Insurance Claim

[SheDoneAlreadyDoneHadHerses]

I put a claim in for movement of my property, had a loss adjuster come out to look. They send out someone to make notes and take photos. This then goes back to the office where someone else makes the decision based on what was noted/photo'd.

It was raining at the time and my downpipe was blocked (does this often with leaves) and he said that it looked like an escape of water into the bedroom had caused dry rot and subsequently a 25mm movement of the floorboards. The man who came didn't lift any carpets but measured the gap between the skirting board and carpet.

Fine, so I get rentakill out to quote for dry rot (no other takers on RatedPeople) and when that chap comes in, he lifts the carpet and floorboards and points out woodworm but that the external bricks have no mortar between them - there's big gaps, but the external wall is pebbledashed so you'd never see it. BUT there is a crack on the external wall - but yet the loss adjuster didn't lift anything to look.

I've rung the insurance company back and they've said that they stand by the loss adjuster's decision and that I now need to appoint my OWN structural engineer to do a report and go back directly to the loss adjusters who came out on behalf of the insurance company.

I'm stuck now. I can't afford to get someone out (I've been made redundant) and I'm looking at increasing cracks throughout the house, a bulging wall, and the possibility that I need to sell the house as I can't complete the works myself.

Does anyone have any ideas as to what I do now? I've put a complaint in but I don't think I'm going to get anywhere....

[kirinm]

Challenge it in writing and make a fuss. Can you get rentokil to note something down which you can pass to the insurers? I'm an insurance lawyer and insurers are flexible if a fuss is made.

Basically become a pain! But also, if you can stretch to a structural engineer who can support your views that's your best bet.

[SheDoneAlreadyDoneHadHerses]

Thanks Kirinm.

They've just rung me back and said there's a letter (never received by me) that says there is movement but it's not subsidence so it's not insured and the wall needs strapping(??)

I'm waiting on a copy of it but with this new bit of info, it would appear I'm screwed.

The joys of home-owing eh?

[kirinm]

Check the wording of your policy. I have no idea what wall strapping is! You might want a second opinion so you challenge the declination. Was the loss adjuster a qualified engineer?

[kirinm]

Check the wording of your policy. I have no idea what wall strapping is! You might want a second opinion so you challenge the declination. Was the loss adjuster a qualified engineer?

[southwest1]

I know with the subsidence I had last year that the insurance company made it very clear that if they discovered that the movement was due to damp or wet or dry rot when the floor was lifted that it wouldn't be covered by the insurance company and we'd have to pay for it ourselves. Thankfully it turned out to be subsidence and so it was covered.

I would challenge them. My neighbour had to fight with hers for a year to get them to agree to investigate her problems which we all knew was subsidence but the insurance company kept claiming it wasn't even though they'd not carried out any checks.