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THE LEGAL LEDGER 800-800-4300 DENMONPEARLMAN.COM JUNE 2022
THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM NOW IS THE TIME TO PREPARE
Between Pride Month, long days at the beach, and Independence Day, we have plenty to look forward to this summer. Unfortunately, June also ushers in hurricane season — and Floridians need to get ready. AccuWeather listed the Tampa area as one of the five communities in the United States most vulnerable to hurricanes, with an 11% chance of the city being affected every year. We certainly hope that 2022 will bring us good luck — but if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that we always need to be prepared. So, before we face a real hurricane threat, it’s best to have everything in order. And the best place to start is with your emergency plan. If you don’t have one, make this the year you correct that oversight! Figure out how you’ll get out of town if necessary, how to board up your home, and what you’ll do with your pets in case of an emergency. Create a checklist of what you’ll need to do if you need to leave quickly, and include essential items like unplugging your appliances and disconnecting your gas, electricity, and water, if time permits. Next, check on the status of your emergency kits and make sure they’re up to date. You should have an emergency kit in your home with fresh water, nonperishable food, a first-aid kit, and flashlights with new batteries. You should also have one in your vehicle that ideally has a change of clothes. Remember to keep your most important documents handy to grab if you need to leave in a hurry. Finally, don’t wait until the last minute! Once a hurricane watch is in place, it might be impossible to buy some essentials. After ensuring your family’s safety, you’ll want to turn your attention to your property. If you haven’t filed an insurance claim recently, it has probably been a while since you last reviewed your coverage. Make it a priority to confirm what is and isn’t covered under your plan.
have flood insurance, reconsider. According to Florida Flood Insurance, approximately 20% of flood claims come from areas where flood insurance may not be required. Aside from a fire, flooding might be the most devastating home catastrophe. So, even if you are insured, you want to do everything in your power to prevent it. Keep water out of and away from your home by cleaning your gutters and tightly sealing all windows. High winds can break the glass and let water into your home, so have a plan to protect them with boards or storm shutters. Any Florida homeowner with a basement should also have a sump pump in good working order. It can save your house. Also, keep water sensors ready to detect a failure and prevent an inconvenience from turning devastating. Placing sandbags around the perimeter of your home can be time- consuming, but it is one of the most effective steps you can take to prevent flooding. If you want to go this route, you’ll need to stock up on sandbags and tarps in advance. FEMA also recommends seeking expert guidance on building your temporary protective walls. After all, you don’t want all your hard work to go to waste. The weather is beyond our control, and there’s no tip we can give to make sure you make it out unscathed. It’s the price we pay for living in such a beautiful place! But it’s well worth our time and effort to do our best to protect the people and things we care about. If push ever comes to shove, remember that you and your family’s safety matters most. In the end, everything else is replaceable.
Most people only learn they’re underinsured once a hurricane has already damaged their home, costing them thousands. And if you don’t
—The Denmon Pearman Team 1 DENMONPEARLMAN.COM
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SCHOOL’S OUT! WHAT CAN YOU DO? It’s summertime, which means your kids are out of school and at home during their break. This is an exciting time because you get to spend more time with your children, but it can also be stressful. Since your kids are not engaged in school every day with their peers, you may have to find ways to keep them entertained during the summer. Luckily, there are a few activities your children can do to stay busy and active while they’re on summer break. Visit your local library. exhibits and learn more about history or science. Who said learning couldn’t be both fun and educational? Create a craft station. Do you have creative children? Then a craft station is a perfect activity to get their creative minds turning! You can either go to your big-box store and pick up some arts and crafts supplies, or you can use items from around 4 ACTIVITIES TO KEEP YOUR KIDS BUSY
your home, such as used printer paper, toilet paper rolls, old colored pencils or crayons, and items from nature. If you need inspiration on what to make, you can look online for different crafts your child can create. Visit parks and recreation areas. Summer camps can be expensive; luckily, some parks and recreation centers host day camps that are much cheaper than private camps. Sometimes they will have daily activities that your child can participate in to burn off some energy. If you’re looking for a place where your children can play outside and stay active, going to your local parks is a great resource. If they aren’t hosting day camps, you and your children can play outside by throwing a Frisbee, having a picnic, or going on a nature walk.
Make a habit of visiting your local library once a week for your children to pick out books they can read. You can challenge them to see how many books they can complete over the summer. Although your child may read educational books for school, now is their time to pick out something they want to read just for fun. Some libraries offer summer reading programs and activities that your child can participate in. By going to the library over the summer, your child’s mind will stay engaged, and their love for reading can increase. Go to local attractions. In most states, there are history and science museums, art galleries, and zoos that you and your children can visit. If these attractions are state- funded, they often have free admission for visitors. These activities are great if your child is a visual learner. They can touch and interact with
Summer is an exciting time, and with these activities, you and your child can spend some quality time together!
GONE FISHING Check out Pinellas County’s Top Spots
Most people associate Florida with sunshine, surfing, and swimming. But our state has also been called the Fishing Capital of the World for plenty of good reasons, and you don’t have to travel far to reel in the big one. We’ve got more than our share of excellent fishing spots around Pinellas County, and we’ve shared some of our favorites below. Weedon Island Preserve Near the fishing pier at Weedon Island Preserve, a bridge once connected Weedon Island and Snell Island. Now, it’s the perfect place to catch sheepshead, jack, or snook. You might also come across redfish, ladyfish, or trout. Wading is particularly popular at this location, but you can also fish by boat or kayak or pass the hours by fishing straight from the pier. Get more details on what to expect from the experts at Florida-Fishing- Insider.com/weedon_island_preserve.html. Skyway Fishing Pier State Park Want to visit the world’s largest fishing pier? You’re in luck because it’s close to home. Once the new Sunshine Skyway Bridge over Tampa Bay was completed, the old bridge got converted into an angler’s delight. The pier is open 24 hours a day, and the lighting provides safety while also attracting certain fish species. It is an excellent location for tarpon, grouper, black sea bass, and many other species. The park charges a $4 fee per vehicle and fisher, and you can learn more at FloridaStateParks.org/learn/fishing-skyway-pier . Fort De Soto Park This beautiful park hosts not one idyllic fishing spot but two. The Bay and Gulf piers provide different experiences, and if you’re unsure which you prefer, there’s always time to try both. The bait and tackle shop sells fishing essentials, food, and beverages. If fishing isn’t your thing, the park is also perfect for bird-watching, and the Gulf Pier is a reliable place to see a dolphin or two. Learn more about the rules and hours by visiting PinellasCounty.org/park/05_ft_desoto.htm. Before heading out, keep things legal and lighthearted by securing a current fishing license. Once that minor detail is taken care of, you’re ready to cast a line and while away the day.
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HITTING IT OUT OF THE PARK
Inspired by EatingWell.com
INGREDIENTS
• • • • • • • • •
3 1/2 cups small broccoli florets 1/2 cup red onion, chopped 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
3 tbsp mayonnaise
1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp honey
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup seedless grapes, halved
1/4 cup sliced almonds
MEET PAUL KNUDSEN!
DIRECTIONS
1. In a medium pot, bring water to a boil. Add broccoli and onion, cooking until the broccoli is tender. 2. Once broccoli is cooked, drain water and add the vegetables to a bowl filled with ice water. After 2 minutes, drain water and pat vegetables dry. 3. In a medium bowl, combine yogurt, mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper. 4. Fold in the broccoli mixture, grapes, and almonds. Serve immediately.
Paul Knudsen loves to help people; it’s why he became an attorney. He began practicing family law 10 years ago before switching to estate planning and probate law. He has now been with Denmon Pearlman for almost six years. Paul talks about practicing family law and says, “I would often help clients with estate planning after their divorces.” He enjoyed the work and quickly saw the difference it made. “I have realized that estate planning provides a lot of value to my clients’ lives and to those of their children,” he says. The work also allows him to use his creative thinking skills. “Not every client has a straightforward issue,” he says. “It’s nice to think outside of the box to help those clients.” The clients, after all, are what keeps Paul fulfilled in his profession. “It’s nice to help people receive peace of mind after they’ve done their estate planning,” he says. “It’s also nice to help the family members of those recently deceased navigate the tricky process of probate.” Paul’s work has only reinforced the importance of family, so he spends as much time as possible with his own. He has been married for 10 years and has three children, Grayson (8), Cooper (4), and Annie (1). Grayson began playing baseball in 2020 when the family looked for safe outdoor activities for him to try. “My friend was coaching the team at the time and asked me to be an assistant,” Paul says. He now coaches both Grayson’s baseball team and Cooper’s T-ball team. Coaching has provided additional opportunities to bond with both of his sons. Despite other kids being present, he explains, “It provides more one-on-one time than we would otherwise have together.” Coaching also allows Paul to contribute to the well-being of the children he works with. He explains that it’s not uncommon for a kid to struggle with an aspect of a game, and it’s his job to find ways to help the child improve. “I find it extremely rewarding to see hard work pay off and watch a kid get better at baseball,” he says. “Denmon Pearlman is extremely involved in the community, and I feel this is another opportunity to give back.”
(EASY WAY OUT)
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INSIDE 1 Preparing Your Family and Home for Hurricane Season
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Kid-Friendly Summer Activities!
Our Top Local Fishing Spots
Meet Attorney Paul Knudsen!
Broccoli and Grape Salad
Woman Sues Weatherman
A CASE DRENCHED IN DISORDER WHEN IT RAINS, IT POURS
Some people love the rain. After all, there’s something magical about thunder rolling through the clouds as lightning illuminates a multitude of raindrops. Yet, if the storm is too strong — or even dangerous to be in — people might not enjoy it at all. And that certainly appears to have been the case in 1996 when an Israeli woman in Haifa, Israel, sued a television station because of their incorrect weather report. The weather forecaster, Danny Rup, predicted that the day would be beautiful and sunny, but the weather had a mind of its own and ended up being rainy, dark, and gloomy. Because the woman relied upon the accuracy of the report, she left her home without a raincoat or an umbrella and got caught in the pouring rain. As the old wives’ tale goes, if you get caught in the rain, you’ll catch a cold. Well, the woman claimed that after being exposed to inclement weather, she caught the flu and subsequently was out of work for four
days, had to visit the doctor, and spent $38 on medicine. Due to such a daunting experience, she also said that she suffered additional stress from the entire situation. The woman ended up taking Channel 2 news station to a small claims court where she sought financial compensation to cover her sickness and suffering — as well as an apology from the forecaster who wrongly predicted the weather. The woman stated that weather forecasts are legally binding. Many of us would see this as a frivolous lawsuit, but the TV station settled out of court and the woman received $1,000 for her pain and suffering and an apology from Danny Rup. Despite this case, most people take weather predictions from television and radio forecasters with a bit of skepticism thinking that forecasts are just a well-educated guess based on available resources — and it can change on a whim. It’s just the nature of it!
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