Orlando woman frustrated after she says city tree fell on top of her home

ORLANDO, Fla. — A Parramore woman says a tree from the city of Orlando’s right of way fell on her home. The city has paid out claims for damages like this in the past, but 9 Investigates learned they don’t plan to do so in this case.

9 Investigates first looked into the issue of old or dying trees in downtown Orlando back in 2018, during hurricane season. At the time, we learned that settlements had been paid for trees that fell on a person, or when a city tree was flagged for removal prior to the tree falling.

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The tree that once stood next to the home at 825 S. Parramore Ave. was never flagged for removal, and the city determined it wasn’t negligent in its maintenance, even after the homeowner said a private company cut some of its root system out to add a sidewalk right next to it.

There is now a code enforcement warning on the front door of Frances Claxton’s home of 21 years.

“It’s a city tree, so it was very frustrating. You think you’re doing the best you can, and nobody’s helping you,” Claxton said.

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Claxton was forced out of her home in September 2020, after the huge oak tree landed right on top of her roof.

“The fire department, police department, code enforcement, city of Orlando, the apartment complex, everybody was out here, and the tree was laying over my entire house,” Claxton recalled.

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9 Investigates has looked into what some call “time-bomb trees” in communities lined with laurel or live oaks across Orlando, where five years ago, a man won a $1.1 million judgment against the city after a downtown tree that had been flagged for removal fell and seriously hurt him.

Orlando keeps a rotating list of trees deemed dangerous or in need of removal, but the tree in this case was never flagged. The city has not agreed to help pay for any of the damage caused.

City staff did connect Claxton with assistance, including helping her find alternative housing and connecting her to the Heart of Florida United Way, but that still means she’s paying rent on an apartment while having to pay the mortgage on her home, which needs tens of thousands of dollars in repairs.

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“We have to pay mortgage, we also have to pay apartment rent, and it’s heart-wrenching,” Claxton said. “It wasn’t bad paying a mortgage, but paying both is almost impossible.”

A city spokesperson also said staff at Parramore Kidz Zone was reaching out to possibly provide economic, food and academic assistance to the family, as Claxton’s daughter and grandson live with her. Claxton has been in contact with an attorney to examine her other options.