REVISTA PALMAS 68 OCTUBRE 2022

Need a ride? We will take you
anywhere on the island!
Reservations available, give us a call!
(939) 418-9358
Charles Gomez Law Office
Charles Gómez Law Office, LLC is a boutique law firm
uniquely qualified that
provides services such as:
Corporate; Construction Law; Civil & Criminal Litigation;
and Medical Malpractice.
Contact
Francisco L. Charles, Esq., P.E. -Principal
Office Address: Ponce de León Ave. 1607
Cobians Plaza Suite 106, San Juan,
P.R. 00909
Email: fcharleslaw@gmail.com
Tel: 787-523-5094; Mobile: 787-662-0178
Steve Santiago, Kathy Burleson, Esteban Santiago, Cecilia Virsida,
Rafael Nigaglioni your local Insurance brokers
Hurricane season
Hurricane season is upon us once again. But, as we have learned by experience,
those who do not make the necessary preparations are the ones
who struggle the most with getting back to normal after a catastrophic
event. Let’s go over a few suggestions that can make your life easier and
help prevent further complications other than the ones brought on by an
atmospheric event.
Check your windows and doors for crevices, loose sheets or separations
which might let water in. As we have mentioned before, water damage
caused by water that seeps through windows or under doors is not covered,
unless there is a breakage. If you have storm shutters, see to it that
they are properly anchored, so they don’t vibrate and become loose, or get
breached by strong winds.
Another aspect is your responsibility as a policy owner to make sure your
property value is up to date. As real estate properties values go up, it is up
to you to make sure your policy reflects those changes. Why is this important?
Because of coinsurance penalties. For example, if your property is
insured for $1,000,000, but the property value went up to $1,250,000 and
you did not raise the limits on your policy by the time of a loss, the company
will state you are underinsured, and will pay up to only 80% of the
damages (1,000,000/1,250,000=80%).
As for your personal property (contents), make sure you understand the
limit that insurance companies apply to the value per item that can be
covered under this coverage. If you have jewelry, fine arts, an expensive
set of golf clubs, or any other high valued item, your best option is to talk
to your insurance representative to prepare a schedule of those items with
the respective evidence of their value.
If you own an apartment, you should take the time to check with the
condo’s administration or association the type of master policy that the
complex has. If the policy is “Barewalls”, then it’s up to you to insure the
property inside the apartment that is attached to the floor, walls, or ceiling.
This property is known as original private elements.
While on the subject of apartments, you need to inform your insurance representative
about any changes in structure you make or any renovations.
Once the property inside the apartment is changed, it stops being original
private elements and must now be covered as Betterments & Improvements.
Now if you own a house, you should include in your policy any type of system
that provides alternative electric power, such as generators or solar
systems. It is very important to provide pictures and invoices of the cost
you incurred installing said systems. If you have patio furniture or any
other property outside the house that may be affected by a windstorm, it is
your responsibility to secure it inside the house or any other safe structure.
This, in the language of the policy, is called preservation of property.
If you’re going to travel or won’t be present at the residence at the time of
an atmospheric event, please make sure you leave your property secured
and with properly installed storm shutters. Also, coordinate with someone
to check on your property from time to time.
For more information about this and other coverages
you can stop by our office at Palmanova Plaza Suite 119-C, call us at
787-850-9209, or email us at palmasinsurance@outlook.com.