Home insurance fraud i think..advice

finlander

I took out home insurance with legal and general.

i live in a grade 2 listed building and last year there was chimney fire. The damage was not great and consisted of about 5 pieces of damaged weather board, a scorched beam about 2ft long and minor smoke damage to the bedroom and hall. The chimeny also started to leak smoke, something that it had nover done before the fire.

The insurance company appointed claims handlers merlin. After much to and fro they appointed a builder and the repauirs were carried out. the chimney wasnt tested by the builder after his repairs and when I tested it 2 days later it leaked.

I called merlin and they stated that the chimney was faulty before the fire and that I would have to pay for an idependent report if I wanted them to pay.

I couldnt afford this as it would mean removing some of the roof tiles again and a large fee. Instead I argued that it was leaking due to the mortar being damaged by the intesity of the fire and got no where.

I had the chimney lined and a wood burner fitted.

however...my wife recently went to renew our insurance and was told by another company..now confirmed as well by l&g.. how much merlin and its builders had charged for opur repairs.

now the work done was briefly..

1. 7/8 lengths of weatherboard changed and painted.
2. two rooms decorated.
3 one beam about 2/3 ft long repalced under the weatherboard.
4. some cement slapped on the chimney that didnt stop it leaking.

the price charged and shown for our claim?......ready........ £17000.

yep £17000!!!!

this has meant we have been refused insurance by 2 compainies and the quote we have had to go with is now £1000 a year!


We have asked merlin for a breakdown and they claim they have lost our file..

legal and general sent us a schedule of works which described the above but no mention of any chimney repair and all the prices and cost blanked out.....

£17000 for this is massivly over the top.

where do I go with this?.... I think it sounds like fraud... ? It has cost us money in our renewal and our house was only fixed when we paid £1450 to reline the chimney.

I couldnt risk getting an engineer for £500 to find out that it was damaged before the fire and still having to pay for the relining.

any advice