Hey there! It's Ron, and I've got today's home insurance tip. The thing that I would like to propose to you today for Homeowners in Texas is:

 If my trampoline goes flying during the thunderstorm who's responsible for my neighbor's home damage?

There are three things that you want to have in your backyard:

Number one: A swimming pool. It's hotter than hot out there right now and that's about the only way to cool off is if you're dumping ice into that pool  and climbing in.

Number two: You want a barbecue pit of some kind. I happen to prefer the kamado Joe but stick burners of all kinds and pellet grills and everything else are out there. if you're Texan you got to have one.

Number 3: You need to have a trampoline. Kids love to play on them. However I was posed the question the other day that said:

 If my trampoline goes flying during the thunderstorm who's responsible for my neighbor's home damage?

 Well let's take a look at that. It all boils down to liability. If your trampoline is properly secured down to the ground such that your regular old wind will not blow it halfway down the street, it's kind of tough to prove liability.

 So that means for you Mr. Homeowner/ Ms.Homeowner, you can't rely on a single little bungee cord that's tied down to a little tiny stake to keep that trampoline secure. You want to make sure that you properly fasten it to the ground. That way, when the wind picks up, it's not going to go flying like a giant Frisbee.

 Now if for some reason your trampoline does go flying, there are a couple of things we need to consider before we talk about liability.

 Number one: If it flies into the neighbor's yard and nothing is hurt, we're not going to file a claim.

 Number two: If it creates of damage of say, a fence, and it's below anybody's deductible amount, again we don't want to file claim. We don't want to create occasions where your insurance company can raise your rates. 

So let's say something larger happens and we decide, you know, what it your trampoline wasn't quite properly secured and flew two houses down, took out big windows and created all sorts of damage?

 Who's Liable for Major Damage?

At that point that the homeowner can come back to you. If you didn't have it secured, it's going to be your fault.

 So how can you protect yourself? 

Raise your personal liability on your homeowners policy to the maximum level. At a minimum you want $500,000. That's to make sure that if you get into that situation, the other person can be taken care of if they do try to pin it back on you.