Need advice on insurance for damage caused by neighbours fire

Manxman_in_exile

In our case I understand unlimited cover to be in respect of the cost of repairs/rebuilding and nothing else.


I know that our insurers asked us if our building was listed or not, but they never asked about a conservation area. I know this because when they sent us a statement of what we'd told them, they'd got it wrong! (They also thought we had no door locks or window locks...)

littlerock

I have separate contents insurance with a different insurer.

AnotherJoe

Op have you tweeted on Zurich's twitter and Facebook feeds about an complete lack of response and no help from them?
Keep it short and simple, "major fire major damage Zurich not helping at all, slow to respond, don't return calls two weeks after fire still no help" something like that.

littlerock

Good point. Thsnks

littlerock

Matters are not getting any better here. There was heavy rain on Friday night and saturday and the bedroom and landing at the top of the house now have soot damage which was not present when the loss adjuster visited, or indeed when my surveyors visited. This is all within the last 24 hours. The top bedroom walls and ceiling are now stained with soot leaking through from next door and the plaster work is becoming increasingly water logged.

I cannot put a tarp over the party wall as there is no access. The roof is high and there are no floors in next door, which is boarded up as unsafe. So scaffolding would be needed. The contractors for LV, who insured next door, have been round to say they are installed an external lift next week at the front to start removing debris but no tin roof is currently planned. As of Friday my insurers had still to even accept liability although I am told this is imminent.

Not only is soot now leaking through from next door, I have no way of knowing how much damage the fire next door, caused to their side of the party wall as no one can get in to look at it at present. This problem has not been mentioned by the insurers loss adjuster who insists the house is safe to live in and will not authorise use of the alternative accommodation allowance included in my insurance.

He says it is liveable and will be fine when it is dried out but all the time the insurers have no accepted liability, they will not authorise any drying out. The loss assessor is on the case, and trying to escalate this. I think we are going to have to move out anyway as it is getting increasingly water logged and I am sure an electricity hazard but it will have to be at our own expense and fight back afterwards for reimbursement.

Meanwhile my house is deteriorating every time it rains. And I am the innocent third party in all this.

Mistral001

littlerock wrote: »

I am now concerned my claim has been shunted into a backwater with a ceiling of 80k. If sounds a lot but an architect friend says the properties (Mine and burnt out semi next door) should have scaffolding over roofs and a "tin hat "on ASAp. No one seems to be addressing this.

This architect's opinion on the matter is pretty much irrelevant, unless they are properly commissioned by you to inspect the property prepare a report.

littlerock

Update: Our insurers are having a big fight with their loss adjusters over the "inadequate" report they made for them on our house which was damaged as a result of a major fire next door.

For a start, because there was no access to our outside roof, no one assessed it for fire damage. Eventually, after major rain a week ago, when our top bedroom which shares a party wall with next door, was saturated due to no roof on their side, I managed to get authorisation for scaffolding to access roof and view damage.

Roofer went up and took photos which showed lead flashing (new install last year on my side) had heated in fire next door and lifted and clips has melted meaning slates were sliding off roof. Some older good quality slates reused on my new rear roof last year, has baked and cracked in the heat. The parapet wall, re rendered last year on my side, has almost completely broken up.

I have a glass conservatory in the return below the rear roof and there is concern that broken slates will slide down and break conservatory roof or at back of house, slide or fall off and hit anyone in garden. There are photos of all this.

The photos have been sent to the insurer and authorisation sought to do emergency repairs to this situation. We most recently emailed last night and again this morning. We have phoned and been told a new lost adjuster has been assigned but it not taking over until next week. Meanwhile it seems nothing is happening.

We have had to pay the roof work out of our own pockets to ensure there is remedial safety work. I have already made one formal complaint and had an apology. Should I make another?

Quentin

If you feel you have more grounds then yes

littlerock

I have just been advised by my loss assessors that I have a legal responsibility to keep my house safe and water tight until the insurers accept liability, and to pay all the costs incurred as a result of the fire next door in doing this, until they formally accept liability, which they have yet to do.

It seems the insurers have not yet formally accepted liability as it has been decided their loss adjusters report was inadequate and a more senior adjustor has been appointed to write a second report. mean no works. Yet it was their loss adjuster failing to inspect my roof ,which led to fire damage not being identified and my house incurring more water damage after the fire.

I have to pay for all emergency repairs until Zurich decides to accept liability and hope to recoup them when they do..I am now several thousands pounds in the red. to keep my house safe until we go through the whole process again.

I spoke to Zurichs Senior Claims handler several days ago and was able to provide assurances that there are no skeletons in my closet which might cause concerns over my policy and that I can demonstrate my house was in excellent repair before the fire. I was reassured that they were only too anxious to help me. Nothing has come of it.

Next door's insurers were on site almost at once clearing up and the owners, who started the fire, are installed in a comfortable nursing home. Yet we, the innocent parties in all this, have had little support from insurers or loss adjusters and made to feel as if we treated as the suspects in some way. Our friends and neighbours are horrified at our treatment. The loss assessors have been little help either.

Is this how Zurich usually behaves with claims of this type?.

Jlo31

Have the loss assessors been helping. They should really be getting the ball rolling for you.

Hope you get liability accepted soon.