Can I claim back duplicate household insurance?

Kara19840

I had bought a leasehold property about 12 months ago but was not told that the landlord would take out the insurance policy and would request payment from myself. I took out my own policy which I have been paying since before I moved in to the property.

I have recently had a request from the landlord to pay for the last 12 months and the contribution to the renewed policy. Unfortunately I don't have the funds to pay this due to paying for my own policy. Can I claim this back as it was duplicated in error and I was not aware another policy already existed?

No claims have ever been made against the policy.

TadleyBaggie

I'm afraid not, the insurance company will certainly point out they have provided cover for the last 12 months, whether you made a claim or not. If it was that simple, everyone at the end of the policy would be claiming the same thing and trying to get their money back.

p00hsticks

You can't get the money back from the insurance company, no.


However, in your shoes I think I'd be asking the landlord to point out where he'd told you that he would be taking out the insurance and expecting you to reimburse him at a later date.

If it's not in the tenancy agreement or had been communicated to you in any other way (In the circumstances, I would have expected the landlord to have provided you with a copy of the policy) then I think it's unfair of her/him to be expecting you to pay for it retrospectively now.

Are you sure the policies are both for house contents ? Ask the landlord for a copy so that you can see what's covered and how to claim - if he's expecting you to pay for it then I thikn you;re entitled to know what you are paying for.

kingstreet

At the time of purchase, your solicitor should have verified the insurance arrangements to check they meet your mortgage lender's requirements.

What feedback did you receive about the buildings insurance at the time?

NVRAM

Is the landlord claiming he's paid building or contents insurance?

If you're renting why on earth would you be paying the building insurance? it's not your building.

Similarly I wouldn't expect the LL to pay the contents insurance, how the hell does he know what my contents are worth?

Also whats to say the LL has insurance thats cost 1k+, when with a bit of shopping around he could have gotten it far cheaper?

Rereading, I'm a little confused? What kind of house/flat are you in?

regardlesss of wether any claims have been made the insurance has been running, so no unlikely to be able to get any form of reunf, otherwise people would just do this every year if they hadn't made a claim.

Paperwork will be the key here

kingstreet

Opening line;-

I had bought a leasehold property about 12 months ago.

NVRAM

Hence my question about what kind of property is it.
Seems an odd occurance tbh

Kara19840

The property I have purchased is a mews house. Basically a converted period house which was split into 3 so there are now 3 properties within it all are owned individually. However the lease for the building and land is owned by the developer/land lord.

I had received no feedback from my solicitor about insurance at time of purchase which is why I presumed I had to find my own.

Also the land lords cover is more expensive than mine even at a third of what he has paid which would be my contribution.

Having spoken to my land lord he seems to think I can claim it back as it was duplicated in error and most policies wouldn't pay up if they had know it was insured elsewhere also.

It's all a bit confusing.

AlisonHarrison

Actually, I think you might be able to get it back.
Some years ago I took out some income protection insurance for roughly my salary at the time.
I had forgotten that I also had another very small insurance for this which was linked to my mortgage.
When it became clear that I would be claiming I realised that I had duplicated the insurance and telephoned the mortgage one.
They told me that I would not be able to claim on theirs as I had another one and the insurance was invalid. On reading the policy I am not sure it was invalid, but anyway, they could not get their cheque to me quick enough to give me my premiums back.


Now the cynic could say that they only did this because they realised that I was about to claim.
However, if you would not have been able to claim on one policy then it should be refunded.
Why not phone them up and suggest that you might make a claim, and ask whether both insurances would pay.
My bet is that if they thought you might be claiming they might refund you PDQ.
My dealings with insurance companies over the last fifteen years have been unsatisfactory and when I have asked for file notes from them it has shown them more than willing to keep information from me, mislead me, and bend the truth to the extent of lying.
I would be surprised if they did not cough up if they thought you were anywhere nearing claiming.

kingstreet

NVRAM wrote: »

Hence my question about what kind of property is it.
Seems an odd occurance tbh

I thought you'd missed she had bought it.

A leasehold property is often insured by the freeholder, although this is more common with flats than it is houses.

It should have been checked out by solicitor at point of purchase IMHO to avoid such issues.