Leaning Garden Wall and Building Insurance

kieran75

My garden boundary is a double skin brick wall, built using stock bricks. The total length is approximately 30m and is between 5' and 7' tall. Since before we moved in 8 years ago, the wall has always been a bit curved but has been stable for the past 40 years (that my neighbour has lived here). We have noticed the wall is now dangerously leaning over into my neighbours garden. I have made him aware of this. There is a crack travelling 10m down the wall at different heights.
Not too sure what has been the cause of the recent movement but maybe to do with the storms 6 weeks back. I never thought about claimimg on my insurance as I have never previously made a claim.
Is this something that the insurance companies might cover? Do you think there are ways that they might try to avoid paying out?

csgohan4

insurance will not cover for defects which happen over time, If this happened after a documented storm or hurricane, then maybe. Your T+C will be specific on this. 

Best to get it fixed before your neighbour claims from you for accidental injury

Thrugelmir

Sounds like maintenance is required. 

davidmcn

kieran75 said:

Is this something that the insurance companies might cover?

It might be, yes. We can't really advise you further without reading your policy...

TELLIT01

Any previous lean won't have been helped by one of the wettest winters in years, followed by the two storms in quick succession.  Only your insurer can tell you whether or not you will be covered.

Aretnap

kieran75 said:

Is this something that the insurance companies might cover? Do you think there are ways that they might try to avoid paying out?

It's not a case of "trying to avoid paying out", it's a case of whether it's an event which is covered by your policy or not. 

Your policy will include a list of the things that are covered ("perils", to use the jargon) - things like fire, flood, subsidence, storm damage etc.Things like routine maintenance or gradual deterioration over time are not generally covered by home insurance policies - they are just part of the joy of being a homeowner.  To make a claim, you need to be able to point to the insured peril that you think caused the damage. 

The most plausible insured peril that might have caused it would be subsidence - however subsidence clauses are often written so as not to cover things like fences, garden walls, sheds etc, or only to cover them if the main home is also damaged at the same time. There might be an outside chance of claiming for storm damage, but you would have to  tie the damage to a specific storm rather than to the cumulative effect of bad weather over many months /years. And again storm damage clauses often exclude things like walls and fences.

In other words check the terms of your policy, but probably don't get your hopes up too much.