Buildings Insurance

Jamboray_2

I have only found out today that my buildings insurance company are turning down my claim, due to the length of time since the accidents happened, I made the claim on the 5th Jan 2007 and sent this letter on the 27th Feb to support the estimates. I have asked for a copy of the policy as I do not have one, due to the building insurance being looked after by factoring agents, is there a time limit to when you can make a claim?


This is the letter I sent to the insurance company:

Dear Mr xxxx,

REF: Water damage to property

Following on from our telephone conversation on the 23rd February 2007 please will you accept this statement for my insurance claim.

Bathroom damage

Around about June 2006 a heavy perfume bottle fell from shelving in the bathroom into my WC pan, this caused a chip to the top of the pan, which was not of much concern other than cosmetic damage. In December 2006, one of my children told me that they thought the pan had moved. On checking the WC area, I could feel the carpet was damp at the base of the WC. When I pulled back the carpet the floor area was wet and the WC had sunk into the floor slightly, I saw that there was a hairline crack down the WC pan from the chip to just under the waterline. The back wall tiles had become loose due to the movement of the WC and had caused the fitting between the WC and the outlet pipe to leak. The base of the pan is located over a joist under the floor and this I think stopped the pan from falling through the floor. This is now of primary concern. The bathroom floor is now very unstable, and I am very concerned about physical injury being incurred by myself or a member of my family.

Kitchen/Living Room damage

In October 2006, I contacted xxxxxxxxxxx, to report a damp patch on the outside of my building above my kitchen window and down the side of my house wall between the kitchen and living room. I was informed that someone from xxxxxxxx would come out to examine the wall. (The girl who took my call, I think was called xxxxx?). I reported this to xxxxxx as they are responsible for the factoring and maintenance of the building.




There was no evidence of flowing water but I was aware of a hole in the wall, accommodating the overflow pipe above my kitchen window and the dampness appeared to be coming from there. I do not know if anyone came to look at the wall. In November 2006, I was decorating my living room where I discovered a damp patch in the corner of the room above the skirting board, this was not seen before, due to a cabinet in that corner. Initially I did not connect the dampness to the outside until later in December, I discovered loose and damp wallpaper above my kitchen window, I found it difficult to close my kitchen window, on investigation I could see a very slow drip falling outside my kitchen window, this I discovered had also been seeping in through the wall.

I contacted xxxxxxxxxxx to speak to Mrs xxxxxx, who is responsible for our property, she was not available, and therefore I left a message on her answer machine. Mrs xxxxx had not been in touch, I assume due to Xmas and New Year so I contacted xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx to report the flooding damage to my living room/kitchen and bathroom, on this occasion, I was informed I should make a claim on the buildings insurance.

xxxxxx then contacted our neighbors that live directly above us. They instructed a plumber to come and check the overflow pipe, and the ball !!!! in their main water tank was replaced.

We then arranged for the damage to be assessed by professionals in order to gain two estimates for repair of the damage. These have been sent to yourselves in respect of these claims.

Please find attached photographs to substantiate these claims. We welcome any inspection instructed by you.