Home Insurance

theduck1

Hi There

I have recently had the plaster from the front of my home blown off in a storm, when I contacted my insurance provider they told me that I would not be covered as I had not maintained the plaster, I have argued with them that it is impossible to maintain this as if there was a problem with it that it was not visible to the naked eye. Is this correct what they are saying or should they be covering this within my insurance? I have paid home insurance for 25 years and have never had one claim, so is there really much point in paying insurance?

Quentin

Your insurer is correct


If there was a problem over the way the plaster was originally applied then that problem is down to the applier and nothing to do with your insurance policy.


(Insurance doesn't cover wear and tear damage.)

InsideInsurance

theduck1 wrote: »

I have argued with them that it is impossible to maintain this as if there was a problem with it that it was not visible to the naked eye. Is this correct what they are saying or should they be covering this within my insurance? I have paid home insurance for 25 years and have never had one claim, so is there really much point in paying insurance?

Standard home insurance only covers specified perils - storm, flood, fire etc. For each of these there are definitions, for example storm normally requires the Met Office to have recorded certain weather conditions at their nearest monitoring post to you etc

It will also explicitly exclude certain things, namely defective workmanship and wear & tear. It also requires you to maintain your property to a reasonable standard.

So the question on this case is (1) was the weather bad enough to be considered a storm and (2) is there a wear and tear issue that is the real culprit or is it just storm damage

Whoever inspect the damage has evidently decided that it looks like there were underlying issues and these not the weather are the cause of the problem.

If you want to contest this then in the first place register a complaint and consider commissioning your own report into the cause of the damage

Remember that you will need to declare this claim going forward even if its declined.

xMonsoonx

Contact them and tell them you do agree with their decision and ask them if the have considered the 'but for' principle - but for occurrence X, would Y have resulted?

http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/publications/ombudsman-news/28/28-poormaintenance.htm

Hasbeen

Sorry guys! But I would be very worried if my plaster blew off in the wind!!










It might make my rendering/roughcast/harling unsafe:(
I would try and stick an other back on ASAP