Insurance dispute from 2006 totaling £84,000!

Insurance dispute from 2006 totaling £84,000!

11:28 AM, 3rd November 2015, About 9 years ago 5

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I have a buy to let in London and the tenant had just left for about two weeks to go abroad to attend a bereavement in December 2006. denied

During this period we experienced a terrible winter. The burst pipes in the house caused devastating and extensive damaged. The insurance kept delaying and delaying. I became so frustrated and helpless. After some time later they cancelled the premium.

I took the matter to the Ombudsman. During that time every correspondence with the company was removed manually from my computer by an unknown source. I was left with almost nothing to show all the correspondence between us. They wanted receipts to the tenant, though they had all requested information from me.

I never received a penny of the £84,000 estimate they verbally consented to as being in agreement to their own evaluation. They asked for further copies of receipts from me issued to the tenant who at the time after four years I could not find the tenant, stating that the money cannot be release until this is received. I am in the process of doing the repairs.

Is there anything I can do even at this time?

Beavon


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Comments

Neil Patterson

11:33 AM, 3rd November 2015, About 9 years ago

Hi Beavon,

I would have first said go to the Ombudsman, but you have already done that. Therefore the next level of recourse is legal action, but I have no idea what effect it being a 9 year old claim will have.

You may need a quick chat with our friends at Cotswold Barristers. Please see member profile of Mark Smith (Barrister- At- Law) >> http://www.property118.com/member/?id=1945

Robert M

13:26 PM, 3rd November 2015, About 9 years ago

I'm a bit confused with this posting.......
If the damage was done in 2006, why are you only doing repairs now? Has the property been stood empty since that time, or have you had tenants living a house that had "devastating and extensive damage"?
Have you kept hard copies of the letters the insurance company sent to you and you sent to them?
What do you mean when you say correspondence was removed manually from your computer? Are you saying someone hacked into your computer, searched for those specific correspondences, and then selectively deleted them?

Mark Evans

14:34 PM, 3rd November 2015, About 9 years ago

If I understand your post correctly....I think it's fair for the insurance company to ask for receipts or evidence of a paying tenant existing.

I can't stress enough how important it is to have a backup of your data for this very reason. It happened to me significantly a total of three times in my life and I'm from an IT background.

Basically, any data you don't back up is absolutely not important to you at all. Simple as that.

The fact that you are doing repairs 9 years on and the issue is still unresolved suggests you would might have benefited from a letting agent at that time and would benefit from legal advice now.

Jason McClean - The Home Insurer

15:09 PM, 3rd November 2015, About 9 years ago

This is what the Ombudsman is for and should be dealing with it and all the facts available. Being so historic, it sounds like it has bogged down somewhere. I suggest you keep on pushing the Ombudsman and the insurer until you get responses. But if you have no correspondence supporting your position to show them then I expect it will be difficult.

Joe Bloggs

23:29 PM, 3rd November 2015, About 9 years ago

has this been posted before...sounds familiar.

they must have given a reason for returning the premium?

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