Loss of contents due to asbestos question

m00npig

Hello,

I would appreciate it if anyone can confirm what I am being told is true. I suspect it is but am optimistically hoping it isn't. During a faulty boiler call last week Cadent were called and discovered asbestos under our stairs. As well as not getting the boiler fixed we now have our gas cut off. Luckily we have electric for cooking and a hot water cylinder so things could be worse.

I called Zurich Insurance last week to be told (as expected) that we weren't covered for asbestos removal. I enquired whether, as we have two youngish children, if we could claim for alternative accommodation but was told that, as the core issue is not an "insured peril", we are not covered. So, that's the first question. Is that fairly standard for UK insurance or are Zurich a bit rubbish?

We have now been told that we need to dispose of around 20 coats, 150 DVDs/Blu Rays and a few other items that are in the asbestos contaminated cupboard. Zurich have told me that isn't covered either due to the reason for them needing to be disposed is not, you guessed it, an insured peril.

I realise it's just bad luck but it feels like my buildings insurance isn't covering my home for a major issue and my contents insurance isn't covering contents which we have lost through no fault of our own. Before I complain I wondered if anyone can confirm this is fairly standard practice and I just need to let it go.

TIA

Leigh

Quentin

Complaining won't cost you anything

But they have told you correctly.

These losses aren't covered so your claims are rejected

Alter_ego

Who told you to dispose of them?

m00npig

That's a good question. We had four people in for quotes and two said we need to dispose of everything and two said you have to draw the line somewhere and they should be OK! However, the two that said don't worry have not responded with a wriiten quote since last Wednesdays visit so I am tending to trust the others more. TBH I have gone from initial shock to what's done is done so might take the risk and give them a good wash!!

My main concern was if the insurance company responses were fairly standard stuff and it looks like they are :-(

Thanks

stator

What type of asbestos is it?

m00npig

AIB, white and brown. Two smallish panels but one of them has broken at some point and is currently under the floorboards. It's actually under a threadbare carpet so there is some protection but, for it to have got under a carpet, that suggests someone put it under there hopefully many years ago.

Chickenlips

Removal of asbestos is in the absence of an insured peril is unlikely to be covered, as your policy won't pick up maintenance issues.

That's being said, if you want to know what your policy covers... read the wording.

The removal of the asbestos shouldn't be too expensive given the likely size of the cupboard.

stator

If the DVDs and CDs are in plastic packaging, then I would suggest they can be wiped clean. If they are in fabric type material, then throw away the container and wipe clean the DVDs and CDs.

I'm no expert, but I can't see how the DVDs and CDs are a risk.

Dangermac

m00npig wrote: »

Hello,

I would appreciate it if anyone can confirm what I am being told is true. I suspect it is but am optimistically hoping it isn't. During a faulty boiler call last week Cadent were called and discovered asbestos under our stairs. As well as not getting the boiler fixed we now have our gas cut off. Luckily we have electric for cooking and a hot water cylinder so things could be worse.

I called Zurich Insurance last week to be told (as expected) that we weren't covered for asbestos removal. I enquired whether, as we have two youngish children, if we could claim for alternative accommodation but was told that, as the core issue is not an "insured peril", we are not covered. So, that's the first question. Is that fairly standard for UK insurance or are Zurich a bit rubbish?

We have now been told that we need to dispose of around 20 coats, 150 DVDs/Blu Rays and a few other items that are in the asbestos contaminated cupboard. Zurich have told me that isn't covered either due to the reason for them needing to be disposed is not, you guessed it, an insured peril.

I realise it's just bad luck but it feels like my buildings insurance isn't covering my home for a major issue and my contents insurance isn't covering contents which we have lost through no fault of our own. Before I complain I wondered if anyone can confirm this is fairly standard practice and I just need to let it go.

TIA

Leigh

I slightly disagree with the insurer's reason for not paying, although the end result will be the same.

- The rectification/asbestos removal is not damage. It's an inherent problem which you need to resolve. This would not be covered under any buildings policy. It's not so much that it's not an insured peril, more that it's not something that's not designed to be covered by household insurance. It's not a 'damage' situation.

- The 'damaged' contents could be covered under accidental damage, but most policies will exclude contamination/pollution claims unless following a sudden and identifiable loss. For example, if a fire caused asbestos pollution, this would likely be covered.

In effect, the insurer are correct. Pretty much market-standard situation. But the technical reason given is slightly wrong in my view

Not sure this helps you much

Hope you get it sorted. Thoughts are with you and the family.

Aretnap

Buildings insurance basically covers unexpected events which cause damage to your house - fires, floods, storms etc. It doesn't cover general maintenance, or the fact that your house was defective in the first place. So it's quite standard for them not to cover asbestos removal - finding the asbestos might have been unexpected, but the asbestos itself is not an event - it has been there since before you bought the house. The same unfortunately would be true of any other nasty surprise you found while rooting around under the floorboards.

If you had a survey done when you bought the house, and it didn't alert you to the asbestos, then you might have a claim against the surveyor. You would have to show that the asbestos was sufficiently obvious that the surveyor should have spotted it though - and if it's under the carpets/floorboards then it probably wasn't.

Contents: assuming your policy terms are more or less the same as the ones I found online then you do indeed have an exclusion on page 9 which says no cover for pollution or contamination unless it was the result of a sudden, unexpected and identifiable incident. So why is the stuff contaminated? Are they saying you should dispose of it simply because it was in the same cupboard as some asbestos (in which case no cover)? Or did the workmen accidentally break one of the panels and fill the cupboard with asbestos dust? In which case the exclusion should not apply and the DVDs at least should be covered if you have accidental damage for contents - but note that clothing isn't covered for accidental damage (page 17) so the coats are not going to be covered either way.

m00npig

Thanks for all of the replies. I fully understand removal not being covered. It's more that everything else (alternative accommodation and damage to contents) isn't covered because it all links back to something that wasn't insured. We've lived there for 22 years so I suspect surveyors weren't looking for it in 1997. Whether the annual boiler service, meter reading and burglar alarm installation should have detected it is another question!!

In case anyone sees this in the future, removal isn't cheap. I've had four quotes at the moment and the lowest for removal of one door panel, one intact panel (probably about 4x2 ft) and one broken panel is £1500 +VAT. I reckon there's at least £1000 of property in there so this is proving to be an incredibly expensive discovery. Oh, and it takes 14 days for the HSE licence to be processed so huge inconvenience just to run it in.

You live and learn

Thanks again