Cars damaged by fallen trees cost Odesa budget almost 2 million

The Center for Public Investigations has calculated that, according to last year's decisions made by the courts of first instance and those that have entered into force, at least UAH 1.9 million in compensation should be paid from the Odesa budget.

In 2024, Odesa courts issued 313 decisions on civil cases in which the Odesa City Council or the executive committee of the city council or its departments acted as a defendant or co-defendant, CPR reported.

Almost half of these decisions concerned claims for compensation for damage to property - the so-called Odesa tree fall. That is, when trees that were supposed to be removed or branches that were supposed to be cut fell on cars.

In addition to the cases that have already been reviewed and resolved, at least 10 cases of compensation for tree falls are pending. The total value of these claims is UAH 2.4 million.

For example, the owner of a Mitsubishi Pajero Wagon damaged by a tree is asking the court to recover UAH 1.5 million from the executive committee of the local government. The owner of a Hyundai Accent claimed UAH 274.6 thousand, and the owner of a Lexus RX300 claimed UAH 124.1 thousand.

In August 2023, Odesa Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov ordered to allocate UAH 400,668 to compensate the car owner for damage caused by a fallen tree. As noted in the ruling of the Odesa Court of Appeal, in August 2020, the man filed a lawsuit against the executive committee of the Odesa City Council, the municipal enterprise Miskzelentrest, and the municipal enterprise Khmelnytskyi Housing and Communal Service, asking the court to recover property damage in the amount of UAH 448,668, non-pecuniary damage in the amount of UAH 100,000, and court costs from the defendants.

Since the executive committee has not identified a single body that would be obliged to remove the dry trees, it is impossible to establish a balance holder, so the man sued the defendants.

The Malynivka court dismissed the man's claim, so he appealed to the Court of Appeal.

The court partially upheld the complaint: the executive committee has to pay the man UAH 400,668 in material damage and UAH 10,000 in non-pecuniary damage.

Кирило Бойко