Hello, I’m looking for some advice on handling a situation with a contractor who has damaged my property:
Neighbour and I had shared fence at front of house replaced. Neighbour found a fencing contractor who quoted for the job and we accepted. Neighbours went on holiday to their holiday home for a few weeks. A month after the fence install I received a notice from Thames Water to say they thought I had a leak, giving me 6 weeks to find and arrange for it to be repaired, and within 4 weeks if I wanted chance of reimbursement of excess water paid. The same day I received the letter, neighbours returned from their holiday home and noticed water on their side of the fence in the front garden, halfway between houses and pavement stop cock. The water had not been visible my side as there is shrubbery covering it.
On inspection we could see the water bubbling on my side of the fence under the shrubs so the water is coming from my supply pipe. Visit from Thames Water engineer confirmed this. I have a smart meter and looked at my account usage to see that water usage tripled the afternoon of the fence install and is currently leaking 30 litres an hour. Fencer came round to inspect and said he may have damaged the pipe installing the fence post, he dug out the post and we could all see that is what has happened. He has liability insurance and is happy to claim. To add to this, the pipe, we could see, is a lead pipe (am in London, a hard water area). My home insurance does not cover third party accidental damage to pipes, only if I had damaged it myself.
Fencer has said he has been chasing his insurers but I am now getting concerned. I can also chase his insurers but imagine it could take months to go through the process and in the meantime I need to get the pipe repaired as soon as possible - the four week deadline will be up in ten days!
I have a quote for this from a TW recommended supplier but if I proceed with this does it nullify the fencers insurer covering the cost? Will they only pay if they’re arrange the work themselves?
Sorry for length of post! TIA