Problem with insurance payout

jimmypick

Hi, I’m just after some advice please. Some damage was done to my property by a bus driver. Their insurers are willing to pay out, but not for the full amount. They are claiming because of the age of the damaged wall, they are knocking about 5% off the payout. Can they do this or can I refuse to accept and insist they pay the full amount? 

DullGreyGuy

presumably this is a garden wall?

What is the quote actually for? Just patching the bit they damaged? Rebuilding the whole wall? Reusing materials or new bricks? How much is the total quote?

If you were honest, what state was the wall in pre-damage?

jimmypick

Yes an external wall. The wall was in good nick. I’d painted it a few times and never noticed any loose bricks or crumbling mortar. Is it usual for them to knock a bit off the payout? 

DullGreyGuy

jimmypick said:

Yes an external wall. The wall was in good nick. I’d painted it a few times and never noticed any loose bricks or crumbling mortar. Is it usual for them to knock a bit off the payout? 

The argument is that there is betterment, that you have a 10 year old wall and now you will have a brand new wall. Thats why the other questions were also important... there is much less argument for this if they are just patching a small section, even more so if they can reuse the old materials... its more valid an argument if they are knocking the whole wall down and rebuilding it from the ground up using new materials.

Realistically, unless your wall is made with gold bricks an insurer isnt going to go to court over 5% of the cost of a wall and so you can push for full payout.