What does this sentence means?

SCUD

Q1: I was with AA and now got better quote from Post Office.

In the Post Office policy they had this sentence:
• the walls don't show signs of cracking or bulging

what kind of cracks the mean here? the normal ones inside the house?


Q2: I once called my previous insurer AA about cracks on the staircase walls but I ignored their demand to hire a builder to assist them as I noticed the cracks were not big issue.
The policy is canceled now as I got better quote from Post Office but it was due to renewal in mid of March, but today AA sent me a letter said that my insurer Legal and General advised not to renew until checking the cracks.

Will this affect me when I apply for the insurance with Post Office because Legal & General Insurance name also mentioned in this new policy!

rs65

SCUD wrote: »

what kind of cracks the mean here? the normal ones inside the house?

I'm not sure what a normal crack is.

Getting cracks checked out sounds like a good idea to me.

bouncydog1

Your post is a bit confusing but it seems as if Legal and General were saying that they were not prepared to renew the policy until the cause of the cracks had been checked out.

This is in case it is some form of subsidence. You will need to get the cracks checked out.

This will also impact the application for the Post Office policy as it would need to be disclosed that your previous insurers were not prepared to renew the policy until further information had been obtained.

This is what is known as a material fact. You are required to disclose material facts to insurers to help them underwrite your policy.

Just_Some_Guy

Cracks come from two things: subsidence (big big problem) and the effect of the passage of time on building materials (a non issue). If the cracks are small and thin and confined to the surface the cause will be something mundane like central heating expanding and contracting old plaster, or structural timbers settling over decades, or a whole bunch of other causes. If the cracks are big and thick and go through the wall then your house is falling down.

You've told the insurer the magic words "my walls have cracks" so they're assuming the worst until you prove otherwise. You will need to get a builder in to say "big problem" or "no problem". If it's just normal hairline plaster cracks then I can't imagine any kind of issue, but I'm not a builder so don't take my word for it!

*Scarlett

You have 2 issues here.

Firstly as regards to the cracks - most homes will have some sort of cosmetic cracking but insurers are concerned about stepped or diagonal cracking which could indicate subsidence

Secondly it appears that you have now had an insurance policy refused which you will have to declare to any future insurers.

I agree that the easiest way to proceed is to get a builder or surveyor to check the cracks then you will know a bit more about where you stand on this. If they are just cosmetic cracks there should be no issue.

SCUD

Thank you guys for the replies.

The cracks appeared when winter came in and when the central heating started working!

They appeared and travelled on the wall but stopped now.

One of the cracks was on the wall that faces the staircase where there is a radiator at the bottom, and on the other side of the wall is the bathroom.

This had a kind of big crack which I could put my 20p coin in.
When I tap on it I hear a sound suggest there is emptiness behind it.
I looked from the other side of the wall which is from the airing cupboard and saw a brick wall while the one facing the staircase is kind of white board plaster gypsum material. The brick wall is fine and has no cracks.

Here I concluded that these could be old walls and not signs of subsidence as no cracks appeared in the bathroom ceiling or the two bedrooms flanking the staircase.

But in case I wanted to hire a builder. what would be their name?
There is a website called: mybuilder and it lists a lot of technical names but couldn't know which is the one suits me.
And when I hire him, should I ask him for official report?

Just_Some_Guy

Phone the insurer and ask them what exactly they need in terms of evidence for the severity of the crack. They'll probably have a guy on their books that they trust to do this kind of thing (they want to avoid unnecessary repairs but also not get in trouble for dodging necessary repairs). The cracks might be an early warning - plasterboard is a lot more fragile than brick so I would expect it to respond to stresses and strains sooner. A crack wide enough for a 20p piece is pretty big.

Other options: If you had any work done over the last year are cowboy builders bodging the job a possibility? Any chance of leaks?

SCUD

Just_Some_Guy wrote: »

Phone the insurer and ask them what exactly they need in terms of evidence for the severity of the crack. They'll probably have a guy on their books that they trust to do this kind of thing (they want to avoid unnecessary repairs but also not get in trouble for dodging necessary repairs). The cracks might be an early warning - plasterboard is a lot more fragile than brick so I would expect it to respond to stresses and strains sooner. A crack wide enough for a 20p piece is pretty big.

Other options: If you had any work done over the last year are cowboy builders bodging the job a possibility? Any chance of leaks?

This is my first year in the house so I'm not aware if there was any cowboy builders done any job.

Speaking of insurance refusal... I canceled my policy before I recieve the renewal refusal letter. Am I still considered as a preson refused to be given an insurance?

Quentin

SCUD wrote: »

.....Speaking of insurance refusal... I canceled my policy before I recieve the renewal refusal letter. Am I still considered as a preson refused to be given an insurance?

Yes - the question you are asked is along the lines of "have you ever had a policy cancelled or renewal refused......?"

(You must also disclose these cracks to any new insurer (including Post Office) you approach)

SCUD

Thank you guys a lot.

I just got a home insurance from Post Office.

I called them and told them about the cracks and the agent said: "that is ok, they are just plaster cracks" he also asked if there are any other cracks on another places around the house and I said no, there are no other cracks.

He asked if there are cracks on the exterior walls? I said no there are no cracks on them.

Then, I told him that I cancelled my policy with AA before receiving their letter saying they can't renew my policy. Am I considered as refused renewal?

He said no, as long as you cancelled before the letter arrived.

Quentin

As previously pointed out, the question you will have answered won't just concern "cancelled" policies! Sales agents cannot be relied on!

Get this matter (regarding the cracks not mattering, and the refused renewal not mattering) confirmed in writing - your old insurer looks to have put this "loss" on your record, and it could come back to bite in the future (eg. should you ever make a claim, and the database is checked)