Whisler Law Firm - October 2021

A HISTORICAL LOOK AT THIS WACKY FALL TRADITION Corn Mazes Date Back to Ancient Greece?

Exploring a corn maze is a great way to get outside and enjoy the fall season with friends and family — but who came up with the idea of wandering around a corn field for fun? As it turns out, outdoor mazes are an ancient tradition, and the American corn maze of the ‘90s sprouted from the mazes of 17th-century European gardens. Don’t believe it? Here’s a quick tour of corn maze history.

This story isn’t the first recorded example of a maze or labyrinth — according to the World History encyclopedia, “[L]abyrinths and labyrinthine symbols have been dated to the Neolithic Age in regions as diverse as modern-day Turkey, Ireland, Greece, and India, among others” — but it’s perhaps the most famous ancient tale. If you’ve ever navigated a Halloween corn maze staffed by ghouls and ghosts, you can see the parallels! Garden Art to Get Lost In Mazes formed from bushes began popping up European gardens in the 17th century. They were a popular artistic feature of upper-class gardens in England, more for looking at than solving. One famous example is the half- mile-long Hampton Maze, which was planted in 1690 and still stands today. The Corn Maze: An American Invention Garden mazes eventually hopped the pond to America but didn’t become interactive puzzles until Don Frantz, Creative Director of the American Maze Company, came on the scene. In 1993, Frantz created the “first ever cornfield maze for private and public entertainment” to attract college kids in Pennsylvania. Today, every small-town corn maze is a descendant of his “Amazing Maize Maze.” To learn more about that wacky history, visit AmericanMaze.com. In Florida, hurricanes cause lots of damage and the rainy summers aren’t much help, either. When disaster strikes or something goes wrong within a home, Floridians want to seek out repairs but may not have a large enough savings to do so. As discussed in the cover article, insurance companies are notoriously difficult to deal with and may take a long time to pay out the claim, IF they pay it out at all. Thus, many people who find themselves in this situation may drain their savings, have no way to pay for the repairs, or be left with nowhere to live while they scramble to come up with a solution. An assignment of benefits, or AOB, can be the key to a situation like this. An assignment of benefits allows for repair and mold remediation companies to perform the services without the homeowner having to pay. Essentially, it gives a third party the authority to make repair decisions, file a claim, and collect the payments on behalf of the homeowner. It is often referred to as “a customer-friendly and efficient way to pay claims.” The way it works is that the insurance company will pay at a later date. However, many insurance companies may be skeptical of a standing assignment of benefits, but that’s where we come in! We are here to assist the restoration companies in drafting proper and legally binding contracts while helping to document the expenses and file a claim in a timely manner — making sure the insurer does not skirt by with a low-ball settlement amount. If you have any questions or concerns about an assignment of benefits or would like more information, contact the professionals at The Whisler Law Firm today for assistance!

The Minotaur and the Maze Have you heard of Theseus and the Minotaur? This ancient Greek legend tells the story of the hero Theseus, who ventured into an elaborate maze to kill the half-man, half-bull imprisoned there. The monstrous Minotaur was known to eat heroes, and the

labyrinth was known to trap them, but Theseus managed to slay the Minotaur and find his way home with the help of a string that he unspooled as he walked.

How AOBs Can Work for You

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