Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Urgent Advice Needed

46 replies

ChrissieS79 · 11/02/2017 09:50

My sister and BIL are on hols for 2 weeks and didn't take mobiles and a have said they wouldn't be checking emails Facebook etc.

I've gone round to pick up mail and water plants to find there's a leak in the roof which has come through the upstairs ceiling.

I found their house insurance docs and called explained the situation to be told that only the policy holder can make a claim!

Asked if I was to pay for the repairs now if they could claim back on their return to be told no.

Not sure what to do, and ideas?

OP posts:
PotteringAlong · 11/02/2017 09:52

Turn the water off, leave it until they get back.

LIZS · 11/02/2017 09:52

Do you know where they are staying? How bad is the leak? Damp patch or dripping?

hesterton · 11/02/2017 09:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

thecolonelbumminganugget · 11/02/2017 09:55

put something under it to catch any more water that might come in. Send them a marriage in face book (include photos). Wait for them to respond. They might not want to claim in the insurance

AgentProvocateur · 11/02/2017 09:55

If it's dripping, put a bucket under it. Can you pay a roofer to do a temporary repair till they get back? Unless there's a lot of rain forecast, it can probably wait till they're home.

thecolonelbumminganugget · 11/02/2017 09:55

*message

Original poster
ChrissieS79 · 11/02/2017 09:55

Sorry, roof leak, so the rain's coming in.

Had strong winds mid week and it's raining now

OP posts:
Unsure123456 · 11/02/2017 09:56

Phone the hotel if you know where they are staying

Nocabbageinmyeye · 11/02/2017 09:56

Turn the water off is all you can do. Who the fuck goes completely uncontactable on holidays? What if someone was dying? I wouldn't stress too much, you've done all you can, just get the water turned off

Nocabbageinmyeye · 11/02/2017 09:57

Ah sorry cross posts, message them on fb anyway and if you know the hotel contact them otherwisenot much you can do really

Spring2016 · 11/02/2017 09:59

I would phone their hotel, and ask to speak to them. I would also send emails and pm at fb just in case they log on sonewhere. If not staying somewhere with a phone, call the local police and explain the situation, they may be willing to go to them with the message to call as it is an emergency.

Creampastry · 11/02/2017 10:01

Phone the hotel and send them texts

Original poster
ChrissieS79 · 11/02/2017 10:01

Called the travel company, couldn't find the hotel they're staying at.

They're going to get a local rep to find them

Holiday "off grid" never again.......

OP posts:
SorrelSoup · 11/02/2017 10:03

Can you see a roof tile missing or moved?

elodie2000 · 11/02/2017 10:10

E-mail them. Phone & leave message, FB them and as you have already done, try to get rep to contact/find them.

In the meantime, stick a bucket under the leak & wait.

They are irresponsible not leaving ANY contact details.

Venusflytwat · 11/02/2017 10:12

Can you get into the loft?
If so put a bucket under the source of the leak, put towels down everywhere to mop on what's come in and have the heating on a bit to start the drying out process.

Message them with photos through every avenue you have just in case.

Foureyesarebetterthantwo · 11/02/2017 10:27

How stupid to leave no contact details, what if a family member got sick, had an accident, or as has happened something happened to their house.

It's possible to be off grid and still leave details for emergencies (like people did in the old days before mobiles!)

rightsofwomen · 11/02/2017 10:30

How irresponsible of them.

I went off grid last year for 4 days, but a few trusted people knew were I was.

KitKat1985 · 11/02/2017 10:31

I find it quite bizarre and a bit irresponsible that they've left no means of contacting them at all. Even if they asked only for people to call in an emergency. It sounds like you've made all reasonable attempts to contact them which is all you can do.

Honestly at this point I'd turn the water off and let them deal with it when they get back, (unless obviously the leak is very bad and it looks the ceiling is going to cave in).

DaphneDeLaFontaine · 11/02/2017 10:34

Put a bucket under it and leave it.

I wouldn't have called their insurance company tbh, they might not want to claim.

MsJamieFraser · 11/02/2017 10:34

we have a rule on our family that if a family member got sick or died we would not call the holiday makers, nothing they can do while abroad.

you will need to contain the leak as much as you can, get painting sheets and cover the whole area with it, then out bin or toy buckets down and cover with towels etc...

Allthewaves · 11/02/2017 10:34

Well the are complete muppets not to leave a hotel address.

I'd say bucket in loft

Foxysoxy01 · 11/02/2017 10:38

Can you contact a roofer and see if they will come out and put plastic over the roof, weighed down obviously.

Mehfruittea · 11/02/2017 10:42

I would never not leave contact details, but, if this were me I would be eternally grateful if you pretended to be me to the insurance company and started the ball rolling with repairs. It sound serious enough to not be cheaper than XS to sort out themselves. Especially as more harsh weather to come, if you could get the reroof covered as a stop gap (by specialist obviously!) that would prevent further damage. I'm sure insurance company would approve emergency measures. If you pretended to be SIL. Which is obviously against the law I think?

Data protection act means the insurance company need to satisfy themselves that only those entitled to information are accessing it. So if SIL were unhappy and complained they would be in the right, as they were not to know you were impersonating her.

Impersonating someone to make an insurance claim that you gain nothing from is probably not going to result in any prosecution and so not an issue.

If you think in laws would be ok with you going ahead, it would be a really nice thing to do!

meganorks · 11/02/2017 10:45

You could maybe get a quote from a roofer to repair or at least patch it? If you could do that for a couple of hundred quid I would be inclined to pay myself. But I guess that would all depend on how much it is/if you can afford/how likely they are to repay