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Insurers are denying claim for water damage, as I didn't notify them I was having my House refurbished

by verypuzzled 26 October 2010 |

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Have you ever heard of Insurance Companies refusing to pay out for a claim for water damage, owing to the customer not having informed them they were having works done to their house?
They are saying that the house was not occupied for longer that 30 days they will not pay out, even though the house was visited about 4 times a day. Either my partner of I visited, when we couldn’t a family friend and my neighbour checked the house.
There was no water or electricity, there was no bathroom or kitchen, and for some time there was no ceiling and floors in place. The dust would have been hazardous to health.
The water and electricity were switched off most of the time, the builders only switched things on when they needed to.
Do you know of any ways to challenge their refusal to pay out?

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174

JoeEasedale posted
As it was a shell - how much damage could switched off water cause anyway?
You also seem to be misleading us, as it looks like they are not paying out because of the occupancy clause and not the fact that you were having work done, but because you were not living there.
There is always the insurance ombudsman, and name and shame, and the press, but it does look like you have failed to inform them that you are not occupying the premises in defiance of your policy terms & conditions.
Posted on 26 October 2010 | Love 0 loves Report
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verypuzzled posted
JoeEasedale:
Thanks for responding, here is some furter information to clarify things.
The reburbishment had been completed, we were moving foodstuffs and coking equipment when we came across the leak.
The insurers have said that as I hadn't informed them that the building was unoccupied and that building works had been undertaken they were denying the claim.
I was dealing with the sale and emptying of my late Mothers house during this, and may well have neglected to inform them. I actually didn't know about the requirment to inform them of building works or not occupying the house. The house was visited daily and checked in the evenings whilst the building works were being done. The water and electricity were turned off and only used when the builders required them. The leak occurred after all the work had been completed. The damage caused was major, a surveyor estimated it be be £5.000.00.
There have been instances where non disclosure cases have been settled
Posted on 26 October 2010 | Love 0 loves Report
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JoeEasedale posted
Then complain in writing to the chief executive of the company - the WWW will help you find them, and if no joy, go to the ombudsman.
Posted on 26 October 2010 | Love 0 loves Report
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MikeGG1 posted
The instances where they have settled could well have been where the problem was unrelated to the works or the unoccupancy.
What caused your leak? Would it have been spotted sooner and caused less damage if you had been in occupancy?
Mike
Posted on 26 October 2010 | Love 0 loves Report
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verypuzzled posted
MikeGG1:
Thanks for the response.
Nothing would have been spotted sooner, the floor of the bathroom was taken out and the cieling of the kitchen below was taken down. The pipework was exposed, new fittings and pipes were put into place where required.
The leak would have happened, as a pipe split, when the water was switched back on.
We were moving boxes into the kitchen and placing foodstuffs into the cabinets. We went away to collect more items and when we came back about two hours later there was a puddle on the floor. I called a plumber and switched the water off at the mains.
I some of the new cabinets removed, to mitigate any further damage to them.
I informed the insurance company as soon as possible after the incident.
Posted on 26 October 2010 | Love 0 loves Report
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MikeGG1 posted
It sounds as though the pipe should have been replaced with the other work. Whose fault was it that it wasn't? Had the work done put any additional stress on that pipe? Could you claim on their insurance?
The leak was not connected to the unoccupancy as you had just re-occupied the property.
It is always advisable to notify major work to insurance companies who then have the opportunity to impose safeguards.
Your builders should also have their own insurance to cover anything related to their work.
Mike
Posted on 27 October 2010 | Love 0 loves Report

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