Buildings Insurance / House insurance

[fizzybomb]

Hi everyone,

 

looking for advice on the following.

 

a while back there some flooding from the flat, which affected the flat below.

 

I requested and received a claim form from the Local Authority. This was passed to the downstairs neighbour.

 

Have received a letter from a solicitor acting on behalf of their contents insurance company.

 

The company are looking for replacement costs, uninsured losses, and interest to date.

 

Should i be asking them to clarify whether anything has been claimed based on buildings insurance (for water damage), and trying to be asking them to breakdown what should have been a Buildings based claim from a contents based claim?

 

Any advice greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Fizzy.

[unclebulgaria67]

Sorry I don't understand your post.

 

There was a leak in your flat upstairs, which damaged the flat down stairs.

 

Why are they writing to you?

 

The owner of the flat downstairs should have their own Contents Insurance and be making a claim under that. Only if you had been negligent in allowing the leak would they contact you about this.

 

Can you add another post to make it clearer.

[fizzybomb]

oops - sorry.

 

The leak was from my flat to theirs downstairs.

Was just if it should be covered by buildings or contents or split.

 

Thanks, Fizzy.

[unclebulgaria67]

Damage to celings, walls, light fittings. Anything attached to walls. ceiling will be under the Buildings Insurance.

 

For Contents, each flat owner should have their own Contents Insurance. You are NOT responsible for your neighbour downstairs contents. If you are proved negligent, then your neighbour could try to make a claim against you. By negligent I mean, you are responsible for the leak due to a problem you have caused. Example. If you had a faulty water heater, which you knew leaked. If you did nothing to stop it leaking and it got so bad it affected your neighbour, you would have been negligent.

 

What damage are you trying to claim for ?

[fizzybomb]

Thanks for the clarification - unclebulgaria.

 

That there was damage isnt in dispute.

Just thought it should have been claimed under buildings (esp when i got the buildings insurance paperwork for the neighbour).

 

There had been a leak a few months earlier, different cause same result however so the negligent appears to be what the insurer is after.

 

What are the options / in relation to interest? Curious as to whether this is a standard item- especially as this is the first communication which i have received.

 

Thanks, Fizzy.

[unclebulgaria67]

Still confused by what you are trying to claim for? If ceilings/walls, anything attached to these have been damaged you submit claim to Buildings Insurers.

 

If you have any damaged Contents in your flat, you claim from your own Contents Insurance. The neighbour will need to claim on their own Contents Insurance, if any of their contents are damaged.

 

In regard to interest, if this is not relevant the amount will be 0%.

 

In regard to the letter received from a solicitor representing your neighbours Contents Insurers, just pass this to your Contents Insurers. Under your Contents Insurance, you have property occupiers liability cover and I am guessing that they think you were negligent and therefore liable.

 

Do you have Contents Insurance?