Home Insurance Problem

Douglas1234

Hi,

Our house was flooded in July 2007. Our home insurance company sorted everything out (eg. paid for items flooded and repaired flooring walls etc).

Just recently we noticed some damp in the kitchen, hallway and downstairs toilet. The skirting had dropped off quite early in the hallway but we just thought this was bad workmanship from the builders but not sufficient cause for complaint.

We called our home insurance to come and have a look and the insurance guy believed our house had not been dried properly after the flooding 4 years ago and the moisture had gradually spread causing mold and damp walls and bowed laminate flooring. He made a report and we phoned the insurance company today to see what was happening. They have said it is not covered as the original claim is closed after a year and that as the damage has happened gradually that is also not covered.

It took them 7 months to finish our house. The company they sent to dry the house installed the fans and came out a month later to check it was dry and they did so issuing a certificate that is was sufficiently dry. The builders came in and did a re-check and found it to still be damp. The house was left for a month with no drying equipment until some became available and work started once a certicate was issued again.

Do I have any chance of the home insurance taking responsibilty for this and their own inspector reported that it was a result of the company they instructed to dry our house not doing properly. They seem to think that because a certificate was issued stating the house was sufficiently dry we are not covered even though when one was produced first time around it was proved the house was still damp. Chances are that a certificate shouldn't have been produced at the second attempt.

Thanks,

Douglas