Preparing Your Home for Spring

Even for those of us who reside in cooperative and condominium units, there are seasonal chores that cannot be overlooked. We’re not referring to yard work and grounds maintenance. Instead, we’d like to direct your home initiatives towards being proactive and preparing for spring seasonal storms. The goal here is to avoid having to submit a condo or co-op insurance claim for property damage. Relying solely on the work performed by your community maintenance team will not be enough. United Public Adjusters & Appraisers, as expert public adjusters serving Queens and the five boroughs, offer these reminders to help you avoid property and personal asset losses along with the need to submit a condo or coop claim.

Those April showers that yield May flowers can be torrential. Spring weather can be severe with wind gusts up to 70 mph causing damage to siding, windows and window screens, HVAC units, roofing, gutters, leaders, and more. Recently, the number of property damage claims due to hail storms soared as over 7.1 million homes and businesses in the U.S. were impacted. The losses amounted to billions of dollars as well. As property damage adjusters, United Public Adjusters & Appraisers has often seen a complacency among condo and co-op owners who believe the full responsibility for their unit’s maintenance falls to Management. We urge these owners and tenants to review their community’s bylaws to determine what unit responsibilities are theirs.

For example, if your residence has through-the-wall air conditioning units, make certain to caulk around the edges every season and routinely check to see if the sealant has not cracked. Driving Spring rains can enter your unit through any voids to damage both the unit, your interior walls, and your electrical system. Your vigilance may help you to avoid having to submit a condo or coop insurance claim, as well as repair costs for damages that might not be covered by your tenant or personal property insurance.

On that note, as expert public adjusters, we urge you to consult with United Public Adjusters & Appraisers before the Spring storm season. We’ll gladly review your existing insurance poli-

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