If you have a summer home in Florida and will be going away once the summer is over, this is the time to ensure that your summer home is safe while you are away. Even when you are away from your summer home, keep in mind that people may be on the premises. If anyone is injured on the premises while you are away from your summer home, you could find yourself in a Florida premises liability lawsuit. To avoid this, make sure that you close up your property correctly:
1) Take precautions against break-ins. Break-ins can ruin your summer home and can create problems with violence or criminal activity taking place on your property. To avoid people using your home as a place for covert activities, install a security system and lock up your home correctly. Make sure that all windows and doors are correctly locked and are in good condition to withstand break-in attempts. Trim back trees and hedges to ensure that criminals do not have a cover for their activities. Consider a gate or fence to prevent people from entering your property without your permission.
2) Secure your pool area. One of the most common property disputes concerns unsecured pools. You do not want someone to enter your pool area while you are away and suffer a Florida pool injury – or worse. If your summer home has a pool, use an alarm system, self-locking gate, and pool cover to keep the area secure.
3) Set up a maintenance or monitoring service. One of the best precautions you can take is to ensure that someone is keeping an eye on your summer home. You can hire a service to check on your property and maintain it correctly while you are away. You can also install security cameras so that you can monitor your summer home while you are away. Some homeowners choose to rent out their summer homes during the fall, spring, and winter. If you decide to do this, however, you will need to screen potential tenants carefully and check local by-laws concerning renting before you go ahead.
4) Consider extra insurance. Additional insurance can help protect you legally if someone is injured on your property and seeks a claim against you.
5) Take precautions against fire. Fire can destroy your property and surrounding properties as well. Before you close up your summer home, check your smoke and fire detection alarms. If at all possible, install alarm systems that will warn you of potential problems at your current address. Some security systems, for example, will give you a phone call if they detect smoke in your summer home.
You want your summer home to hold only wonderful memories for you and your family. Taking precautions against injury ensures that tragedy is less likely to happen in your summer home.
If you are injured or are in an accident, contact the Flaxman Law Group for a free accident consultation. The Flaxman Law Group has offices in Homestead, Miami, and Hollywood. With decades of experience, the legal team at the Flaxman Law Group has helped thousands of Florida personal injury victims.