Monday, May 21, 2018
Serving our Town - Lauderdale by the Sea, FL
I am proud to serve the Town of Lauderdale by the Sea as a newly appointed member of the Planning and Zoning Board, Board of Adjustment and the Audit Committee - 3 boards and look forward to serving.
Friday, January 26, 2018
Condo Boards, Condo Owners - Contractors - Insurance
Hello, thinking about renovations to your condo? Are you on a condo board or a property manager?
If yes and you are involved in approving or selecting a contractor - Be prudent and complete your due diligence
Contractors must have at least 3 types of insurance coverage - general liability, workers compensation and commercial auto
Contractors and their sub contractors must be covered as well.
Workers Compensation - do not accept the following as valid excuses "we are exempt and not required to have it" True not required in some cases. However you, the condo board and the association can face the dilemma where a worker gets injured or dies and now you are a first party plaintiff to an injury or wrongful death law suit. Damages, lost salary and attorney fees included !
Have the contractor produce the certificates of insurance. Ask them to provide the certificates issued in your name or condo association. Optimally request to be additional insured.
Here is a golden link for verifying workers compensation in Florida, search the proof of coverage database by entering the contractors name, if you see "cov" then you know they had been or are covered, if current coverage is then indicated after you click the name of the contractor. You will the insurance company name and effective dates of the policy.
https://apps8.fldfs.com/proofofcoverage/Search.aspx
Be safe and do not act rash - like the lowest price wins the job.
Wednesday, January 10, 2018
Mail Delivery Issues?
Wednesday, January 10, 2018
Mail Delivery Issues?
Hello, Happy New Year... If you ever wonder if the mail is getting to you, you can at least have a quick look sent to your email with images of what is coming, useful if you are expecting something like a renewal notice for insurance. This is part of the USPS (It's FREE) and you check to see if this available to you and or set up an account. Today's Useful Tip !
https://informeddelivery.usps.com/box/pages/intro/start.action
https://informeddelivery.usps.com/box/pages/intro/start.action
Monday, January 23, 2017
With bad weather upon us, if you are traveling out of state of Florida and are going to rent a car, please please get the LDW insurance and add medical payments to your own coverage. If you do rent a car and it is wrecked or damage the car rental company has the right to have you pay for lost time that rented car is not in service.
Friday, January 8, 2016
Car Damage - at mechanic or being towed
Hey just a quick tip, always use your smart phone to take front back and side photos of your car when it is left off at the mechanics or is going to be towed. This will help record the existing condition of your car when it is in the care,custody and control of those services. You may even take a picture of the inside too. Date and time the photos. Just because a shop or valet posts "not responsible for damage" sign means nothing legally.
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Home Insurance - update your roof - lower your premium
Your home insurance in Florida uses windstorm mitigation credits to lower your home insurance premium, review your last windstorm mitigation inspection. Section 4 roof to wall connections may indicate "toe nails", you can lower your premium if the photos indicate a nail is missing and only 2 or 3 nails needed in a certain nailing pattern. Single wrap or double wrap credits are significant and in many circumstances you can add that valuable third nail. Consult with your agent and see what is needed and how much you could save. check out a site like http://www.thirdnail.com
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Car Insurance - Reporting
So you have a new roommate and you do not even think about telling your car insurance company about it, are you going to be safe should you file a claim? Maybe. Any changes to the vehicles you have, lease, store and who drives them, has access to them, lives in your house need to be disclosed to your insurance company. If you think that not reporting saves you money in premiums, you may stand to lose much more if a claim is denied becasue you did not report. Review your policy today and make sure it reflects what is accurate. This is also a cahnce to see that you are getting as much discounts as possible, are you getting homeowner, education,job,member of an association, married discounts?
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Monday, January 23, 2017
With bad weather upon us, if you are traveling out of state of Florida and are going to rent a car, please please get the LDW insurance and add medical payments to your own coverage. If you do rent a car and it is wrecked or damage the car rental company has the right to have you pay for lost time that rented car is not in service.
Friday, January 8, 2016
Car Damage - at mechanic or being towed
Hey just a quick tip, always use your smart phone to take front back and side photos of your car when it is left off at the mechanics or is going to be towed. This will help record the existing condition of your car when it is in the care,custody and control of those services. You may even take a picture of the inside too. Date and time the photos. Just because a shop or valet posts "not responsible for damage" sign means nothing legally.
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Home Insurance - update your roof - lower your premium
Your home insurance in Florida uses windstorm mitigation credits to lower your home insurance premium, review your last windstorm mitigation inspection. Section 4 roof to wall connections may indicate "toe nails", you can lower your premium if the photos indicate a nail is missing and only 2 or 3 nails needed in a certain nailing pattern. Single wrap or double wrap credits are significant and in many circumstances you can add that valuable third nail. Consult with your agent and see what is needed and how much you could save. check out a site like http://www.thirdnail.com
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Car Insurance - Reporting
So you have a new roommate and you do not even think about telling your car insurance company about it, are you going to be safe should you file a claim? Maybe. Any changes to the vehicles you have, lease, store and who drives them, has access to them, lives in your house need to be disclosed to your insurance company. If you think that not reporting saves you money in premiums, you may stand to lose much more if a claim is denied becasue you did not report. Review your policy today and make sure it reflects what is accurate. This is also a cahnce to see that you are getting as much discounts as possible, are you getting homeowner, education,job,member of an association, married discounts?
Monday, June 9, 2014
Car Insurance - one policy - can I stack UM/UIM?
Just a quick note that could be useful. In certain states you can stack coverage for your UM/UIM on 1 car, like in Florida. The advantage is that if you incur high medical bills that exceed your policy or the at fault policy you will have more protection. Additionally there may be circumstances where your UM doesn't cover you at all if you have non-stacked UM/UIM coverage. I suggest you do some research on line to find out why and what state offers stacked coverage for a single policy, it will cost a bit more but please get informed before you reject the "non-stacked" option. DO you ride a motorcycle with no UM/UIM whether you own it or not? check out stacked v non-stacked.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Home Value v Insurance Coverage
If your home’s market value has increased recently and the cost to rebuild your home in your region have remained constant – there should not be a direct effect on its replacement cost value. Increased market value of your home alone should not have to make major changes to your home insurance policy.
Notify your insurance agent when you make major renovations such as adding a room, gutting bathrooms and kitchens for improvements, and installing swimming pools – anything that would require a homeowner to get permits. If you have replaced that old kitchen with granite or upgraded the cabinets, likewise in the bathrooms that would be a significant event to increase your insurance coverage, specifically Coverage A also known as building or dwelling coverage.
Adding replacement cost value to your home by remodeling the kitchen with newer – more expensive – materials typically requires some updates to your home insurance policy, since the cost of replacing these materials could exceed your previous coverage limits.
The short answer is that anything that adds to rebuilding your home due to improvements should be added to the limits of your home insurance.
Notify your insurance agent when you make major renovations such as adding a room, gutting bathrooms and kitchens for improvements, and installing swimming pools – anything that would require a homeowner to get permits. If you have replaced that old kitchen with granite or upgraded the cabinets, likewise in the bathrooms that would be a significant event to increase your insurance coverage, specifically Coverage A also known as building or dwelling coverage.
Adding replacement cost value to your home by remodeling the kitchen with newer – more expensive – materials typically requires some updates to your home insurance policy, since the cost of replacing these materials could exceed your previous coverage limits.
The short answer is that anything that adds to rebuilding your home due to improvements should be added to the limits of your home insurance.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
My Agent doesnt call !
As much as agents are in the people business, we are in business and that sometimes can conflict practicality versus profitability. I know that I have not spoken to my existing clients enough and if I did schedule phone calls for everyone it might take months to complete and consume my time, my time to keep producing and maintain profitability. Hey I apologize! It is very helpful when my clients call around the time of renewal or send an mail, I am not making excuses, just suggesting a reason why you may not hear from your agent and making you aware that you should consider taking the initiative and email and call. insurance agencies are similar to doctors and lawyers practices, you don't hear from them out of the blue too often, hmm that reminds me my doctor hasn't called, I guess I will.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Renters and Dogs Liability
Just a quick Info note! if you own and rent, you should first of all screen tenants for having dogs, specifically what kind of breeds. Why? several breeds of dogs are not allowed on any property insurance whether you rent or not. In addition many insurance companies are excluding animal liability (ommonly dog bites) if your dog bites and injures someone. Compounding this issue is as a landlord you rent, you are unaware that your tenant has a dog or you know they have a dog not what breed, including half breeds. The insurance discovers through a drive by inspection there are dogs and dogs not allowed by their underwriting guidelines. You now have 4 problems, cancellation of policy is likely, liability protection excludes dogs, your renter wont get normal liability coverage through a renters policy and now you have to find another company
This recently happened to me as an agent, insured placed tenant with dogs without notifying me first. Now I have to get the tenant covered for animal liability as there are banned dogs on site and a standard renters policy wont cover, regardless of dogs and would cancel.
Discuss with your agent, before you lease!
Tenants and animals
Require HO-4 renters policy
Discuss the pros and cons of property ownership Individuals v LLC or INC
Inspection and walk through of premise
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions
This recently happened to me as an agent, insured placed tenant with dogs without notifying me first. Now I have to get the tenant covered for animal liability as there are banned dogs on site and a standard renters policy wont cover, regardless of dogs and would cancel.
Discuss with your agent, before you lease!
Tenants and animals
Require HO-4 renters policy
Discuss the pros and cons of property ownership Individuals v LLC or INC
Inspection and walk through of premise
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions
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