Compton Group - home insurance

mama-monika

Hi I know this topic has been discussed in the past but the thread was closed.

Every year I get an email from Compton to say that I must use their approved insurer - either take part in their block policy or arrange it myself. Until now it has been working ok as I just got a quote from cashback sites, insured with whoever Compton said and sent them the documents. This year their approved company is Zurich. On Zurich's website it says they don't give new home insurance quotes and none of the usual compare/cashback sites offer Zurich.

Any suggestions other than using Compton's block policy scheme?

MGB1

Compton group took over Lease hold on property i own in 2012.

I found an article published online by Telegraph "The expensive insurance trap facing leaseholders"

After reading I Emailed them a copy of Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 section 164, they replied 15 minutes later heres there response.

Further to your email.

Please note that if you wish to rely on your right under Section 164 of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 to avoid compliance with the insurance covenant in the Lease the onus rests with you to serve a valid Notice of Cover, in the prescribed form and within the time limit specified, on renewal of your policy in March 2019 and annually thereafter. If this is not done, we are entitled to expect you to transfer the insurance to our approved company under the terms of the Lease.

Compton Group
PO Box 425, Swansea, SA6 8YH
Tel: 01792 315500
Fax: 01792 315513

Robster08

Hi I just paid the £60 fee for not using there insurer but from now on I’ll never pay anything more than my £2.30 ground rent let’s stop them scamming everybody there is a form you can fill in every year and serve within a week of renewing your insurance with any company if anyone is interested I can send them a word document that they must accept. I warned them if they charged me I’d seek legal assistance and now I’ll share to stop them doing it to others. They are also known as tapestart limted at same address different directors. ������

JasonE

Hi there...could you let me know how I can get a copy of this word document you refer to so I can send it to Compton Group please?

JasonE

Hi there again...sorry misunderstood your post? Who do you pay the £60 to? Compton? How does it reduce your ground rent?

SWJuk

Hi, could you please send me a copy of the Word document you mention re Compton Insurance?
Many thanks in advance

SWJuk

Hi, has anyone got any useful documents/forms etc which can be used to avoid going down the enforced Zurich Insurance route with Comptons?

OriginalFathead

Could I get a copy of the word document as well please?

G_M

Robster08 who mentioned the form has not been logged into the forum since April......

Adrian_89

I recently bought a house and got a letter the other day of these gob!!!!!s stating the same that you have to take out there insurance (Zurich) or pay a £60 fee to keep your existing insurance.

i wasn't informed about this as they never sent correspondence to the sellers solicitor to inform the buyers solicitor e.g. me.

Is there anyway around this or do we just have to grin and bare it an pay them the £60? Sent them the section 164 act but they just replied with the same drizzle about its passed 14 days even though as stated I wasn't aware of it.

How they are allowed to get away with this sort of thing is beyond me.

Had a couple of telephone conversations with them and they are absolute vile people.

eddddy

Adrian_89 wrote: »

i wasn't informed about this as they never sent correspondence to the sellers solicitor to inform the buyers solicitor e.g. me.

It would have been written in the lease that you bought.

Your solicitor should have read the lease, and ideally you should have read the lease as well.

I guess there's an argument that your solicitor should have brought any unusual terms in the lease to your attention. You could challenge your solicitor on that if you want.

Adrian_89 wrote: »

How they are allowed to get away with this sort of thing is beyond me.

It's frustrating, but I guess they 'get away with it' because it's written in the lease.

And I guess you could argue that, if you didn't like what was written in the lease, you shouldn't have bought the lease.


Having said that, I suspect that a lot of people don't read leases before buying, and some of the terms come as a surprise to them.


Also, the law says that any admin fee must be reasonable (i.e. reflect the freeholders work and/or costs). If you think the £60 is not reasonable, you can challenge it.

Tribunals seem to agree that £50+vat per hour is a reasonable fee for admin work. So if processing the notice takes about an hour, that's probably reasonable.