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There will be a new normal. Boards cannot simply flip a switch to bring them back to Jan. 2020 operations. by Donna DiMaggio of Becker

There will be a new normal. Boards cannot simply flip a switch to bring them back to Jan. 2020 operations. by Donna DiMaggio of Becker

  • Posted: May 08, 2020
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There will be a new normal. Boards cannot simply flip a switch to bring them back to Jan. 2020 operations.

by Donna DiMaggio Esq. of Becker

 

There is no reason that permanent sanitizer stations shouldn’t remain in place in high traffic areas including near front desks, in elevators and near access screens.

The days of having dozens of lounge chairs at the pool and tightly packed gyms should be over.

Boards may start using a reservation system for certain amenities to better enforce social distancing.

Boards who have been lax in the past about prohibiting dual usage by unit owners and their tenants should tighten up those restrictions.

Unauthorized short-term rental activity and guest usage should also be scrutinized to reduce density in the common areas.

The days of having an open door policy in the Association office should likely cease.

Some residents like to congregate in the association office for a variety of reasons but that activity was not terribly helpful in ordinary times let alone now.

Inquiries can be handled via email, phone or by attending a meeting.

Digitizing association records to conduct online document inspections as well as holding online votes will not only maximize your efficiencies but can reduce the disputes which erupt with traditional voting, inspection and meeting protocols.

 

Here’s what you need to know to live through the coronavirus crisis in South Florida

South Florida continues to be under movement restrictions due to efforts to control the spread of the new coronavirus. Although the state began on May 4 to open in phases, South Florida will have to wait longer due to higher rates of infections and deaths. Here are the key things you need to know about the situation.

Working and getting out

  • BUSINESS THAT MUST REMAIN CLOSED: Non-essential businesses in Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties remain under shutdown orders. The statewide shutdown order is being lifted in phases, but excludes South Florida. We put together a complete list of businesses considered “essential” that may remain open.
  • FACE MASKS: Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties have all ordered face masks to be worn by customers and employees in grocery stores, pharmacies and other retail stores that are allowed to be open during the shutdown orders. Businesses are expected to enforce the rules and could face penalties if they do not.
  • CURFEWS: Although some cities have started to lift curfews imposed in March, several remain in effect with exceptions being made only for those traveling to and from work or for essential needs. Broward County: Hallandale Beach between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. Palm Beach County: Town of Palm Beach between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Miami-Dade County: Key Biscayne between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.; Miami Beach between midnight and 5 a.m.; North Miami Beach between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.; and the city of Miami between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.
  • STAY-HOME ORDERS: South Florida’s three counties technically remain under stay-home orders except for essential travel. But some outdoor activities are being allowed to resume. See “recreational activities” below for more information.
  • CANCELED EVENTS: With an order prohibiting public gatherings of 10 or more people, nearly all events have been canceled or postponed.
  • RELIGIOUS SERVICES: Although religious services are exempt from the state’s order closing businesses, the Archdiocese of Miami and the Diocese of Palm Beach suspended Masses and liturgical events. The Miami archdiocese also shut down various drive-through confessionals that some parishes started offering. The Chabad Of South Broward advised that most minyanim are not currently meeting. Many local churches and houses of worship have transitioned to online prayers, meditation posts and services. Check with your local church or religious provider for updates.
  • TRANSPORTATION: Brightline, the higher-speed rail between Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, suspended service until further notice beginning March 26. Tri-Rail announced it would trim back its schedule but suspend fares on all its trains beginning March 28. Several airlines including American, United and JetBlue have cut back the number of flights between South Florida and New York City-area airports. Spirit Airlines, based in Miramar, completely suspended flights to the area. Most major airlines are now requiring masks to be worn at all times in terminals and airplanes.

Recreational activities

  • PARKS: County parks in South Florida reopened on April 30 with social distancing rules in place, along with bans on groups of 10 or more. Most cities also opened their parks with some exceptions. See the complete city-by-city list of park openings here.
  • STATE PARKS: State parks around Florida started to reopen May 4 in phases, with the exception of those in South Florida including Hugh Taylor Birch State Park in Fort Lauderdale, Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park in Dania Beach and Oleta River State Park in North Miami Beach.
  • BEACHES: All beaches in Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties remain closed, even to casual strollers. Beaches in other parts of the state have started to reopen with restrictions.
  • BOATING: South Florida’s counties began opening boat ramps and marinas on April 29. Congregations on sand bars remain prohibited.
  • GOLF COURSES: South Florida’s counties as well as most cities have now allowed golf courses to open with restrictions on group size and use of golf carts.
  • GYMS, THEATERS, ARCADES: All are included in the business closure orders that were issued in South Florida’s three counties and are being enforced by cities. Concert venues, auditoriums, movie theaters and playhouses are also closed.
  • CASINOS: South Florida casinos — including Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, the Seminole Classic in Hollywood, just south of the Hard Rock, the Seminole Casino in Coconut Creek and the Miccosukee Resort & Gaming casino — are closed until further notice.
  • FLORIDA KEYS: The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office announced Monday that the Florida Keys are closed to all tourists and visitors because of the coronavirus. Although some beaches have begun to reopen, the Keys are closed to visitors.
  • CRUISES: The three major cruise lines that sail out of South Florida have suspended service at least into the summer.

 

Schools and colleges

  • PRE-K AND K-12 SCHOOLS: Schools across Florida are closed for the remainder of the school year. Classes and graduations are being held virtually.
  • COLLEGES: Public and private colleges and universities have closed or moved to online classes. On-campus events are part of the state-wide ban on large gatherings. Graduation ceremonies for state colleges have also been canceled.

Eating and shopping

  • BARS, RESTAURANTS AND NIGHTCLUBS: Bars and nightclubs are closed, and restaurants are closed to dining. But many eateries are open for takeout and delivery. We have been compiling a list of Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade eateries offering takeout and delivery. All food-delivery apps are waiving delivery fees until further notice.
  • GROCERY STORES: Supermarket across South Florida are changing their hours as well as designating certain days and times exclusively for senior citizens or people at higher risk of coronovirus. In addition, all three South Florida counties are requiring customers and employees to wear face masks at all times in the stores.
  • FREE MEALS FOR STUDENTS: Public schools in Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties are providing free meals at selected locations on days that school would have otherwise been in session. Broward County: Breakfast is available 8-10 a.m. and lunch 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at select schools. Palm Beach County: 35 schools will distribute free meals this week Monday through Thursday, and can receive Friday’s meals on Monday, Wednesday and Friday for two meals each day. Meals and are free to anyone under 18 years of age regardless of financial need. Miami-Dade: Students and families may pick up hot meals to go, both breakfast and lunch, between 9:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

Help with finances

  • HOW TO GET FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE: We won’t lose our homes because of the coronavirus crisis. Our power won’t be shut off. And we’re not going to go hungry. Financial services companies, nonprofit relief programs, utilities and government assistance agencies are offering ways to help consumers get through layoffs, business interruptions and self quarantines.
  • HELP FOR RESTAURANT WORKERS: Restaurant workers have been hit hard by the coronavirus crises, particularly here in South Florida, a resort region and tourist destination known globally for being a foodie paradise. But there are efforts here to ease the burden facing kitchen staff, servers, bartenders and others.

 

Staying safe

  • WHAT TO DO IF YOU’RE SICK: If you wake up with a cough or fever and are worried you have coronavirus, you have several options. In Florida, as in other states, hospitals and doctors have been primed on how to screen patients who come into their offices or the Emergency Department with symptoms. Only people who have severe symptoms should go to a hospital. If your symptoms are mild, call your doctor or the health department to get an appointment for a test. Some local test sites can now get results in up to 15 minutes with rapid tests but will turn away people without appointments.
  • WHERE TO FIND TESTING SITES: Drive-thru testing sites are being set up at locations around South Florida. Testing may be limited to individuals who meet the current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines: Older adults and people who have severe underlying chronic medical conditions who have fever, cough or any type of respiratory distress; any people — including healthcare workers — who within 14 days of symptom onset had contact with a suspected or confirmed coronavirus patient; and any people with history of travel from an affected area or an area with community spread. Here is complete list of testing sites in Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties.

 

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As Stimulus Funds Dry Up, Private Sector Firm Provides Funding to Community Associations by Axela Technologies

As Stimulus Funds Dry Up, Private Sector Firm Provides Funding to Community Associations by Axela Technologies

  • Posted: May 08, 2020
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As Stimulus Funds Dry Up, Private Sector Firm Provides Funding to Community Associations by Axela Technologies

Axela Technologies’ HAAP program allows community associations to tap into a non-recourse funding option to receive a much-needed cash injection.

 

Axela Technologies, the leading provider of collection solutions for community associations, has announced a funding program that will provide a financial lifeline at a time when HOAs and condos need it most. The funding is available nationwide, effective immediately.

“We realize that times are tough, and they are going to get more difficult for community associations,” said Martin Urruela, Axela’s CEO. “Community associations have received little help from the federal or state governments and are suffering due to the unforeseen hardships placed on their owners, so we’re stepping up to help.”

HAAP, short for Homeowner Assessment Assurance Program, advances a portion of a community’s receivables in the form of an immediate cash injection. It is not a loan; it is non-recourse, interest-free, and does not require the association to sign a note or a security interest. Axela is repaid with funds recovered through their collection of delinquent accounts.

“Besides being not-for-profit entities, associations are a zero-sum business and rely on owners’ assessments to pay their bills,” continues Urruela. “As a collection firm, we know that most, if not all assessments will be recovered at some point, but we don’t know when. Associations often don’t have the luxury to wait, but we do, so we’re providing the funds up front to help them meet their day-to-day financial requirements.”

Until now, Axela’s HAAP program has been available exclusively in Florida. Prior to the pandemic, approximately 10 percent of the company’s Florida clients had applied for an advance but that number has steadily increased in recent weeks. The spike in demand is what prompted the company to open the program to other states.

“While HAAP is innovative and most certainly helpful, the way it works is simple,” adds Urruela. “Instead of funding clients after we collect their money, we’re funding them up front. If for whatever reason, we are unsuccessful in collecting, we lose. The advance is non-recourse, so the association will never be on the hook for amounts that we advance them.”

Axela’s clients who have taken advantage of HAAP have praised the program.

“One of our associations had their insurance renewal coming up, but didn’t have the money,” said Fabio Setton, owner of PMI Top Florida Properties, a management company based in Aventura, FL. “Axela stepped up and advanced the funds within days of our request, which saved the association from having to pass a special assessment or risk losing insurance coverage.”

Taylor Pena of Marquis Association Management stated, “Axela has been providing funding for our community for nearly two years, allowing us to replicate a perfect cash flow scenario, despite the fact that several owners were not making timely payments.”

The application process requires community associations to submit a roster of units that would be placed into collections with Axela. The underwriting process is fully automated, and associations can be approved and funded within 72 hours. More information on the program is available at www.axela-tech.com/haap

 

ABOUT AXELA TECHNOLOGIES

Axela Technologies is a collections firm specialized in recovering delinquent assessments for community associations. Axela reduces the cost of outreach and engagement by automating much of the standardized collections process while providing exceptional customer service and a centralized platform for all stakeholders to promote transparency and efficiency.

To learn more about Axela Technologies, visit www.axela-tech.com

Members of The State of Florida Property Management Association (SFPMA.Org)

 

 

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Reshaping Large Construction Projects Webinar this Thursday, May 7th at 2pm! by The Falcon Group

Reshaping Large Construction Projects Webinar this Thursday, May 7th at 2pm! by The Falcon Group

  • Posted: May 06, 2020
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Don’t forget to sign up for the:

Reshaping Large Construction Projects Webinar this Thursday, May 7th at 2pm!

Be Proactive, Educated and Engaged
#thefalcongroup

Sign Up Info:
Email: PFoltanski@falconengineering.com
Subject: Large Construction Projects
Body: Please provide your Full Name, Company, Address, Phone Number and if you are a CMCA

“The STRENGTH of the TEAM is each individual MEMBER. The STRENGTH of each MEMBER is the TEAM.”

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Re-opening Amenities In Times Of Uncertainty, Part 2 by Kaye Bender Rembaum

Re-opening Amenities In Times Of Uncertainty, Part 2 by Kaye Bender Rembaum

  • Posted: May 06, 2020
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Re-opening Amenities In Times Of Uncertainty, Part 2 by Kaye Bender Rembaum

by Kaye Bender Rembaum

In response to our article below, we have received inquiries from readers  regarding the ability of an  association located in Palm Beach County to use volunteers to provide the pool  monitoring as required by Palm  Beach County Emergency Order Number 5.

In relevant part, the Palm Beach County Order provides that as to the re-opening of community swimming pools the association must have “[o]ne (1) or more facility staff or management be present at each facility location to monitor and ensure compliance with the [Order].” There is no definitive instruction in the Order as to how a community association is to comply this particular requirement. However, based upon the plain meaning of the words, the association should have personnel from management or association staff physically present at the association’s pool facilities during its operating hours to monitor the use of the pool facilities to ensure compliance with the Order.

 

 

Webinar: Association Continuity During COVID-19

Register Today

Thursday, May 7, 2020

12 Noon to 1:00pm

Kaye Bender Rembaum attorneys Michael S. Bender and Jeffrey A. Rembaum will be a part of a panel discussion presented by Castle Group, in Episode 2 of “Association Continuity and Other COVID-19 Concerns.” There will be a special focus on the re-opening of community amenities.

Panelists include:

Craig Vaughan, Castle Group President

Michael S. Bender, Esq., BCS

Jeffrey A. Rembaum, Esq., BCS

Brendan T. Lynch, AIP AAI, Plastridge Insurance, President

 

Register to Attend HERE

 

 

In addition, based upon an April 28, 2020, posting from the Palm Beach County website, it is suggested that an association could also appoint a committee of community volunteers to perform the pool monitoring. The issue created by the Palm Beach County Website posting is that the Order required “facility staff or management” to provide the pool monitoring. The term “volunteers” was not not used.

 

With that in mind,  if an association located in Palm Beach County decides to use volunteers to provide the pool monitoring function, then the following should be taken into consideration: 

 

1) If a resident who contracts Covid-19 later sues the association alleging a breach of the Order somehow led to their contracting of the virus, then will the association be in a position to show compliance with the Order when, in fact, volunteers were used? While such a lawsuit is remote, given today’s litigious environment it is not out the question.

2) Does the association have legal defense coverage which would at least provide for assignment of defense counsel so that the association will not have to go out of pocket in the event its other insurance policies do not provide coverage?

3) Does the association have insurance coverage in place to cover acts of volunteers?

4) Does the association have volunteer workers comp type coverage in place?

 

Although not required by the Order, we suggest that the association consider conspicuously posting or having available as a handout a summary of the CDC Social Distancing Guidelines and the Palm Beach County Emergency Order Number 5 as related to use of community pools.  The following links are provided for your reference:

Palm Beach County Emergency Order Number 5

The Palm Beach County Website April 28 posting related to volunteers  

Remember to also discuss the re-opening plan with your association’s legal counsel. 

 

Kaye Bender Rembaum, Attorneys at Law

The law firm of Kaye Bender Rembaum, with its 19 lawyers and offices in Broward, Palm Beach and Hillsborough Counties, is a full service law firm devoted to the representation of more than 1,200 community and commercial associations, developers, and their members throughout the State of Florida. Under the direction of attorneys Robert L. Kaye, Michael S. Bender and Jeffrey A. Rembaum, the law firm of Kaye Bender Rembaum strives to provide its clients with an unparalleled level of personalized and professional service that takes into account their clients’ individual needs and financial concerns.

http://KBRLegal.com

 

 

 

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UNIVERSAL RESTORATION IS THE PERFECT CHOICE FOR ALL YOUR RESTORATION NEEDS IN NORTHEAST FLORIDA

UNIVERSAL RESTORATION IS THE PERFECT CHOICE FOR ALL YOUR RESTORATION NEEDS IN NORTHEAST FLORIDA

  • Posted: May 05, 2020
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UNIVERSAL RESTORATION IS THE PERFECT CHOICE FOR ALL YOUR RESTORATION NEEDS IN NORTHEAST FLORIDA

Universal Restoration is a locally owned and operated certified restoration company serving the Northeast Florida area. We have a combined experience of 20+ years in the remediation and rebuild industry and we are ready to help you with any emergency you may experience 365 days a year, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. We specialize in both commercial and residential properties.
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Given our high standards of workmanship, dedication, strong work ethic and commitment to each project along with affordable prices, we have established ourselves as an industry leader for Property Damage Restoration and Cleanup. We value the safety of your property and maintain a consistently high level of professional care and responsibility in each project. We guarantee all of our work to be of the highest quality, as we know our clients would expect nothing less.
Universal Restoration is a fully insured, bonded, and certified restoration company with over 20 years of experience in the industry. We specialize in both commercial and residential properties. Our company will provide you with a reliable, accurate estimate for Mold Testing and Damage Recovery Services.

 

CALL TODAY for a Free Estimate –– www.universalrestoration.net/services

💪 20+ Years Restoration Experience
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If you are a business planning to re-open, MAKE SURE you have a cleaning plan in place ✨ Don’t wait, we are helping MORE businesses be SAFER and CLEANER for their staff and customers ⏰

 

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Re-opening Amenities In Times Of Uncertainty Part. 1 by Kaye Bender Rembaum

Re-opening Amenities In Times Of Uncertainty Part. 1 by Kaye Bender Rembaum

  • Posted: May 04, 2020
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Re-opening Amenities In Times Of Uncertainty pt. 1

by Kaye Bender Rembaum

The re-opening of amenities is anything but easy due to the local Orders being promulgated by Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade Counties. Please be sure to review your County’s specific order(s) to ensure your association remains in compliance. These Orders have similarities but are also VERY different.

A link to the recent re-opening Orders follows:

–Palm Beach County, Emergency Order Number 5

–Broward County, Emergency Order 20-08

–Miami-Dade County, Emergency Order 21020

 

As to the Palm Beach County Order, take note that that staff and management are responsible to ensure compliance with the Order with respect to the tennis/racquet court facilities, and that one or more facility staff or management must be present at the pool to monitor and “ensure compliance with the restrictions of the Order.” However, it is not at all clear what measures must be taken to “ensure compliance with this Order.” We do not think it would be sufficient to only post a sign setting forth the CDC Guidelines and the additional restrictions in the Order. Although the tennis/racquet court facilities guidelines, unlike the community pool guidelines, do not require personnel to be present at the tennis/racquet courts to monitor and ensure compliance, in our opinion the board should consider some type of responsible monitoring.

 

Webinar: Association Continuity During COVID-19

Register Today

Thursday, May 7, 2020

12 Noon to 1:00pm

Kaye Bender Rembaum attorneys Michael S. Bender and Jeffrey A. Rembaum will be a part of a panel discussion presented by Castle Group, in Episode 2 of “Association Continuity and Other COVID-19 Concerns.” There will be a special focus on the re-opening of community amenities.

Panelists include:

Craig Vaughan, Castle Group President

Michael S. Bender, Esq., BCS

Jeffrey A. Rembaum, Esq., BCS

Brendan T. Lynch, AIP AAI, Plastridge Insurance, President

 

Register to Attend HERE

 

 

With respect to a swimming pool in Palm Beach County, “facility staff or management” must be present at the pool whenever it is open to monitor and ensure compliance with the restrictions set out in the Order, including social distancing and pool bathroom sanitation. If that cannot be accomplished, then the pool and or bathrooms should remain closed.

 

When opening a swimming pool in Broward County, their Order provides that the pool may not operate at more than 50% capacity. In person supervision in addition to sanitizing gates, railings and showers is required if the pool deck furnishings are left in place. However, by removing the furnishings, the wording of the Order seems to indicate the need to sanitize gates, railings and showers has been eliminated.  If the decision by the Board is to reopen the pool, whether the furnishings remain or are removed a level of reasonable cleaning/sanitizing should be maintained, as necessary maintenance remains a continuing obligation of the association with regard to common elements/areas, which would require sanitizing the pool gates, handrails, doors, bathrooms and the like minimally as the association normally would,  but clearly should be performed more frequently during these times.

 

Residents of Miami-Dade County will have to wait a while longer to be able to use their association swimming pool because their Order does not yet address opening association swimming pools.

 

We have heard that certain county staff are giving their personal interpretations of the Order(s) in response to questions from board members. If you think that relying on these unofficial and unauthorized interpretations will shield your association from immunity, think again! It is far more likely that staff interpretations of the County Orders will not provide any protection whatsoever, most especially if a resident contracts Covid-19 and a lawsuit is brought against the association. Until local governments revise their Orders to provide missing clarity, the plain language, conservative interpretation of these Orders should be followed to help ensure your association is protected as much as possible under the circumstances. Remember, too, that an association can have stricter requirements than those set out in the orders, but cannot adopt less strict requirements.

 

It is also unclear from the Orders how governmental enforcement of the restrictions is to occur by the County or any municipality, as it seems very (very) unlikely that there will be patrols driving around to check on compliance. Even if such patrols did exist, they could not hope to keep up. The more likely scenario is that the self-reporting of violations could possibly lead to monetary or other penalties against the association. Clearly, if the Board is of the opinion that the requirements in their County’s Order cannot be met at this time, it or are removed is certainly within the reasonable business judgment of the Board to keep those amenities closed. However, that said, reasonable business judgment should not be used by a board to make a decision to open amenities where the board believes it lacks the ability to be fully compliant with their county’s local Orders.

 

 

We encourage board members to contact their association’s legal counsel for guidance regarding reopening any tennis/racquet courts and/or pool facility, and to continue to monitor the guidelines, directives and orders issued by the CDC and the applicable local authorities. Stay safe.

 

Kaye Bender Rembaum, Attorneys at Law

The law firm of Kaye Bender Rembaum, with its 19 lawyers and offices in Broward, Palm Beach and Hillsborough Counties, is a full service law firm devoted to the representation of more than 1,200 community and commercial associations, developers, and their members throughout the State of Florida. Under the direction of attorneys Robert L. Kaye, Michael S. Bender and Jeffrey A. Rembaum, the law firm of Kaye Bender Rembaum strives to provide its clients with an unparalleled level of personalized and professional service that takes into account their clients’ individual needs and financial concerns.

http://KBRLegal.com

 

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COVID-19 & Technology: Resident Communication, Virtual Meetings & Electronic Voting

COVID-19 & Technology: Resident Communication, Virtual Meetings & Electronic Voting

  • Posted: May 03, 2020
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COVID-19 & Technology: Resident Communication, Virtual Meetings & Electronic Voting

On April 7th, 2020 we had a live webinar

More than 200 people attended the webinar and it was requested that we record it and allow others to watch it.

You can watch the recorded webinar and learn about how to communicate with your residents in an age when we are practicing social distancing and the benefits of hosting a virtual meeting.

We covered several topics including:

Helping your team and residents stay safer by implementing digital  communication channels instead of physical interactions with community staff.

Alleviating the additional stress of situations like COVID-19 by leveraging  technology to organize and run your condo more effectively.

Reducing costs and efforts by hosting virtual meetings.

Here is the link: Watch and Learn

https://ding.conciergeplus.com/webinar–covid19–and–technology

Peter Pietrzkiewicz
sales@conciergeplus.com
Concierge Plus Inc.

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WEBINAR: ASSOCIATION CONTINUITY & COVID-19 CONCERNS, REOPENING AMENITIES & MORE by Castle Group, Kaye Bender Rembaum and Plastridge Insurance

WEBINAR: ASSOCIATION CONTINUITY & COVID-19 CONCERNS, REOPENING AMENITIES & MORE by Castle Group, Kaye Bender Rembaum and Plastridge Insurance

  • Posted: May 01, 2020
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WEBINAR: ASSOCIATION CONTINUITY & COVID-19 CONCERNS, REOPENING AMENITIES & MORE

Date/Time  May 7, 2020
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

REGISTER HERE

Castle Group, Kaye Bender Rembaum and Plastridge Insurance invite you to a webinar:  “Association Continuity and Other COVID-19 Concerns”, Episode 2

You are invited to join episode 2 of “Association Continuity and other COVID-19 Concerns” with a special focus on re-opening community amenities and more. Panelists include:
  • Craig Vaughan, Castle Group – President;
  • Michael S . Bender & Jeffrey A. Rembaum, Kaye Bender Rembaum, Board Certified in Condominium and Planned Development Law
  • Brendan T. Lynch, AIP AAI, Plastridge Insurance Agency, President
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COVID-19 SURFACE TESTING – NEXT DAY RESULTS AVAILABLE!

COVID-19 SURFACE TESTING – NEXT DAY RESULTS AVAILABLE!

  • Posted: May 01, 2020
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COVID-19 SURFACE TESTING

NEXT DAY RESULTS AVAILABLE!

CVOID-19 CDC RECOMMENDATIONS AND INFORMATION

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), COVID-19 is a respiratory illness that can spread from person-to-person. The main infection route is between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet) through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

It also may be possible that a person can contract COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it, and then touching their own mouth, nose, or eyes. Currently, transmission from surfaces is not thought to be the main way the virus spread, however the CDC’s April 13th update remarked: “COVID-19 is a new disease and we are still learning about how it spreads and the severity of illness it causes.”

 

As mentioned on our homepage, recent studies suggest that the CVOID-19 virus may remain viable and infective on surfaces for hours to days, depending on the surface material type (fabric, tile, steel, etc.).

Thorough cleaning and disinfection of frequently touched surfaces are recommended by the CDC and believed to be essential in preventing the spread of infection.

The presence or absence of the viral genetic material on environmental surfaces can now be directly tested with EMSL’s new CVOID-19 molecular-based test and used to demonstrate effectiveness of cleaning protocols.

 

Air Quality Assessors of Florida only performs the physical sampling of surfaces recommended to test by request of our client and in no way can guarantee the entire site is clear from COVID 19. AQA sends all samples to an accredited laboratory for analysis.

Call us or visit our website to schedule your assessment or request more information. We will get back to you with 24 hours.

844-CALL-AQA

 

 

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How the Coronavirus Can Affect Your Insurance Claim By Bobby Parsons / Cohen Law Group

How the Coronavirus Can Affect Your Insurance Claim By Bobby Parsons / Cohen Law Group

  • Posted: Apr 28, 2020
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How the Coronavirus Can Affect Your Insurance Claim

By Bobby Parsons / Cohen Law Group

 

As the Coronavirus continues to spread throughout the globe, many industries will experience closures and slowdowns, as well as implement various protocols limiting their productivity. For instance, the Florida court system has already issued an administrative order limiting court appearances that would require the gathering of a substantial number of people in an effort to curtail further spreading of the virus. The extent of such protocols being put in place during the near-term future remains unclear, but it is safe to assume, the business interruptions we have seen thus far are only the beginning until a vaccine is developed, or the virus runs its natural course.

Many offices are closing their doors for the foreseeable future and requesting employees to work from home. The most recent recommendations from the authorities include a moratorium on gatherings of ten people or more, down from fifty only a few days ago. The spreading of the virus, and the associated efforts to curtail its spread, will certainly impact all aspects of our lives, and suffering a loss to your home or property would only serve to make an impossible situation worse.

Insurance companies are very large, with vast amounts of employees. Should you suffer a loss to your property, an insurance company will likely be ill-equipped at this time to properly adjust your claim due to limitations on its productivity like those discussed above. Normally, an insurance company must conclude its investigation of your claim within ninety days. However, this rule is subject to a provision that allows insurance companies to exceed this timeline during exigent circumstances, like the one we are all dealing with today. What this means, is that your claim could get stuck in limbo while the global issue of the coronavirus runs its course. Scheduling inspections, hiring contractors, gathering documents from your insurance agent, and other steps ordinarily conducted during an insurance company’s investigation into a claim will take much longer than usual.

Given the uncertain nature of the near-term future regarding the ability to properly address your insurance claim, what is a property owner to do should it experience a loss? The most important thing to do in a time like this, is to protect the property from further damage and stabilize it. This could be something as simple as placing a tarp on the roof after suffering a leak. Even though the carrier is likely going to take quite some time to investigate the loss, this does not absolve a property owner of its responsibility to protect the property from further damage. Likewise, a property owner must also preserve the property to the best of its ability for inspection by the insurance company at a later date. Literally maintaining possession of damaged property may be a virtual impossibility due to contaminants or some other risk. However, should this occur, property owners should document such property thoroughly, and consider storing the damaged property with a third party better-equipped to handle such property. As the spread of the coronavirus continues to wreak havoc, it is important to know that an insurance company’s investigation into a property claim is likely to take much longer than normal, and it is equally important to understand how a property owner needs to adapt to the drawn out process.

 

If you have any questions regarding this, you can call our office 24 hours a day at 407-917-3192.

Robert "Bobby" Parsons, Esq.

Robert “Bobby” Parsons, Esq.

Learn more about Bobby here!

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