GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post

22-04-2003, 12:20 AM

(GARY BEEZ) sez:
I have a 18'x15'x32" deep pond in front of my house on the side of the walkway
leading to my front door. The pond/house is up on a hill about 100 feet from
the road. Is there any insurance liability I should be conserned with? Just
incase someone would fall in it. I would hate to have to put a fence around it.
The top of the pond is about 12" above grade. I put a plant shelf all the way
around it for just incase someone would fall in they could get out eazly.

You should call and ask your insurance agent. In many places, the limit is
36" deep without a fence, but you also owe extra care if it's likely to
attract kids. For example, mine is in my backyard out-of-sight of the
road. But if yours is in clear view of a sidewalk a few blocks from a
school, you probably should fence off the pond or the entire yard. Not
just for legal reasons, but because civil suits are trouble, youthful
enthusiasm may masquerade as vandalism, and because young kids don't tend
to have good self-preservation instincts.

A short (one meter) hedge along the roadside could work just as well as a
fence for most purposes though.