Golf ball causes $6,000 damage to Ontario home owner’s solar panels
There are benefits to living beside a golf course as you can enjoy the open green spaces, beautiful views and manicured landscaping.
However, 89-year-old George Hancocks of Scarborough, Ont., says there are drawbacks too.
“I think there are some pretty bad golfers out there, that’s for sure,” Hancocks said.
Hancocks says he has lived beside the Tam O’Shanter Golf Course in Scarborough, which is owned by the City of Toronto, for more than 50 years and there have been plenty of times when errant golf balls have struck his home breaking windows and denting his cars.
Hancocks said he doesn't often complain about balls hitting his house.
However, he said recently he had solar panels installed on his roof to make his home more energy efficient and in August 2021, a golf ball smashed a solar panel on his roof that short circuited the entire system.
“A wild golf ball came down and hit one of the solar panels and completely destroyed the panel,” Hancocks said.
The cost to replace and repairs the panels came to $6,000.
Hancocks contacted the golf course and filed a claim to have the city pay for the repairs, but following an investigation by the Insurance Company ClaimsPro, his claim was denied.
"In order for you to be successful against the City Of Toronto, you must prove the city was negligent. Please note there is an inherent risk in owning a property located in close proximity to a golf course," the claims adjuster said. "Therefore we can find no negligence on the part of the City of Toronto and your claim has been denied in full.”
Golfers tee off not far from Hancocks’ home and he says a screen or netting could be installed to stop balls from hitting his home and others in the neighborhood.
Hancocks said he feels the golf course is responsible for the damage and he has been trying for the past nine months to get the city to pay for the repairs.
"When golf balls hit and damage your house to the tune of $6,000 that's no joke," Hancocks said.
CTV News Toronto reached out to the golf course on Hancocks behalf, and a spokesperson for the insurance and risk management department with the City of Toronto said the adjustor came to the wrong conclusion.
“In this case, the adjustor came to the wrong conclusion with respect to liability," the spokesperson said. "Generally speaking, because the city recognizes that a nuisance was created, the city and its claims adjusting firm usually takes the necessary steps to resolve claims of this nature.”
“Usually, claimants escalate disputes to ClaimsPro senior management. Unfortunately, this did not occur in this instance and so it was not brought to the city's attention until now. Now that this claim has been brought to the city's attention, the city has reviewed the decision made by the adjustor and brought the error to the attention of the claims adjusting firm. ClaimsPro has contacted the claimant to inform them that the claim will be resolved.”
“The city has taken steps to ensure that the adjusting firm and all of its adjustors are aware of the appropriate position to take with respect to liability to prevent similar situations from occurring in the future.”
Now that the city has agreed to pay the $6,000 repair bill, it came as a great relief to Hancocks.
“Having this $6,000 paid now is wonderful and I really appreciate it. I’m very happy” said Hancocks.
It is not always clear who should pay if a golf ball hits a home. The golfer could also be liable if they were being irresponsible, but courses should also take precautions to keep neighbouring homes safe from being hit.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.