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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

I am not worrying unnecessarily am I?

28 replies

witchofzog · 18/04/2016 18:47

I live with Dp in his house. I pay 50 % of the mortgage and bills. A couple of weeks ago someone set fire to a car parked a few doors down. I thought it was a one off but last night the house opposite had a car in their drive set on fire too. It transpires this happened a few years ago too with about 15 cars in this road and a neighbouring road alone being burnt down including both sets of dps neighbours cars.

I am really worried as dp has a car and a van parked at the side of the house. So close only 1 person can fit in the gap. And he is out at his hobby twice a week until the early hours. Oh and he never got round to telling the contents insurance people that I live here so my things are uninsured. I have always had insurance but apparently I am being daft and worrying uneccesarily. Our of the whole street it is unlikely to be us apparently and even if it is the house won't go up with it I am really angry that he hadnt put me on the policy and won't prioritise it now. And scared I am going to wake up with the van being on fire with the house going with it. Ffs Angry

OP posts:
JenniferYellowShat · 18/04/2016 18:49

Your car will have its own insurance though, not contents insurance?

TestingTestingWonTooFree · 18/04/2016 18:49

Why are you paying the mortgage if you've no interest (legal) in the house? You should be worried about more than just the insurance

JenniferYellowShat · 18/04/2016 18:49

Oh I see. It's really close to the house.

MsMims · 18/04/2016 18:51

Why hasn't he added you to the policy now? It's not too late yet.

I'd also be putting up cctv to try and discourage whoever the vandal is.

Original poster
witchofzog · 18/04/2016 18:52

Its only a teeny tiny mortgage Testing. A lot less than I would pay renting. Don't get me started on the lack of security though hence why I am.looking at buying my own home soon hopefully.

OP posts:
sooperdooper · 18/04/2016 18:53

Unless you've got individual specifically expensive items that you'd list seperately then your things in the house will be insured along with everything else in the house - I'd be more concerned about the police catching the arsonist!! And are your smoke alarms all working?

Original poster
witchofzog · 18/04/2016 18:55

We do have cctv msmims. We watched it yesterday to see what it has captured. Not much aside from a shadowy figure running past for a nano second. But the house next to the one targeted has at least 4 cameras so I don't think this will put him off.

He still hasn't put me on the policy. Aarggh

OP posts:
Original poster
witchofzog · 18/04/2016 18:56

Yes smoke alarms are all good thank God 😊

OP posts:
Hadalifeonce · 18/04/2016 18:58

You could always arrange your own insurance; although contents insurance usually covers all contents permanently in the home, not owner specific.

specialsubject · 18/04/2016 18:59

park the cars elsewhere. Why is he objecting to adding you to the house insurance policy?

Original poster
witchofzog · 18/04/2016 19:02

He says he is too busy. He WILL do it soon blah blah but never does. There is nowhere else to park the cars. The whole area was targeted last time. And dp won't park them on the road as he feels it is too risky. The van is his work van and the car is nearly brand new

OP posts:
Original poster
witchofzog · 18/04/2016 19:04

So will my clothes and furniture be covered? I always thought you had to declare how many people reside at the property

OP posts:
whomovedmychocolate · 18/04/2016 19:16

Why don't YOU just buy an insurance policy OP? You can always insure only fire if you are worried and it'll cost you peanuts!

sooperdooper · 18/04/2016 19:29

I thought home insurance was the toral value of contents in the house, plus individual high value items, not per person

topcat2014 · 18/04/2016 19:35

As you are a partner rather than just a lodger, I am sure all your possessions (ie both of you) will be covered.

If you were a lodger that would be different.

Nothing to stop your DP ringing the insurance co.

The house insurance insures the contents of the house.

If you were a bunch of students that would be different. They want to know about that because each person will have their own electronics etc, and the values are likely to be higher than in one household.

Also, lodgers tend to take more 'risks' than one household living together.

RunRabbitRunRabbit · 18/04/2016 19:37

You can get insurance. Definitely.

Lots of people live in house shares and have their own insurance. Their housemates or landlord wouldn't pay for it would they? Completely normal.

Original poster
witchofzog · 18/04/2016 19:41

But there is already a policy in place which I pay half of. I stupidly assumed I was on it. Surely you cant insure a home twice? I used to work in insurance and we ALWAYS asked how many people lived at a property. Though this was a decade ago and things may have changed a lot since then Confused

OP posts:
Griphook · 18/04/2016 19:51

Atop paying half, you can get contents insurance. I'd be a bot worried

AuntJane · 18/04/2016 20:15

The issue with insurance is that he would have been given a quote for just him living there, and would have answered questions relating to him, e.g. smoking habits. If he has not told the insurance company that a second person had moved in, the company could argue that the policy is not valid and could refuse the entire claim. I would point out to him that they could refuse to pay out for his property, so he needs to sort it out.

Original poster
witchofzog · 18/04/2016 20:40

That is exactly my worry Aunt Jane. He doesn't agree

OP posts:
RandomMess · 18/04/2016 20:43

Why don't you take out your own insurance policy on the place and then stop paying half of his...

AuntJane · 18/04/2016 20:57

Most insurance companies will do anything they can to reduce/get out if paying. Tell him to Google his insurer's name and 'complaints' - then contact them to inform them of the change of occupancy.

Original poster
witchofzog · 18/04/2016 21:12

But I am still not sure if you can insure a home twice Confused If I take a policy out then it will also need to cover him or it would also be invalid. So what then happens to his policy?

OP posts:
RubbishRobotFromTheDawnOfTime · 18/04/2016 21:21

But you wouldn't be insuring the home twice. He will have to have buildings cover with the mortgage. He'll have contents cover for his stuff. You, in the absence of a joint policy covering all the contents of the house, can have a policy covering all your things that aren't covered by his, e.g. your clothes, books, electrical, any items of kitchenware or furniture that you brought with you, etc.

Flatmates would have individual contents insurance policies. Just make sure that you answer all questions about who else lives in the house - which he also needs to do by updating his policy. At which point you might as well get one that covers all the contents and not his or hers.

3luckystars · 18/04/2016 21:30

You are not insuring it twice, you are adding yourself to the policy. Ring up the insurance company tomorrow and sort it out yourself.