Quote me happy leave me distraught

[Nic Taylor]

Nic Taylor taylormadefilms@btconnect .com

Quote me happy, leave me distraught.

On 23rd November my house caught fire, subsequently it was discovered that the fire was caused by an electrical appliance, one of a few plugged into a couple sockets most probably the iron which my wife concedes that in the morning frenzy of getting the kids ready for school and herself ready for work she may well have done.
A friend who lives opposite the house just before 11.00 am to tell me that he had seen a fire and had called the fire brigade called me. Upon hearing this I ran back to the house and was passed by several fire engines along the way. When I got there, there were flames erupting from the second floor window, that of my sons bedroom.
For the next 4 hours or so I watched as 5 fire engines poured water onto the blaze and the ash and debris of what was left of the house swirl away and flow off down the hill toward the river. It was not a pleasant day and I didn’t think it could get much worse but it has and not by accident but by the deliberate maneuverings of the insurance company, their loss adjusters and surveyors.
That afternoon was something of a blur but there was not one person in the neighborhood that did not try to help in one manner or the other with either offers of somewhere to stay to clothes for the children because literally it was all gone, I had what I was standing up in and my two boys had the school uniform they were wearing.
Finding somewhere to stay for the night was the first priority and I took up a friends offer to use his holiday cottage for a few days as it was empty. The next day I phoned the insurance company, told them what had happened and asked what to do next. Where I was told that I had insurance cover for alternative accommodation and that I should check into a hotel one of the two they have on their approved list, which was either the Chase or the Royal. The lady I spoke to told me that the way this normally works is to stay in a hotel until the damage is repaired or alternative longer term accommodation can be found, normally a holiday let as no lease is required. I told her that we had stayed the previous night in such a holiday cottage where she replied that we could stay there should we wish and that a loss adjuster would be out to see me within a few days and that we could sort it all out then.
A couple of days later the loss adjuster arrived and spent the day going through the remains of my house, duly noting down the damage and estimating the repairs, we discussed the accommodation issue and he concurred it was best all round, cheaper for the insurance company and a lot easier for me to deal with two small boys and it had Sky. I was asked to negotiate a rate with the owner as it was going to be for a longer period that the normal weekly/fortnightly and let him know how much.
I asked the loss adjuster what was to happen next and he told me that with fires of this size it was the normal procedure to appoint a surveyor who oversees the repairs, which in this case included the roof, all the floors within the property (what had not burnt was ruined by water damage) all the electrics, plumbing, central heating system, not to mention every item of or clothing and all the contents. Too also have all the contents removed and either listed as damaged and beyond repair or stored and to have a fire investigation officer ascertain the cause to see if a third party product was at fault and if any claw back was possible.

We ended staying in the cottage as agreed and I got a call the next day from a surveyor and a company called Munters and I meet them at the house within a day or two. Munters began clearing out the debris, which was mostly ash; the entire contents of the top floor had been shoveled out of one of the bathrooms and into the yard below by the fire brigade. Pretty much all of our possessions were to found 3m by 3m by 2 m deep and consisting of ash and burnt plastic, so I wasn’t to keen to stay and left them about their business, whilst leaving the fire investigation officer arrived, I explained what I knew and went back to my office.
In retrospect I wish I’d stayed and kept an eye on the surveyor but I hadn’t really slept since the fire and this was now Monday, looking at what was left was not making me feel to well and to top it all I had missed a delivery deadline for our first client the week before. Which as luck or lack of it would have it, was 2 days after the fire, not surprisingly I didn’t get it finished, what with having to deal with an extremely distraught wife and two small confused children.
Fortunately, one of the guys that works for me had the presence of mind to inform our client of the situation and we were given an additional week in which to deliver the project.
At this juncture things were not to bad, yes we had no house, yes we had no clothes, yes the boys had no toys worse no play stations or game boys, but we had insurance and I managed to get the project delivered. It could have been far worse nobody got hurt, if it had happened during the night it could have been a completely different story.
Unfortunately, things have gotten far worse, for approximately one week later I get a letter from the insurance company asking me to meet with another loss adjuster the following Monday at 11.00. I agreed and met him initially at the house and as I still wasn’t very comfortable there we moved the venue to a café up the road.
During this meeting I was asked about events that happened that day and to go through general insurance details etc, which we did for an hour or two, he then got onto specifics asking about which electrical appliances were connected into which sockets, obviously trying to narrow down the cause to a particular appliance for this claw back the first loss adjuster had mentioned. Even down to when and were these items were purchased and then at the end of the meeting he refers to a report that has been produced by the surveyor, in his words he said "and there might be financial implications with regards to the surveyors report".
I had neither seen nor heard of any report, the only contact I had had with the surveyor was to initial let him into the house, speak with him twice on the phone plus an e-mail. When I let him know that the house had only been just built (2 years or so) by sub-contractors I had employed and that I had not got around to finally having the building regulations signed off on and that all the relevant details including all the drawings were available from the council, they were on one of the computers in the house but not any more, if it wasn’t the fire the water killed of all our computers.
The loss adjuster produced this report and put it on the table in front of him and it looked to have about eight points or so (he wouldn’t let me look at it). The first he said was most damning, in it he the surveyor maintained that the top floor of the house was not built to meet fire regulations in that it did not have an enclosed staircase to the ground floor. This is true because the lounge is open planned, that was why an alternative means of escape was request by the planners, which was how the house was built. How the surveyor can have missed that is almost impossible as there was a mountain of ash all the way done the external staircase leading to the backyard were four Munters staff were bagging the remains of our possessions.
The next point claimed that there was to much demand on the sockets to the room were the fire started, again there were many things plugged in but each in an individual socket. The electrical layout of the whole building had been designed to provide each room in the house with its own ring main and each floor to have it’s own distribution panel as well as gigabit computer and internet communications.

On hearing this from the surveyor I got extremely angry, pointing out we had all the relevant visits from the building regulations department during construction and that planning permission had been given before I purchased the land and the house had been built according to those plans under the supervision of that architect. And, that any competent surveyor could look at the electrical distribution panels and realize that there was no overload and see that a secondary means of escape had been provided. The loss adjuster listened to this but said that now the report had been written they would have to contact the council, architect, engineer etc.
We finished the meeting at this, there was no point going on until this had been sorted out and I left the café demanding a copy of this report. I remember on the way back to the office thinking Oh! my god they are trying to get out of paying for it.
This was on the 12th December and since then I have heard nothing new, I rang before Christmas and was told they were waiting for the council, I asked for the report and was told it was being sent. I waited all over Christmas trying to block out the constant worry, were we about to loose our house. I have sent numerous e-mails and rang about every department within the insurance company and the loss adjusters only to be told that someone would ring me back.
The week or two leading up to Christmas was not very pleasant it was one of my sons birthday and obviously all the presents we had bought for this and for Christmas had gone up in smoke, so it was a struggle to get something sorted out. There was also the problem of no nothing from clothes to mobile phones and what with all the stress I was under my doctor advised I start taking some tranquilizers. I really did expect to hear something before Christmas but with Christmas being what it is I could understand.



The first contact I had was the Tuesday after new year when I phoned the loss adjusters and spoke to his secretary again, I asked him to call me back and this time he did. I was told that he had written to me on the 30th December sending all the documents I had requested and that I should receive them in a day or two.
A week later I appointed a loss assessor to act on behalf, as advised by my solicitor, he wrote a letter and e-mailed it to the loss adjuster but we still have not had a reply.
To date I have spent a considerable sum of money, firstly to replace the bare necessity of clothing for my wife and children, bedding, toiletries, cosmetics, presents, toys the list goes on and then the alternative accommodation, boarding up of the house and making it safe and secure. I have had to cover the expenditure of 2 months in guesthouse accommodation with out any assistance from the insurance company because in their words "until we have had a look at all the appropriate paperwork and decide if we have any liability we can’t make any payments"
I don’t understand how they expect a family to survive like this it is putting everyone under immense strain. I couldn’t carry on paying that sort of money every week so I have had to take on another house, which has involved me taking out a full lease and paying all the deposits etc. To make matters even worse, whilst moving to this new house over the weekend I believe I may have had a small stroke from all the stress. I went to the doctors on Monday and my blood pressure was through the roof even for someone under stress and my blood pressure is always very low, so now whilst awaiting the results of the battery of tests my blood is being submitted to I am also having to take beta blockers what ever they are and unable to work.

I have explained the situation to the insurers but they don’t seem to care and if I don’t get reimbursed by them before the rent is next due, we will all be living in a burnt out shell of a building for what remains of the winter and I’ll be working on a piece of animation titled Quote Me Happy Leave Me Distraught


Nic Taylor
Tel no removed

[alanfromderby]

Hi

Sorry I cannot help you with this one - others may be able to. However, would advise that you remove your phone number from the post as it is a public forum.

All the best.

[craigwalton]

Sorry to hear what has happenned.

Firstly, I would get rid of the Loss Assessor - they do not do a better job than you can do, and they will take a cut from your payment.

Regarding the emergency payments - speak to Norwich Union, and advise them that you understand that they are investigating liability on the buildings part of your claim, however, you see no reason why they are stalling the contents part of your claim. You should have alt acc cover on the contents insurance - this usually has a lower limit than buildings, but it is there, and this should cover any payments already made. the personal belongings you have purchased would also fall under contents. It might be best if you rang them with your policy booklet in front of you and ask them to explain why they are investigating liability on contents. You are covered for fire. there is usually no specific exclusions to fire (things that are not covered for fire, but covered for say, theft). There are general exclusions, but it is unlikely that they are investigating whether the fire was caused deliberately, by terrorism, sonic booms, etc.

for your piece of mind just confirm with the loss adjuster is it liability or quantum they are investigating - If it is quantum then you will get something

Let me know how you get on!

[joneshousehold]

I was very disturbed by your postings. I think it's a terrible state of affairs and was not surprised to see it was Norwich Union. We had a lot of problems with them a couple of years back on a much smaller scale after we were burgled.

Anyway I saw this thread today and thought it may be of some interest to you. It is not so much the MBNA question but the fact that Norwich Union were involved and the final posting on the first page gives some interesting contact details. Perhaps if you can hit the top bods, you may be able to get a sensible response.

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk...ead.php?t=4771

[lynzpower]

Im sorry I really dont have anything to offer, but I just wanted to offer a hug to you and your family.

xx

[joneshousehold]

How's this going. I keep thinking about your plight.

Have you made any progress yet?

[Nic Taylor]

Thanks for all the replies its nice to have a bit of support.

All have been in consultation with the Norwich Union's loss adjusters this week as the insurance company have eventually accepted liability on the claim.

Its been a long hard 6 months but I think all the pressure I have directed and the Norwich has paid off, it was certainly coincidental that this follows several national newspaper articles which have not shown the Norwich in a good light.

But they are denying any responsibilty for the additional suffering the family has gone through and the severe hammering it has given my company and my health.

The net result of the Norwichs actions have been to cause the split of our marriage, the stroke and the severe depression I have suffered, and cost my company at least 150,000 worth of work as well as the loss of a very lucrative product.


Thanks again

Nic

[joneshousehold]

Well Nic I'm glad you sorted it out but the price does seem to have been very high. We had a lot of problems with Norwich Union too (nothing like on this scale) and I do wonder how on earth some of the staff sleep at night.

Anyway, I'm really pleased at least 1 problem is sorted. Hope the rest can be resolved too. Good luck and remember there is always someone on the forum who will give you some support. It's often just what you need when a large establishment becomes an immovable object.

[Gas Man]

Yet again we can see insurance companies in their true light, the modern Highway men. At least Dick Turpin had the balls to ride a horse, wear a three pointed hat and say" Stand and deliver!"

I love the surveyors report into the electrical system, What electrical qualifications did he have to make such a comment. Most surveyors I know are luckly to identifity a 13amp socket.

Thinking of you and your family, I dont know how i missed your posts....

Louise xxx