Buildings Insurance & Rogue Builder

lorccan

My home suffered subsidence and the insurer, L&G, appointed a 3rd party to manage the claim. Once assessed, a contractor was appointed (from a panel 'Legal and General Repair Services', 'LGRS') and it was agreed that there would be a two-week programme of works. So far, so good.

When the start date was initially proposed, I made it clear that we would be going on holiday 3 weeks later, so it was important that there was a high degree of certainty of completion on time. I said that I would prefer the work to start later if this could not be assured.

Long story short: we're 8 days in and all that's happened is some floorboards have been lifted. The builder says the claims manager needs to approve structural foundation work before anything can happen, the claims management firm say they've not been asked to approve anything.

The insurer says the claims manager needs to manage the builder, but the claims manager says the insurer is responsible. The builder has said that I am clearly 'disgruntled' (I am) and is using this to request they are removed from the job! (I stress that I have been polite but firm all the way through and I'm at a loss to understand what they gain from their behaviour. This is, incidentally, not some fly-by-night small company but values itself at £41M - which I suppose is turnover.)

Meanwhile, half our rooms are uninhabitable (with furniture in storage) and the rest are crammed with our remaining belongings.

So far as I am concerned, I only have a contractual relationship with the insurer - even though I paid the £1000 excess to the builder in good faith - so I should not need to keep chasing all the parties.

I have raised formal complaints with each party, but the FCA says they have eight weeks to resolve so that's not going to get me anywhere fast.

Does anyone have a suggestion how to move this forward? I was considering a letter before action to the builder to at least get my money back. Do I have an implied contract where consideration has been exchanged for an agreed programme?

Help!

Quentin

Why did you pay the builder? If you paid on instruction from the insurer then they should reimburse you (or was this your excess???)

(FCA won't intervene on your behalf - if you are unhappy with the response to your complaint then you can escalate to the FOS for their adjudication)


Keep on at your insurer

lorccan

It was my excess - as I said in my original post - and was paid to the builder on instruction from my insurer. (And it was probably FOS that I spoke to about this - it's been a stressful week!)