Insurance asking me to find out details of owner of next door, before they help me, please help me!!!

[Purpleflowers 2]

My bedroom walls are being water damaged and progessively getting worse and worse, the plaster is now falling off in sections. I've had a builder come out to lool and they have told me the adjoining roof of the house next door is damaged and thats how the water is coming into my bedroom.

 

The insurance surveyor came out to look and sent the report to the insurance company (time of writing its now been 4 weeks) after me having to daily chase up the insurance company I have now been told, they will pay to repair the water damage to the interior of my house BUT they want me to first some find the contact details of the landlord that owns the empty property next door, before they fix the water damge (because the neighbour has to fix his roof, to stop the water coming into my house)

 

The insurance company is telling me to contact the council and tell them the neighbours roof is damaged and water is coming through the neighbours house and damaging my walls.

 

The only thing I have found on the land registry is the names of the 3 people that own the empty house next door which is in a bad state, they are no other details like phone number, so i can't ring the owner of the house next door and ask him to repair his roof and once thats repaired the insurance will will then repair the my bedroom walls.

 

It looks like my insurance is asking me to do their work and find the owner or they just want to drag this on and in the mean time my house is being damaged with water whenever it rains because of the next door neighbours house roof which needs to get fixed to stop water coming into my house.

 

What can I do, I can't sleep in the bedroom anymore because all the walls are damp and wet.

 

Is it not the insurance jobs to locate the owner of the house next door and ask them to repair his roof? then the insurance can repair my house?

 

please help me, i feel like crying

[caro]

Sounds like a nightmare, but I can see that it is pointless repairing your house if it's only going to happen again because next-doors roof isn't repaired.

 

The council are the right people to contact about problems with empty properties and are more likely to be able to trace the owners.

 

At least if you do it yourself you will know it's done, so give them a ring tomorrow. Let us know how you get on.

[Purpleflowers 2]

Your right it's a living nightmare, its pointless repairing my home because its going to happen again because next doors roof is not repaired and its an empty house.

 

I've found the names of the 3 owners of the house next door from the land registry - but there is no contact number, just names on the land registry report.

 

Whats really got me angry is the insurance company asking ME to find out the owner of next door and then telling me I have to ask the owner to repair his roof!

 

Why can't my insurance find the name out and speed things up? - I asked them this question and they said they don't have a way to find out and I've to ring the council, I think thats complete rubbish, what can I do?

 

Sounds like a nightmare, but I can see that it is pointless repairing your house if it's only going to happen again because next-doors roof isn't repaired.

 

The council are the right people to contact about problems with empty properties and are more likely to be able to trace the owners.

 

At least if you do it yourself you will know it's done, so give them a ring tomorrow. Let us know how you get on.

[caro]

Your right it's a living nightmare, its pointless repairing my home because its going to happen again because next doors roof is not repaired and its an empty house.

 

I've found the names of the 3 owners of the house next door from the land registry - but there is no contact number, just names on the land registry report.

 

Whats really got me angry is the insurance company asking ME to find out the owner of next door and then telling me I have to ask the owner to repair his roof!

 

Why can't my insurance find the name out and speed things up? - I asked them this question and they said they don't have a way to find out and I've to ring the council, I think thats complete rubbish, what can I do?

 

I don't know why the insurance want you to do it. Have you asked them?

 

Frankly it seems to me that the important thing is to get it sorted asap, so if I was you I'd phone the council and ask for their help. They will be more likely than you to be able to locate the owners I would think due to council tax records.

 

If you really think the insurance should do this, try them first, but at the end of the day it is in your interest to get it sorted quickly.

[BankFodder]

The insurance companies condition that they will only help you if you find out information for them is absolutely outrageous.

 

How they said this to you on the telephone? Do you have it in writing?

 

If you have no evidence of this then if I were you I would read our customer services guide, implement the advice there and then get them on the telephone and asked them about the condition with the objective of getting a recording of it.

 

It is outrageous treatment and it is clearly treating you unfairly and contrary to ICOBS.

 

If you can get this admission then you are home and dry because they will fall over backwards to avoid a judgement.

 

In any event, it is their job to do it. It is also their job to sort out your property – and to do it quickly.

[unclebulgaria67]

Tricky situation if the owner next door is not traceable. The council may have an alternative address, if they send the council tax letters to a different address. The council will not give out information to a third party, but may be willing to write to the owners saying the house is in disrepair with a leaking roof causing damage to the house next door.

 

The insurers will not carry out the repairs, unless they can find a way to stop the water getting in. They cannot touch the neighbours roof.

 

As well as contacting the council, you could post a letter through next door asking for you to be contacted.

 

The insurers cannot trace the owners of next door and their only responsibility is for treating you fairly to see if there are other options. E.g if the water is coming through your loft space from next doors roof, is there any way they could seal it from inside your loft.

 

You cannot expect the insurers to spend money on a repair that will need doing again within a few months.

 

The other possibility is to see if there is any way the Police or Fire Service could get involved. If the water could be getting in affecting electrics next door, it is potentially be a fire hazard.

[caro]

Most councils have an empty homes officer.

 

Even if the insurance co is falling short, you can argue that later, but the repair needs sorting urgently.

 

You could see if your insurance will provide temporary accommodation if you don't have another room you can use. I doubt they'll want to but it might buck their ideas up.

[Purpleflowers 2]

The inusrance company are telling me its my job to find out who owns the empty property next door and then ask the owner to go repair his roof to stop the water coming into my house, only then will the insurance repair my house from the water damage, which is getting worse day by day. (I will post pics on here to show the damage to my house)

 

They told me this over the telephone, I don't have it in writing. It's truly outrageous treatment.

 

They are dragging their feet, its been nearly 5 weeks now and the room is getting worse and worse day by day.

 

I rang the insurance company today, told them the council will not provide the owners details to a 3rd party (me) and its the insurance the council need to ring them to request the information.

 

I really want this sorted asap before the walls in the house start collapsing.

 

 

 

 

The insurance companies condition that they will only help you if you find out information for them is absolutely outrageous.

 

How they said this to you on the telephone? Do you have it in writing?

 

If you have no evidence of this then if I were you I would read our customer services guide, implement the advice there and then get them on the telephone and asked them about the condition with the objective of getting a recording of it.

 

It is outrageous treatment and it is clearly treating you unfairly and contrary to ICOBS.

 

If you can get this admission then you are home and dry because they will fall over backwards to avoid a judgement.

 

In any event, it is their job to do it. It is also their job to sort out your property – and to do it quickly.

[Purpleflowers 2]

The the repair needs sorting urgently but the insurance are saying its my job to trace the owner of the empty propert next door and ask them to repair their roof, then the insurance will sort the repair to my home. The argument is its the neighbours damaged roof which is letting all the water into my house, so that needs fixing first but its the owners repsonbility.

 

Why can't the insurance simply contact the councils have an empty homes officer and get the landlords details for the empty propert next door, then ask him to repair his roof or claim against him?

 

 

Most councils have an empty homes officer.

 

Even if the insurance co is falling short, you can argue that later, but the repair needs sorting urgently.

 

You could see if your insurance will provide temporary accommodation if you don't have another room you can use. I doubt they'll want to but it might buck their ideas up.

[Guest]

the council can ask the owner to repair, or if not the council can take enforcement action to undertake repairs themselves. has the council been notified that the ppty is empty and in disrepair. councils usually have a report form for that re an empty home causing a problem.

in the meantime, wld think that an insurer wld undertake any temporary repairs to your ppty to mitigate your and their loss/damage?

 

ps. if the council havent yet been notified as such, just do it. get things rolling. as caro, complaints to the insurer can be made after if required.

[unclebulgaria67]

The the repair needs sorting urgently but the insurance are saying its my job to trace the owner of the empty propert next door and ask them to repair their roof, then the insurance will sort the repair to my home. The argument is its the neighbours damaged roof which is letting all the water into my house, so that needs fixing first but its the owners repsonbility.

 

Why can't the insurance simply contact the councils have an empty homes officer and get the landlords details for the empty propert next door, then ask him to repair his roof or claim against him?

 

The council won't provide your neighbours details to the Insurers, due to data protection act.

 

As has been suggested, the council have ways of contacting owners, if you can get them to help you. As a resident, you will have more influence, than the insurance company.

[king12345]

I was in a similar situation 10 years ago and I ended up paying a roofer to change a few broken tiles on next door roof.

Then the insurance fixed my side of the roof and plaster inside.

When I eventually managed to get hold of the next door owner he paid the £150 without any fuss.

I would concentrate on fixing the problem before it becomes a major issue and then chase the owner for the expense.

I know that you are not allowed to touch other people property, but in emergency is common sense to act quickly.

There is always a risk that the neighbour won't repay you and you have to factor that in.

In my case I was expecting to lose the £150, but then he paid me back.

It's paramount to fix the leak asap imo

[ThedaBara]

I was in a similar situation 10 years ago and I ended up paying a roofer to change a few broken tiles on next door roof.

Then the insurance fixed my side of the roof and plaster inside.

When I eventually managed to get hold of the next door owner he paid the £150 without any fuss.

I would concentrate on fixing the problem before it becomes a major issue and then chase the owner for the expense.

I know that you are not allowed to touch other people property, but in emergency is common sense to act quickly.

There is always a risk that the neighbour won't repay you and you have to factor that in.

In my case I was expecting to lose the £150, but then he paid me back.

It's paramount to fix the leak asap imo

 

 

I think if the neighbour is allowing the property to fall into disrepair, the council can insist on them fixing it or else they undertake the repair and then chase them for the money...

[SabreSheep]

either way this needs moving away form phone conversations and into written ones with proof of receipt and postage to their ceos office

 

then esc from there.

[ThedaBara]

either way this needs moving away form phone conversations and into written ones with proof of receipt and postage to their ceos office

 

then esc from there.

 

Definitely! Nothing beats having it in writing...

[Purpleflowers 2]

Update...the insurance has paid me out in settlement for the cost to fix my room from the inside. Plus I've found out the names of the owners next door and have also found out next doors house is being let by an lettings agency who have let the house fall into a health hazard from the inside and outside, with ceiling plaster falling apart and the back garden full of rubbish.

 

How the lettings agency is getting away keeping the house in the state it was and letting it out is beyond me.

 

The losss adjuster has said I can fix the next door roof to stop water coming into my house and then send them the bill, they will then try to recover the costs from the tenant, whereas my insurance have said to request the loss adjustors report which confirms next door is liable to the damge to my porperty and send that report to the lettings agency and ask them to pay.

 

The loss adjuster told me they can't provide me with the surveyors report until after my insurance put in a request for it.

 

I also want to write to the council environmental health department and report the lettings agency and the house next door and the state that its in, can anyone please help me draft up a quick email I can send to the council.

 

thanks to everyone thats been helping me

[ericsbrother]

the freeholder will ultimately get the bill for this and you can look them up online on the Land registry website, it will cost you £3 for the search and you get a pdf download. The fly in the ointment for this may be that the registerd address for the freeholder is the same address so you are them chasing your tail. However, once you have a name you can use other searches to find your elusive landlord. If the property is mortgaged then a formal approach to the mortgage co with a possibility of registering an interest in the property for your costs may very well get them creaking into action but your insurers/the council should be the ones doing that.

[unclebulgaria67]

Update...the insurance has paid me out in settlement for the cost to fix my room from the inside. Plus I've found out the names of the owners next door and have also found out next doors house is being let by an lettings agency who have let the house fall into a health hazard from the inside and outside, with ceiling plaster falling apart and the back garden full of rubbish.

 

How the lettings agency is getting away keeping the house in the state it was and letting it out is beyond me.

 

The losss adjuster has said I can fix the next door roof to stop water coming into my house and then send them the bill, they will then try to recover the costs from the tenant, whereas my insurance have said to request the loss adjustors report which confirms next door is liable to the damge to my porperty and send that report to the lettings agency and ask them to pay.

 

The loss adjuster told me they can't provide me with the surveyors report until after my insurance put in a request for it.

 

I also want to write to the council environmental health department and report the lettings agency and the house next door and the state that its in, can anyone please help me draft up a quick email I can send to the council.

 

thanks to everyone thats been helping me

 

I thought both the Council and Police have powers under anti social behaviour laws to get home owners to repair their properties. The council also has powers, where there are environmental health concernd. I have heard of cases where Councils force private home owners to carry out works.

 

You can't really start repairing your neighbours house, even if there is a good reason.

 

If i were in this position, i would nicely threaten the letting agency, to either sort out the house next door or further action will be taken, including involving Council environmental health, who do have powers to force entry. The letting agency might say that the home owner is no longer their client and they might not want to help.