Window broken by errant golf ball yesterday
 

Our bedroom window was broken by an errant golf ball

Unfortunately, I believe you assume the risk being the last on the golf course.

Who was there first???

Golf course first, Golfers second, Homeowner last.

As long as there was no intent by the golfer.

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...=broken+window :popcorn:

Results of Google Search....
 

OP, why don't you be a responsible adult and accept that you live on a golf course and the golfer was just playing golf? It was not his fault.

If you buy a home on a golf course, that's what happens. You wanted to live on a golf course, you assume the liability.

Sorry, but that's life on the golf course.

An assumed risk by homeowner covered by homeowners insurance. The rest doesn’t matter

Even if someone admits that it was caused by their golf ball, does the OP expect for the insurance company to sue the golfer or something? Window replacement is cheaper than a lawsuit.

Golf
 

Spoken like a non-golfer living on a golf course.

It’s the risk assumed when choosing to live on a golf course. Might want to consider replacing the window with plexiglass. Look on the bright side, a broken window is a much lower risk than having the owner of the golf course tear down the clubhouse, restaurant, and other facilities and building Villas where the facilities used to be. I’d be way more concerned about that happening now that precedent has been set.

Sounds about right. I've had more than a few occasions where myself or someone in my golf group hit someone's home with their ball. I feel like 9 times out of 10 we would have no idea if we broke a window. It's not like the window would normally make a loud shatter noise like you would see in a movie.

Would we trespass to assess the damage, or retrieve the ball? Never.

I'll bet $100, he also has a "No Trespassing" sign ... if not, the sign says: "No Looking for Balls".

Broken window
 

Come on guys lighten up how can it not be the golfers fought for breaking the window a responsible honest person would have left a note with their info, at least that’s what I taught our kids to do.

Not the golfer's fault. He just hit a bad shot. It happens. The OP's claim that the golfer's insurance company should pay is ridiculous.

Entirely the golfer's fault (unless a bird grabbed the ball and tossed it at the window). The golfer caused the ball to fly through the air, the golfer was solely responsible for the trajectory of the ball, it was the golfer's fault that the ball hit the window.

The golfer is not responsible for fixing the window. Errant golf balls are a risk accepted when purchasing a home on a golf course, just as alligators are a risk accepted when purchasing on water. The golfer has no obligation to fix the window.

While I feel bad for your misfortune, I think your expectations are out of order. Houses built on golf courses are at risk and you the owner know that. You can mitigate your risk.

The golfer is the guest of the golf course. They do not bear responsibility unless negligent.

If I inadvertently broke a window, I absolutely would not go searching for the owner or even leave my address and name. Especially after I read your expectations. Too much chance of conflict. I would notify golf course ambassadors and let them do what they are trained to do.

It would seem that The Villages should put some warning/expectation into the covenants to alert buyers of golf course properties of these risks.

Before we bought our house rented one on a golf course. They had metal screens covering windows.

More than once heard a bang inside the house. Taught that is not where we want to be

Terminology. I would call it a mistake, not the golfer's fault.

"Mistake is generally used when something wrong happens inadvertently and there was no prior intention to do the 'mistake'. Fault is generally used to communicate the idea that wrong action was done with intention and possibly, malice."

Living on golf course is same as having grass lawn in front of house.
$hit happens!:icon_wink:

You live on a golf course.

Move on.

Agree but some might say that if the golfer knew he broke the window perhaps he should have made some effort to contact the owner. Some might also remember what they might have done as irresponsible kids when their baseball went through neighborhood house window. Think about it. What would you have done?? Any altruists out there??

well said !!!!

Absolutely. There is no indication the golfer intended to hit the house (actually, there is no indication of anything other than a window was broken). A mistake.

It IS the golfer's "fault"....he's just not liable

It IS the golfer's "fault" however, the golfer is not liable

1st: I was sharing the legal prospective. OP didn't seem to understand.
2nd: "Irresponsible kids"..........probably not, could be jus as an accident as well.
3rd: Living on a golf course vs. baseball in a neighborhood.........very different.

Altruist..........Probably not that snowy white, but would pay for the window,
(except that guy on #4 Destin) :a040:

Hazards of a “golf course” view you expect it to happen !

Common courtesy would be the golfer accepts responsibility for his errant shot, leaves a note or goes back to the home after the round. Why do so many people take such joy in others misfortune with smart replies is beyond me.

U have been on the site for 10 years.

Looks like "many" are expressing opinions & facts...........not taking joy.

:shrug:

ESPECIALLY that guy. On a men's day about 5 years ago someone in my group hit a ball onto his roof while he was in his yard raking. I advised him NOT to go over and apologize but he insisted. The "guy" did his usual act of filming and yelling with his toes right up to the property line so as to not violate his restraining order. Two holes later they came and asked the golfer for info---the sheriff was in the pro shop.

I asked what happened 3 weeks later and the golfer said that he was presented with a bill for $800---the owner claimed the ball hit his gutter and he had to replace them around the whole house! I assumed he did not pay it, but he did---he stated he wanted to avoid "trouble". There is a distinctive difference in the sound of a ball hitting the roof and hitting a metal gutter, so we knew it was BS

First of all, why did the sheriff get involved in something that is purely a civil matter?
And secondly, everyone here (except the OP) realizes the homeowner assumes responsibility for damage caused by a golf ball.
Third, why pay an a$$h0l3?
And the obvious 4th, why do people like that buy on a golf course?

Full disclosure--I live on a golf course

End of rant

Sorry Zummy. Normal golf course etiquette is that the homeowner accepts the risk of living on a golf course.

We get hit all the time. I ended up hanging two pieces of white wire closet shelving, one on either side of my bedroom windows. There is a tiny single zip tie holding them closed. In an emergency we can still open the window and push the wire shelving open. They work great and actually don't catch the eye.

You live on a golf course, you know it can happen. It's a risk you take. I've lived on a golf course 22 years now, an occasional broken window is a risk I'll gladly take for the magnificent view I get to look at every day.

Can you please provide details?

I’m new here and just spent a lot of money to buy a house on Tarpon Boils golf course.

Thanks for any explanation.

This article explains the law.

Who Assumes Liability When a Golf Ball Breaks a Window? - Club + Resort Business


Are Golfers Responsible For Broken Windows (Or Other Damage)? - justgolfin.com

Broken window
 

I do not feel sorry for you at all. You bought on the course knowing this might happen. Fix the window and move on

I’m sorry that your window was broken, but I am more sorry about some of the comments in this thread. I usually don’t jump into these forays, but I couldn’t leave this one alone this morning.

I love living in The Villages, but the one thing I hate is the entitled attitude by a few. I know we were all raised differently, but OMG, I sometimes can’t believe what I see and hear here, and the attitude towards golf course home owners seems to be the worst. So here’s how my mama raised me:

1) You damage someone’s property you are at fault. I don’t care if is an errant golf ball, a baseball, or whatever, you did it it is your fault. Under current laws you may not be liable for the damages, but you did it. So, the ethical and neighborly thing to do is fess up and pay for what you did.

2) You hit a stray ball into someone’s back yard, then that ball is no longer yours. It’s out of bounds, Club rules say to stay off private property, and state laws prohibit trespassing; it’s gone. I’m a golfer, I have hit balls onto someone’s property before, and I leave it for them. It’s theirs now.

3) Never, ever hit a ball off someone else’s property. I just can’t believe that someone would think it is ok to trespass in someone’s back yard, which is out of bounds, and hit the ball. The next time I see someone doing this I am calling the police and filing charges for trespassing and destruction of private property.

Those of us with golf course views, just want the same thing as any other Villager, we want to be able to sit on our lanai and enjoy the Florida weather. We don’t want people walking in our yard disrupting our tranquility any more than you would.

The coffee is kicking in now, so rant mode is subsiding, but just one final thought; we are all neighbors, we should act that way.

This is about the most "neighborly" post I've seen all year.

That "calling the police and filing charges", stuff is what really got me.