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House flooded - need advice on dealing with insurance please

6 replies

VerityBrulee · 22/12/2011 12:34

In October the river close to our house burst it's banks and our street was waist high with water. We live in a single storey cottage and the water came into the house to a level of about 25 cms. The insurance company have agreed with the builders that we need to have the floors taken up dried out and replaced and that the plaster needs to come off the walls to a height of 1 meter.

The insurance co want the kitchen cupboards removed, the walls behind them dried and replastered and the old kitchen put back. They also want the same with the bath and shower. At one point sewage from the flooded pipes came up into our bath, shower and toilet.

The river water that came into the house was contaminated with amongst other thing e-coli. In the bedrooms where we had sodden carpets the smell from the bacteria was literally sickening. The whole house has been fermenting this bacteria for the last 8 weeks, the smell is awful and everything is covered in mould.

I really don't feel happy about reinstating to old kitchen, putting food, etc back in those cupboards. Likewise I am not happy with the idea of bathing my dc in that bath.

We have a new for old insurance policy that we have paid dearly for over the years. AIBU to expect a new kitchen and bath from the insurance co?

Thanks for any advice, I am a novice at this and suspect the loss adjuster, who has been reasonable up to this point may not be so nice once I start arguing with him.

OP posts:
maydaychild · 22/12/2011 12:50

Stand firm. Insist, and put everything in writing to them, requesting their response in writing. If they say something verbally on the phone, ask them to put this in writing. You will need this incase you end up at ombudsman. Tell them this is why you want everything in writing by the way.

You need to be careful re moving out does your policy have a limit on alternative accomodation?
Ours didn't most do. The builders fannyed around for 4 months, our hotel bill was £1500 a week! London.

they put our old kitchen back in and it wasnt' water damaged. It didn't go back in straight at all, gaps everywhere. Cheap kitchens are not designed to!
We ended up being paid out £16k by ombudsman but it took about 3 years!

SO check limits on policy as they may mean you don't have much time to argue but definitely do argue. Refuse basically. Ask them to put in writing their reasons, put your reasons back to them, if they dont' budge tell them you are taking legal advice etc. You may have to take legal advice!
Stay calm, write down the time date name of the person you spoke to and what the conversation entailed EVERY SINGLE TIME. Get a special notebook just for this.

Good luck!

maydaychild · 22/12/2011 12:53

oh also take photos of everything constantly. Every day. Of the builders progress as well. Dig out photos of you living in your house and tell them you can prove what it looked like before they start. Are the builders theirs or yours?
Ask the loss adjuster to details the time the work should take as well in writing.

Can you tell I had a bad time!! Bastard Norwich union

NewBikeForChristmas · 22/12/2011 13:02

Give these guys a ring, they are experts in this stuff National flood forum.

VerityBrulee · 22/12/2011 13:17

Thanks for that advice Mayday. I hate arguing but I guess I'm just going to have to grit my teeth. I have lots of photos, but they don't capture the smell Grin

That is a great link, thanks NewBike. We're not in the UK (in Dublin) but the basics should be the same.

I just hate the idea of using the kitchen cupboards in particular.

Also, I'm assuming that the ins co will try to get away with paying for as little as possible and I'd be foolish to blindly accept their first offer?

OP posts:
maydaychild · 22/12/2011 19:55

My experience was there was no other offer. I then proved to Ombusdman with my notes and photos that I had raised relevant concerns which ins ignored. plus poor communication and total abuse of our possessions etc by builders
We had a disaster all around. I found their staff to be utter pig ignorant a-holes
Hope your experience is better.

PigletJohn · 23/12/2011 00:00

I had a large and quite unsatisfactory claim, L&G apponted a Claims Handler who was useless. I think I would recommend engaging a Loss Adjuster yourself. I imagine you will have to pay his fee, but I think it would be worth it if he is able to get the claim resolved quickly and correctly. I didn't do it but presumably there is an Institute or something of them.

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