It’s officially the start of the holiday season. If you can believe it, Christmas is a little over a month away. Yikes! We can’t wait for all the fabulous parties and get-togethers with friends and family. But unfortunately, our modern-day society is not nearly as innocent and straightforward as it used to be. After all, the stereotype of American’s fondness for suing people fame from somewhere! Hosting a get together comes with a set of responsibilities on you as the host and homeowner, and some of them may surprise you.
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CONCERNING ALCOHOL
If you’re hosting a party at your home and inviting your friends who have minor children, you’ll have to make double sure that there are tight controls over who has access to that alcohol. And someone is monitoring the behavior of all underage persons at your party for signs of alcohol use.
Suppose a minor is found to have consumed alcohol on your premises with or without your knowledge. You could land yourself in very hot water. If you’re hosting a larger party, consider hiring party caterers with a bar service. That way there is a way to control who gets drinks and who doesn’t.
In addition to minors, if you allow one of your guests to drive home after consuming more than the legal limit of alcohol and they cause an accident, you could also face complex legal challenges. So be a friend – call a cab or let them stay over.
SAFETY AT HOME: IS YOUR HOME SAFE ENOUGH FOR A PARTY?
Suppose you are conducting renovations or you’re in the middle of a remodeling project, and the section of your home that’s being worked on cannot reasonably be marked out of bounds. In that case, you could be exposing yourself to legal issues if a guest injures themselves due to incomplete or damaged work. If you have fire pits, swimming pools, or other recreational “add ons” at home; you need to ensure that they’re safe or restricted depending on the type of guests you’re inviting.
NOISE ORDINANCES
Does your neighborhood or community have specific noise ordinances, and are you aware of them? Local governments emphasize noise complaints to minimize noise pollution and the number of callouts that law enforcement has to attend to, primarily since we could use them elsewhere more productively. So check with your local region to ensure you’re on the right side of 10:00 pm.
CORONAVIRUS RESTRICTIONS
Your area could be subject to local laws that govern the number of people permitted in specific spaces while the pandemic is ongoing. You cannot claim that “you didn’t know” as it is incumbent on every citizen to know their responsibilities when engaging in certain activities.
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Just like you arm yourself with the knowledge of what you’re entitled to when things go wrong when transacting with vendors or retailers, or knowing when you may need medical malpractice attorneys, you must also know what your responsibilities are for ensuring a safe and secure environment for your guests.
