about the tree, which he believes is a danger to him and others.
"Just get that ugly tree out of here," Myers said.
Myers says he first reached out to News 5 for help. He previously contacted the station last November when he was having trouble receiving his SNAP benefits, an issue that was resolved a few days later.
"I made the call to Channel 5," Myers said. "I'm hoping for some more results because I don't know what to do."
