what type of solicitor re house insurer ?

robj4y

sorry i hope its the right forum , it was hard to decide .

my mum has had an ongoing problem with her house/roof , she has liased with here long time insurer on and off for a few years to resolve it . it is covered under her insurance . they have attempted to fix it a few times using various contractors , and each time it has been done wrongly and mistakes have been made . it has meant moving out for a few weeks on occassions .

now a few years down the line the 'fixes' have resulted in her whole roof becoming even worse than it ever was originally . today the insurer has admitted total responsibility and offering to 'fix' again , and they in turn are seeking compensation for their negligence from their contractors . they are offering to fix unquestionably , this isnt an issue . admission of mistakes and responsibilty is not in question , nor are they difficult to deal with .

ultimately the whole top of her house is now needing replacing , not just the tiles but all the timber and everything . she will need to move out again , for 12 weeks estimated !! my mum is on her own and is 69 . it is affecting her health . she has been put on medicine by her doctor for the first tmie ever cos of the stress relating to health issues .

the offer to fix it again isnt an issue , the insurers are understanding and willing to do this which is fine . however given what she hs been thru for a few years in dealing with all the insurers , and their contractors , moving out , the constant upheaval is putting a strain on her health . so now she is looking to get a solicitor to act on her behhalf . she has been very accomodating to this point but feels enough is enough now and she should be coompensated for all of this . i agree .

what kind of solicitor does she need ? i dont even know where to start but thought id ask here its always a goldmine of invaluable info :money:

thanks rob

InsideInsurance

TBH, the solicitor will do nothing but cost her money. You are talking about under 5k and so in small track threasholds where each party must bear their own legal costs.

Your more sensible route is to take the matter to Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) if you are unhappy with the insurers resolution to the complaint but you will need to be clear what you want as a resolution (namely because you have to but also because it is unclear from your post here)

robj4y

hi thanks for reply . she will be asking for compensation for this mess ultimately . yes she will get her house back to as it was before their contractors messed it up which they have agreed to do , but seeing as she will be put out of her house for another 3 months , and its made her unwell , i feel she should be compensated not just have her house put back together . i felt a solicitor might handle this better than my mum or i . the insurers have said it has been messed up by their contractors and they will fix , but now my mum will have to move out again while all this is ongoing , and not for the first time at cost to her and her health .
do you still think the best course of action is FOS ?
appreciated

cockaleekee

I would suggest the FOS also. Have you actually asked for compensation? Has you logged a formal complaint with the insurer?

robj4y

no she has done neither . it was only today she was told another 3 months moving out which she is finding hard to accept , but obviously knows its a necessity . if this is her first course of action to log a formal complaint and ask for compensation then i will get on board with it .
do you suggest then if things dont go satisfactory she is to approach FOS ? is this the right step to take ? sounds good to me .
much appreciated input guys my mum will be pleased with the help

InsideInsurance

The FOS is best because it is free for you and doesnt prevent you going to the courts afterwards (though I dont know of any case where the courts have ruled differently to the FOS but there may well be some)

Technically she will have made a complaint already given the history but it will be easier to start the process again and formalise the complaint in writing getting proof of postage (doesnt need to be recorded delivery)

The insurers then have 8 weeks to respond to the complaint. If they havent or you are dissatisfied with the response you can then escalate the matter to the FOS

It is probably worth looking at http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/publications/technical_notes/distress-and-inconvenience.htm#15 to get some idea of the scale of compensation which will be considered reasonable

robj4y

hey thanks for the help ill have agood read on there this afternoon and do as advised .
awesome !
:T