Help! Wall cracks - insurance, underpinning, etc

allyshaw

We spotted cracks down the side of our outside bay windows some time ago so started the claim process, which started with a surveyor confirming it needed to be investigated.

The insurer appointed their loss adjustor, whose advice was to remove the shrubs in our front garden, which he claimed were weakening the soil, then monitor the impact. We did that, however since then other people we've spoken to have pointed out that they may have actually helped strengthen the soil, so his advice was allegedly dubious.


He subsequently claimed the cracks were closing (and was closing the process), but frankly that was rubbish. We expressly told him we were not prepared to allow the case to be closed until we'd have a chance to monitor whether their instructions resolved the problem.

However, at that point we became idiots. Rather than follow it through every single day, we allowed the renewal date to come and go without engaging properly with ensuring we were getting a resolution. Instead we were switched to another insurer, at a far higher premium, and now have no cover for this type of problem.

So it appears that:

We still don't a solution to the problem
We can't get cover for this type of problem, even though we were told that an actual claim hadn't been activated
Our premiums have gone through the roof, so to speak
We will never be able to sell it for a half reasonable price

So you can imagine we're a little bit stressed. Avenues that springing to mind include:

Go back to the original insurer with evidence that we expressly told the loss adjustor not to close the case until we had a satisfactory resolution
Go to the ombudsman with a complaint about the shoddy advice and treatment
Get on with getting quotes for survey, excavation, underpinning…

It’s not lost on us that the insurer will probably tell us to get lost.

It would be wonderful if there was a magical solution to this problem that was one of you was aware of; but assuming not, any help in rationally thinking through the options would be terrific. Thanks.

allyshaw

Oh, and the other option we'd obviously thought about was repairing the cracks and keeping quiet about it. On the basis that our case didn't turn into an actual claim for anything like subsidence. But it isn't lost on us that if we now can't get insured for this type of problem and our premiums have gone sky high, clearly something has been registered somewhere, so we're assuming (?) we wouldn't be able to pull that off. We obviously don't want to do something illegal, or immoral, but if the original case didn't become something more formal, we're entitled to act accordingly.

BASFORDLAD

Who switched you to another insurer....??

allyshaw

Quoteline, or whoever we use to get us the best prices. But they will have written to us with a quote, which we patently chose to avoid giving our full attention, then activated it on the basis of whatever actual or implied instruction we gave them. We've obviously got ourselves at least partially to blame.

cattie

Unfortunately I think you've got yourselves to blame fully, not partially for deciding to go with another insurer once you'd implemented a claim with an insurance company and had a surveyor and an adjuster involved.

Once you've made a claim for remedial work or monitoring, the insurance company you are with have a code of conduct where they will continue to offer insurance on the building to you and any other owner. So, you always stick with the original insurer for this very reason.

By changing insurers, you have no claim on the previous company for any monitoring work they carried out. If you were unhappy for the claim to have been closed you should have said so at the time. If you had stayed with that insurance company, you could have called them out to reinvestigate the problem at any time.

You are lucky to have found another insurance company to take you on, but as you say it's at a cost, not just because of high premiums, but because any remedial work needed that was investigated before is not covered and that can be very, very costly for you.

It doesn't sound like a good situation to be in alas.

allyshaw

Agree, it's completely our fault. To be honest, we just got completely overwhelmed by the whole process and are now utterly devastated about the situation we've got ourselves into. So - we now have to work out our options. Which is why I'm on here. Sounds like looking up surveyor numbers.

Sammy85_2

Hi, Have you had an independant surveyor take a look at the problem? It would seem from your post that you weren't happy with the conclusions drawn by the insurers man.

I think you're at a dead end with regards to insurers (thought a few letters to them wouldnt do any harm) but I wouldn't go down the expensive underpinning route until you've had someone else come out to take a look. At worst it will delay underpinning by the time it takes to get a survey, at best you may find the problem is nowhere near as bad as you think

somalt

If your original insurers sent out loss adjusters they have registered it as a claim.
Since you made the claim with them they should deal with the crack repairs.
If you don't think removing the shrubs has helped get in touch with them and ask them to look at it again. It shouldn't make any difference that you're not insured with them now as the problem occurred when you were insured with them.

maninthestreet

Can you post a link to pictures showing these cracks?

BASFORDLAD

maninthestreet wrote: »

Can you post a link to pictures showing these cracks?

Yes that would be very useful indeed

DannyboyMidlands

Ok so the insurance thing is a bit of a balls up but I wouldn't worry too much about these cracks at the moment. Considering that you live there, you will be as able to monitor them as any surveyor. Are they getting wider? more extensive?

I assume that these cracks are the typical ones found where the bay meets the front elevation of the main house. If so, underpinnig sounds a bit OTT. It is probably more cost effective (but annoying) to just keep making good.