If my name is also on her deed, can I claim as a deduction the cost of the insurance deductible to replace my mother's roof, and non-covered tree removal after a tornado?

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I can not itemize my return otherwise, and this was a number of thousand dollars that had to be withdrawn from my IRA (and pay taxes on).  She is not required to file at all.

[CarolynM · Accepted solution]

Yes, if you are on the deed and your paid these expenses, you can deduct the remainder of the roof repair and the entire cost of the tree removal. 

However, these are casualty losses that must exceed 10% of you AGI before you will notice a difference on your return. 

For more information on casualty losses, follow this link: https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc515