chicago Archives - Melendez Insurance

The Chicago Winter is here. And with it comes difficult driving conditions like whiteouts and black ice. Road salt definitely helps makes the roads safer. A study conducted by Marquette University found that de-icing winter roads with salt reduces accidents by 88 percent and injuries by 85 percent. Each year, state and local agencies spend more than $2.3 billion on snow and ice control operations. Yet there are some definite downsides to road salt when it comes to your car. Read on to learn exactly how road salt works—and what road salt does to your car. How road salt works Salt—a.k.a. sodium chloride in scientific terms—lowers the melting point of water. So while water normally freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit, water needs colder temperatures in order to freeze when it’s exposed to salt. The more salt you add, the lower the temperature needed to freeze water is. The water that results after salt is applied to ice is known as “brine.”… Read More

When things go wrong inside your house, you know the burden’s on you (or your homeowners insurance) to get things fixed. Things can get a little confusing when something is kind of yours and kind of your city’s responsibility. Who pays then? While there’s usually no clear-cut answer, the following information can give you some clarity around the issue. Trees Trees cause more than $1 billion of property damage in the United States every year. Who pays for that damage can be tricky. And that’s true whether your neighbor’s tree falls in your yard or a tree straddles the line between your property and your city’s property. If a tree is located between your street and your sidewalk, it is typically owned by the city. So it would probably be your city’s responsibility to remove it if it fell or became damaged. Many cities have an arborist on staff who can let you know for sure.… Read More

Tag: chicago

What Road Salt Does to Your Car

What is the City Responsible For?