Subsidence possibly not covered? - help!

mumlady1

Hoping someone with some knowledge or a similar experience can help me here.
Long story short - had an extension built (completed in December) it would now appear that the extension is subsiding (the existing house is fine).
The structural engineer's report confirms subsidance & the specialist loss adjuster verbally confirmed the same. However when I asked him at the end of his visit whether this would be covered under my household insurance, he said he would have to think about it :eek:

He couldn't confirm that it definitely would be, he also said as our policy was only taken out in February that our previous insurer may be the ones we need to speak to. He also said we may have to make a claim against our builder or original engineers professional indemnity insurance

This all sounds like it's going to be a bit of a nightmare & I can see all parties trying to wriggle out of paying.

In it's most basic form, surely if subsidence is covered under the terms of my policy (which it is) then the current insurer should be liable and if they feel the previous insurer has any liability, it should be up the insurers to sort that out between them?

I am stressed to the max about this so please only reply if you have some helpful & knowledgeable advice. Thanks

huckster

Sounds like the builder and/surveyor responsible for the extension would be liable. When my neighbour had an extension built, there was a problem with the ground and the foundations had to be done deeper than originally planned. I guess that if the builder has just done the foundation as per the original plan, there may have been a problem later.

I think you will have to report this to your current Home Insurers, as it has been confirmed that you do have a subsidence problem. The next question will be about who is liable. The Insurers will no doubt appoint their own surveyor to look into the situation and they will come back to you.

I think you may get to the point where Insurers don't think they are liable at all, because the building of the extension was defective. It is an exclusion under Insurance that they won't cover defective works, particulary given the recent nature of them. You may therefore have to start legal proceeding against the builders/surveyors you used for the extension.

vaio

Sounds like defective work on the extension and your insurer (current or previous) is very very unlikely to pay for that but as you have now notified them you'll suffer the blight of having a subsidence claim on your record.

This means most insurers will refuse cover and the few that will offer cover will charge £££

worst of all worlds

InsideInsurance

The two insurers will sort out the date thing between themselves if it goes down that route

It may be better to avoid having a subsidence claim on your Home Insurance though and pursue the engineer/builder depending on what the root cause of the problem is. If you have Legal Expenses/Protection on your home insurance then they will appoint solicitors to assist you in this

Quentin

InsideInsurance wrote: »

.......It may be better to avoid having a subsidence claim on your Home Insurance though and pursue the engineer/builder depending on what the root cause of the problem is. If you have Legal Expenses/Protection on your home insurance then they will appoint solicitors to assist you in this

It is better not to have your insurer know about a subsidence incident that may not even result in a successful "claim".


Which means not using your home insurance legal cover to pursue a claim against the builders following this incident of subsistence!

InsideInsurance

Quentin wrote: »

It is better not to have your insurer know about a subsidence incident that may not even result in a successful "claim".


Which means not using your home insurance legal cover to pursue a claim against the builders following this incident of subsistence!

Its a borderline thing and I was in two minds as what to post.

I have made 2 claims under my LE cover and all insurers I've had quotes from since werent interested in it at all and didnt ask what the subject maters were for the claims.

Of cause it may mean that the fact that your property has had subsidence may get into "the system" but presumably no one here would suggest lying to their insurers when the OP is asked in the future if their property has ever suffered from subsidence?? :A

magpiecottage

We have recently been looking at getting some work done. On discussing it with the builders, one quoted about 1½ times the price of the other.

The first one explained that he had looked at the entire situation and was quoting for work that was of sufficient standard to ensure it withstood any potential for movement etc. The other was simply quoting for what the planning permission said we could do.

The first explained that provided the second had done what was specified (as opposed to what was needed) their insurers would defend the claim.