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Original poster

If your neighbour's house floods, and your house is affected, whose insurance covers?

9 replies

splishsplosh · 09/01/2009 22:17

The water tanks in the houses of both our neighbours burst on Wednesday night, and some water has come through into our house, affecting some newly plastered walls.

One neighbour is uninsured. The other has insurance with More Than - that neighbour thought thir insurance would cover if our walls needed replastering but he says they told him not. Is this right?

OP posts:

evaangel · 09/01/2009 22:18

do they own the property?

ChasingSquirrels · 09/01/2009 22:19

we had this with our rental property. Ex dealt with it, but I have a feeling that we claimed it on our insurance, neighbour's didn't cover it.

MumHadEnough · 09/01/2009 22:21

I believe you claim your own insurance and then they pursue the neighbours insurance if there is some in place. If they manage to reclaim the costs your excess should be reimbursed.

Or something like that!

kd73 · 09/01/2009 22:23

To claim under a neighbours insurance policy, you will need to prove negligence on their part.

If you have your own insurance policy, contact them and they will seek to recover any monies in due course.

SoWhat · 09/01/2009 22:25

We got flooded by our upstairs neighbours when we lived in a flat. We had to claim on our insurance as they couldn't prove negligence as it was "escapism of water".

Original poster

splishsplosh · 09/01/2009 22:29

Thanks for the advice.
They do own the property
I don't know about the negligence bit - the insured neighbours went away on holiday and didn't leave their heating on, except 1 day when their son visited the house. Probably a bit foolish in the winter but they couldn't have known it would be so cold of course.

OP posts:

Aero · 09/01/2009 22:38

We had this as well years ago when our upstairs neighbour's washing machine flooded through to our ceilings. The flat was rented and we complained to the Landlords who sorted it out and we paid nothing, but I don't know if they went through insurance.
It might be that you'll have to claim on your insurance and then your insurers may persue their insurers for the money. This could take some time though.

evaangel · 09/01/2009 22:45

surely their building insurance should cover that?

sb6699 · 09/01/2009 23:08

You should claim on your own insurance. If liability is established they will then pursue the cost through your neighbours insurance.

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