Lynnwood Law Blog

One of the things that draws many people to the Pacific Northwest is the proliferation of greenery and trees. This is something people are willing to tolerate rainy Washington State weather for in many cases. However, while having beautiful trees line a neighborhood and back yard is often desired, a tree can quickly become a sore spot between neighbors. Limbs from a tree in one yard may cascade over to an adjacent yard and the roots can travel into a neighbor's yard or even plumbing.

Identifying the responsibility for matters involving trees is not always black-and-white, making it important to get proper legal advice before taking action. In general, however, homeowners should know that cleanup, such as raking leaves in the autumn, is always the responsibility of the person who owns the property on which the leaves fall according to San Francisco Gate.

You may prefer to limit your interactions with your Washington neighbors to a friendly wave. When neighbors cause water damage to your home, though, a wave typically will not fix the situation. It is important to know how you should handle these scenarios so you can get the damage fixed as peacefully as possible.

You may think your neighbors are responsible for damage caused by any water from their property. FindLaw says that people are typically liable for this damage only if changes they made to their yard caused more water to run into your yard. After your home or yard incurs water damage because of a neighbor's actions, it is a good idea to contact your homeowner's insurance company. Sometimes, though, this insurance may not cover all of the damage, or there may extra costs associated with the repairs, such as a hotel bill if you have had to vacate your home. 

Your deceased parents may have left their home or a vacation property in Washington to you and your siblings with the fond hope that you will share the property, and that it will bring you closer together as you make use of it.

Unfortunately, according to AARP, shared inherited property is more likely to drive you and your siblings apart. You and your siblings are probably already under emotional stress due to grieving your loss. Add contentious issues pertaining to money into the mix, and it can add an incendiary spark to an already volatile situation. 

It is never easy to watch your parents age, but for many residents of Washington, this is an unavoidable reality they must face at some point or another. While losing a parent can prove immensely difficult simply because of the emotions involved with the loss, you may find that you face additional hurdles after a parent dies if you are also in charge of managing that parent’s estate.

You may, depending on circumstances, have particular concerns about what might happen once your parent dies if that parent still carried a considerable amount of debt when he or she passed, but NerdWallet reports that such fears might be unwarranted. So, what, exactly, should you expect in the event that one or both of your parents die without enough assets to cover their debts?