subsiding garage insurance company won't cover it.

stacey777

The wind blew the roof right of my garage about 2 weeks ago. I rang nationwide as Iv buildings and contents insurance with them. Iv had a builder come out to fix the roof and he said there's no point putting a roof on as the garage has no foundations and its subsiding!

Got on to insurance people they said they won't cover it as the garage has been built with faulty poor workmanship! (House was built 1970's) Which indeed it does state in the policy in the very small writing on the back pag.

Just a bit of insight my neighbour had the same problem a few years ago and her insurance company completely rebuilt her garage!

I thought the whole reason for having insurance was to cover such eventualitys I could never have known about this.

Any help or advise would be greatly appreciated.

stacey777

Any help is greatly appreciate.

thescouselander

As far as I know it used to be quite common to build garages on a floating concrete raft and hence no foundations. Perhaps you could look up the building regs of the day to see if any of them have been broken. I'd also suggest the if the garage has been standing for 40 years the workmanship can't have been that bad.

Biggles

thescouselander wrote: »

I'd also suggest the if the garage has been standing for 40 years the workmanship can't have been that bad.

If my house fell down after 40 years, I might query the workmanship!
;-)

stacey777

thescouselander wrote: »

As far as I know it used to be quite common to build garages on a floating concrete raft and hence no foundations. Perhaps you could look up the building regs of the day to see if any of them have been broken. I'd also suggest the if the garage has been standing for 40 years the workmanship can't have been that bad.

Thank you so much that is very good advise and I will have a look at the building regs for that time. Could you maybe direct me to the best place. Thank you agin I'm going a bit do lally today.

stacey777

Latest update on "customer relation lady'. She said that on the day in question that there were no storm conditions! Actually There was a Severe weather warning that day, she said there's no 'footings' I'm not sure what that is but I said I'm not an expert and can't say weather there was or wasn't. She said oh the roof blew off due to the no footings not the wind! she is so unprofessional I felt like I was bartering at a market stall in Spain

stacey777

DH said he just checked the weather for that day and there was actually a cyclone warning.

Oh and there assessor came out to view the roof on day after the storm we discussed the bad weather and also the danger that the roof could have killed someone. I told her that the assessor already confirmed this she said but he wasn't a storm assessor????

Iv contacted bbc watch dog who knows if they will contact me or not and im waiting to hear back from my solicitor. Heeeeeelp

thescouselander

Biggles wrote: »

If my house fell down after 40 years, I might query the workmanship!
;-)

You might well do but the OP is talking about a garage, not a house - different standards will apply.

thescouselander

stacey777 wrote: »

Thank you so much that is very good advise and I will have a look at the building regs for that time. Could you maybe direct me to the best place. Thank you agin I'm going a but do lally today.

You could try your local council's building control office.

stacey777

Just a further update I'v been onto buildings control and they are going to check the archives records and I'v also got a surveyor to come and look at the property im trying to get onto one of the experinced builders who may know of the regulations at the time.


Thank you so much you have helped to get a better handling of this situation and given me leads and ideas.

My DH phoned the insurance people and said that he was very concerned they where accusing me of lying about the wind that day and they are accusing me of insurance fraud.

Furts

It is not helpful to OP but detached garages were not subject to Building Regulations forty years ago. If it is an integral garage, with a room above, it would be subject to the Regulations. Even then there were flat roof projections that were poorly built and the felt covering was not subject to the Regulations, IIRR. The felting did become subject of NHBC Regulations, but that is a different matter.

I suspect the crux will be, or is, the standard of maintenance and construction of the roof. There may have been storm force winds, but if the roof was dodgy before these winds it will probably not be covered.