Neighbours roof caused water damage to mine (insurance)

beattie

My neighbour had a new tiled roof  and it was not fitted with a joining gutter this has over some  time caused mine to leak at the "join" causing the laths rot and roof to sink  My roof is original and did not require a gutter seal  A proffesional  has told me it needs this seal and renewal of laths om my side Do i claim on his buildings insurance or mine I have asked neighbour about getting it sorted but  had little response  Just a little advise on my rights   thanks Beatrice

George_Michael

It's unlikely that buildings insurance will cover it as there is generally an exclusion for damage that has occurred over a period of time as this is something that should be fixed or checked as part of routine maintenance.

If you can get a report stating that the damage was caused by the neighbours work being done incorrectly then you may well have a case against the builder or roofer that did that work.
 

beattie

Not very often you get seniors nipping up onto the roof to check  condition LOL
I would have thought it was neighbours insurance    However thanks for your help

beduth

As GM said you will not be covered by your insurance. It will be natural wear and tear. If you can’t inspect the roof yourself, you have to get someone to do it for you. 

If you want to claim that your neighbours roofer was responsible, you will have to prove that also. 

Good luck with that. 

George_Michael

beattie said:

Not very often you get seniors nipping up onto the roof to check  condition LOL
I would have thought it was neighbours insurance    However thanks for your help

House insurance is for unforseen incidents and not for putting something right which is general maintenance or upkeep.
I obviously don't know who your neighbour is insured with but I can almost guarantee that their policy will have an exclusion similar to this: (Aviva)

Keeping your property in good condition.
One important policy condition is that you keep all the property you’re insuring in good condition. Your policy doesn’t cover loss or damage caused by wear and tear or a lack of maintenance. In particular, you need to maintain your home, there are some basic things you can do, for example: On the outside • Check for missing or slipped tiles, or rotten window frames. • Ensure that gutters and downpipes aren’t damaged or blocked by leaves. 

or this: (Halifax)

What we don’t cover

The cost of repairing the domestic appliance or fixed domestic water installation itself. •

Damage occurring when your home is unoccupied. • 

Damage caused by the escape of water from guttering, rainwater downpipes, roof valleys, gullies and overflows. 

beattie

Looks like i will have to try and get the neighbours to sort something out with me , thanks.