June 23, 2020 6:51 pmPublished by Swerling Milton WinnickLeave your thoughts
1. What’s your favorite part of the job? I like that the job is always changing. I enjoy meeting new people, and being in new places. It’s nice that I’m not always at a desk. I tend to be a very regimented person, and this job forces me to mix things up and deal with… View More
June 16, 2020 6:29 pmPublished by Swerling Milton WinnickLeave your thoughts
Commercial policy (CP) holders: RTFP alert! This time, reading the full policy will inform you about a potentially costly exclusion involving one of the most notorious – and toxic – building materials on the planet: asbestos. Read the F#@*%ing Policy! Specifically, read the endorsements including the asbestos exclusion. Sometimes, the removal of asbestos is limited… View More
June 9, 2020 6:22 pmPublished by Swerling Milton WinnickLeave your thoughts
In property insurance settlements, when the insured and the insurance carrier can’t agree on the value of a loss, the case might go to a mediation process known as Reference. This is unique to Massachusetts – as codified in Mass. General Law Chapter 175 Section 99 et seq – but similar to the Appraisal process… View More
June 2, 2020 6:19 pmPublished by Swerling Milton WinnickLeave your thoughts
Amidst the COVID crisis, we wanted to take a moment to say “Welcome Home” to the unit owners at the Old Reading Schoolhouse Condos. They recently moved back into their homes after a very long reconstruction process, which was expertly managed by the outstanding team at Brigs property management. Having worked with Brigs through each… View More
May 26, 2020 6:16 pmPublished by Bryan HoltzmanLeave your thoughts
1. What did you learn from your dad about being a PA? My dad, Jerry, actually discouraged me from getting into the business. I watched him when I was young, and he was working all the time. I have to say, he always made it a priority to come to every baseball game that I… View More
May 19, 2020 5:31 pmPublished by Swerling Milton WinnickLeave your thoughts
May flowers bring pilgrims, and June brings…floods. As summer storms roll in, homeowners should think about their insurance coverage for floods. That’s because we’re entering the season of hurricanes – and that often means torrential rain, high winds, and storm surges. These can result in uprooted trees, crippled power lines, and floodwater across entire regions…. View More
May 12, 2020 5:39 pmPublished by Swerling Milton WinnickLeave your thoughts
Putting property in a realty trust is often a prudent move. A realty trust gives you a separate entity for the purposes of collecting rents, paying expenses and distributing income to trustees. For legal and tax reasons, not to mention risk and succession objectives, the realty trust can make a lot of sense. But don’t… View More
May 1, 2020 5:50 pmPublished by Swerling Milton WinnickLeave your thoughts
Surface water is an excluded loss under insurance policies, except for flood insurance policies. But what is “surface water” exactly? If a water main breaks under the street in front of your home, and the water enters your basement causing damage to your mechanical room, is this damage covered? Once the broken pipe’s water flows… View More
April 28, 2020 5:56 pmPublished by Swerling Milton WinnickLeave your thoughts
One of the top thought leaders in the property insurance industry, Chip Merlin Jr., Esq., founder and president of the Merlin Law Group, regularly writes about issues we care about. Whenever we see one of his posts that really resonates with us, we recommend it to our own readers as a ‘must-read’ article that delivers… View More
April 14, 2020 6:11 pmPublished by Swerling Milton WinnickLeave your thoughts
SMW is proud to announce that we have fully embraced the age of digital transformation – and it’s all the way in 3D. With our recent adoption of Matterport, a powerful all-in-one 3D data platform, Matterport helps our adjusters assemble claims using the very latest technology, making loss sites more easily accessible. This is hugely… View More
