Previous owner still insuring house

spo2

We have been in our house for almost 4 years, before which it lay empty for some time. It was a repossession, so although we know the names of the previous owners, we have no forwarding address for them. I’ve searched online and on facebook, but found nothing, and neighbours who may have had a contact number have moved house too.

Every year we get a renewal for house and contents insurance, on our house, addressed to and paid for by the previous occupants. They seem to be paying a monthly direct debit for this, and don’t seem to have noticed. It is also an expensive policy, about twice what we pay for our buildings and contents insurance on the same property.

I have contacted the company sending the letters, by email, by facebook message and in writing. I have sent the letters back with ‘return to sender, not at this address’, but they ignore all contact. I’ve tried to ring but just get stuck in a queue which I’m not prepared to waste my time with. I suspect they are ignoring the fact that the customer does not need the insurance, because they are making a lot out of money out of them.

I know it’s not my problem, but it is annoying me that they are content to pocket thousands of someone else’s money even though they know the policy should have been cancelled. Is it worth complaining about this company to anyone (ombudsman?), or do I just ignore it and let the previous owners insure a house that they have no interest in?

Thanks

[Deleted User]

They won't cancel someone's insurance on the advice of a third party, fortunately.

It's up to them to cancel their own policy.

Silvertabby

Recently read about a man who was sorting out his father's affairs, after father had died in a nursing home. He found that his father was still paying direct debits in respect of insurance for his old (long since sold) house, and had been doing so for about 5 years.

Tom99

Could you forward it to the solicitors office who acted for them? Or did you buy it through an estate agent? Surely one of those will have records going back 4 yrs. The won't tell you the new address but they should be prepared to pass something on.

spo2

That's as I thought, however with no way of contacting them, and them not noticing paying over £500 a year for over 5 years already, it looks like this could go on for some time!

Thanks for the replies

spo2

Tom99 wrote: »

Could you forward it to the solicitors office who acted for them? Or did you buy it through an estate agent? Surely one of those will have records going back 4 yrs. The won't tell you the new address but they should be prepared to pass something on.

It was a repossession so we bought it from a bank

gardner1

well if they haven't noticed for 5 yrs.......obviously more money than sense

molerat

gardner1 wrote: »

well if they haven't noticed for 5 yrs.......obviously more money than sense

Not much of either I suspect

spo2 wrote: »

It was a repossession so we bought it from a bank

System

You could send the insurers evidence that you own the property, and that you have insurance in place. Beyond that, you've done your best, it's their problem.


But they would then be aware that they were potentially providing insurance cover on a property that was not in their client's ownership, for a client who had failed to notify them of a significant change of circumstances. If they don't want to take any notice of that information, that's their affair.

spo2

And a year later, another renewal has arrived. We're in the middle of a remortgage on our house - with the company that the previous owner has the house insured through.

Imagine if the left hand could see what the right hand was doing, and they'd realise that the person insuring it isn't the same as the person paying the mortgage!

bigisi

spo2 wrote: »

the person insuring it isn't the same as the person paying the mortgage!

A perfectly acceptable situation and not one that would cause them any concern so long as both are being paid.