Alternative accommodation insurance expiring due to delays in building repairs next door

[Deleted User]

littlerock said:

It's not a cheap policy and as above, we have unlimited buildings cover. The policy is an historic one and fully insured up to limits of cover for alternative accommodation. We are renting a 2 bed flat. We own a 4 bed house bought many years ago and values have increased a lot locally since then. The flat rental  cost is much  less than renting similar house locally and insurers alt accommodation finder advised we were entitled to a house but we opted for cheaper flat in case there were delays.. !

Noone  expected it to take this long to start on next door  - we lost two months in planning approval delays for next door and now three more months  due to coronavirus lockdown.  But as we share  a party wall we cannot proceed ahead of next door.  Next doors insurers do not share information with us formally on grounds  of confidentiality. My insurers said  at outset it was usual practice for me to claim on my policy  and they would sue next door insurer to reclaim what they paid out so  I would not need to do so.

 I do have legal cover but it appears to focus on my public liability and legal rights as a homeowner, personal injury, identity theft, unfair dismissal. There is nothing which resembles suing for  uninsured losses in terms of alternative accommidation  in my situation. Maybe I should consult ombudsman?

You should ask about legal cover anyway, no harm in that. Also ask your insurance company if they can ask next door's for interim payments to cover your rent.

littlerock

Everything o/s at present. No reconstruction has happened yet . Water damage was stripped out last year but that is all. It is not watertight -:dependent on tin roof extended from next door. New roof needed. Walls and ceiling  on party wall need replastering (inc. damage caused  by insurers' drying out contractors who have agreed to reimburse insurers for cost of additional repairs needed, ) hall  floorboards now warped from water damage, stripped out kitchen units need replacing.

Next door rebuild had to be approved through council planning as we are in a scheduled conservation area. I am advised my party wall repairs cannot proceed until next door has water tight building in situ.  Next door  rebuild  scheduled start in early March and my repairs late  March. Mine to start  with roof and take around 5 months.  Next door contractors had also stripped out everything but more or less complete rebuild  needed so to take longer. Time estimates assumed multiple contractors on both sites at same time. 

 Next doors contractors arrived on site 15 March then coronavirus happened and they left. Returned last week. Now have cold feet on  structural safety there. Our insurers negotiating with builders to start work on our house but no prospect complete by August.  We have now lost 3 months. We were expecting our works to be more or less complete by end July and happy to move back and live with redecoration in progress. Now it is nearlyJune and nothing has happened .  I do not wish to antagonise insurers (Zurich) but you are saying they can do nothing more? They have advised against us suing next door because they are. Would ombudsman take into account no fault  delays caused by coronavirus?

littlerock

Just to say I have asked our RCIS surveyor, appointed by Crawford's loss adjustors  on behalf of our insurance company Zurich, why we  have not yet got approval to proceed with repairs (Claim was approved by Zurich itself last  September) . He said there is nothing complex in the building work required but each stage has taken a very  long time to be approved by Crawford's before it can proceed to the next one. To us it seems almost as if they are hoping we will get bored and give up although of course we can't it is our home.

We don't know cause for delays. No one tells us much although we ask. SlmostNAlmost awa policy of telling us as little as  possible. It's not for want of asking. Now we face   being homeless when our rented flat expires in two months time as our alternative accommodation allowance runs out. W e cannot afford  it ourselves. We have asked next doors insurers and they are not prepared to pick up our extra rental costs to stay on. Meanwhile  no builder seems to have even been appointed yet, nearly a year later . I am assured there is no problem with the claim or the insurance .

There is no kitchen in our house at present and it is not watertight  so we cannot move back. Our lovely cared for Victorian house is becoming neglected and we face being on the street. All because the elderly  hoarding couple next door burnt their house down a year ago - which is now being rebuilt. We face being homeless in a couple of months. Should I  get back in touch with Zurich the main insurer ? Really we seem to have  no  choice but to contact the. Ombudsman and council for emergency accommodation ?

davidmcn

littlerock said:

We have asked next doors insurers and they are not prepared to pick up our extra rental costs to stay on.

On what basis? Like I said, if this has been caused by the neighbours' negligence (does everybody accept that?) then the neighbours are liable for your costs. Their insurers may of course try to fob you off initially, so you might need legal help.

Zorillo

I wonder if liability might be in question. If the neighbours were of unsound mind before the fire, can they definitely be held legally responsible? If not their insurers may not owe you anything.

But yes, you must speak to Zurich and ask them what is going on. Complain, if necessary, about the lack of progress and updates. You cannot go to the Ombudsman directly until you have exhausted your insurance company's complaints procedure. 

littlerock

The fire brigade said the fire was caused by combustible material stored too close to the fireplace.  The owners were trying to light a coal fire in mid July and in a room so stuffed full of paper they each had only a narrow path  to their chairs. They should not have been left alone when  their carer went on holiday. Their son describes it as an accident. I know my insurers are suing theirs and i have been asked by the loss adjusters for my insurers  to make my claims through my own insurance  while this goes ahead.

Next door were insured with LV.  Their house which was falling down is now being rebuilt. Mine which was in good condition and well maintained, still does not have the repair contract awarded nearly a year later and I can't get any explanation why. 

I am dealing with the loss adjusters and their top guy came to see us last autumn to say it was better if we dealt through him as sole point of contact with insurers. But nothing happens. He seems too busy. Our surveyor / project  manager, appointed by insurers,  says he can get very little information. Should I by- pass the loss adjusters and go direct to insurers about lack of progress?.

littlerock

Ok. Reread your advice and will  contact Zurich building insurers about lack of niprogress. Shouldn't my surveyor be pushing harder on my behalf and keeping me better updated. ?

Zorillo

Yes I think he should. It wouldn't be acceptable to me to have had no progress or proper explanation for why and be coming to the end of the alternative accommodation period.

But you should direct your energies at your own insurer. This is what they are for. 

I agree entirely your neighbours caused the fire, but legal responsibility could be in doubt. In the long run that shouldn't have made much difference as you had adequate insurance, but something has gone wrong because you've been posting your issues for a long time and nothing seems to improve.

Speaking to your insurer is the key.

littlerock

Update. Managed to track down surveyor appointed as our project manager. He says the budget estimate the loss adjustors had assigned  for my repairs  turned out to be too  low - could not  get any  bids low enough to match.  He was  asked to revisit the original tenders ( I assume to try and get lowered) but still could not get low enough to meet loss adjusters estimate . So loss adjustors now  have to resubmit higher tenders to insurers  toget them to increase budget.

Just what I did not want. I was paying quite a lot for my insurance to ensure I had unlimited buildings cover with no hassle. Yet here I am, nearly a year later, no work started and facing being  homeless while loss adjustors b---r around screwing up the budget to repair my house..

I am continuing  with my complaint to the main insurer. Maybe get Financial Ombudsman involved after that.