Florida has quite a few out-of-state property owners. There are snowbirds, who spend the winter in the Sunshine State and the rest of the year in a colder location with the rest of their family. Some people have vacation homes that they don’t necessarily visit regularly. They may even rent out their property as a short-term rental to tourists as a source of income.
Regardless of how someone becomes a property owner in Florida while living elsewhere, they may eventually find themselves in a nuanced and difficult situation related to insurance coverage. A hurricane or major storm could cause damage to the property, possibly because of high winds or flooding. Those who are trying to handle property damage caused by a storm in Florida while living in another state could potentially benefit from having a lawyer assist them with their claim for two specific reasons.
1. A lawyer can facilitate appropriate property services
Someone living in New Hampshire or Minnesota can’t necessarily pack everything up and fly down to Florida just because a storm hit their property. However, the home will likely need immediate attention once the storm has passed.
A lawyer who works in Florida can handle the sometimes time-consuming task of finding professionals to secure the property and do the work to repair it after the storm. Instead of calling places at random and running the risk of becoming the victim of fraud, property owners living in another state can trust a lawyer to get the right local services based on the damage their property suffered.
2. An attorney can handle complicated insurance claims
Florida has different insurance laws than other states, from the turnaround time on response to claims to the types of coverage people have to carry. It can be difficult for people to understand the laws in Florida and to handle the process of pursuing a claim with their insurance company.
Even if someone knows their coverage and rights, it can take a lot of time to deal with the insurance company. Lawyers can make the process much easier by handling all of the paperwork and ensuring that the insurance company adheres to the appropriate claims timeline. Lawyers also have training and negotiations so that they can help counter bad settlement offers and get people the support they require from their insurance providers.
Getting the proper professional help early in the process will increase the likelihood of success when submitting a sizable homeowner’s insurance claim if the claimant does not reside in Florida.