Can I claim internal damages on building insurance?

[kenwood]

I'm afraid I caused a catastrophic leak in my flat which affected the two flats below me as well as mine to some extent.

There was water damage as well as damage to the original electrical cables. 

 

Obviously we have building cover for such events but would I be able to make a claim for the issues caused internally? For example now that my fridge freezer is live again, the electrical panel is not working properly so I cannot even change the temperature of the fridge, let alone anything else.

 

Also while I am not ungrateful that it was dealt with quickly, the electricians who came to fit the new cables have just plonked a thick black cable along one side of my hallway and it is really hideous and an eyesore - I did ask them to lay it in the opposite direction which would have been less noticeable but they ignored me and fobbed me off with a bunch of lies. I feel claustrophobic just looking at it. 

It is so awful that I cannot imagine ever being able to sell my flat at the going rate. 

 

Do I have any recourse for this or is it set in stone?

Edited December 17, 2021 by dx100uk
Grammar, tidy up

[unclebulgaria67]

Internal items would need to be claimed against Content Insurance.  And each flat owner would need to claim against the own Contents Insurance.

 

In regard to the electrical cable work, the person responsible for dealing with the claim for the electrical work, should contact the Insurance company.  Does not sound acceptable to have a black cable running down the hallway, unless this is only temporary.

[kenwood]

No it's not temporary, they said I could paint it. They were awful. Very dismissive of anything I suggested to make it less obvious. In a square hallway it would have been equidistant if it had gone the other way, and far less obvious but they ignored me. It is running along the top of the wall.

Edited December 17, 2021 by kenwood
Detail

[stu007]

Hi

 

I have to agree the way that cable has been layed doesn't seem correct if it is not temporary.

 

So I would contact your Insurance Provider who sent this contractor out to make a Formal Complaint about this Electrical Contractor and tell them exactly what has happens as you said it here. 

 

You require this to be resolved by: 

 

(State how you want then to resolve this issue)

 

You also required the following:

 

1. The name of the Company that came to do the Electrical work in your Property.

 

2. The Electrical Registration Number of the Employee that carried out the work from that Company so I can check they are Qualified under (NICEIC)

Homepage NICEIC

WWW.NICEIC.COM

---

NICEIC provides assessment and certification services for contractors working across the building services sectors. We assess electricians...

 

 

Don't be afraid to challenge this it is your right as you are paying for the Insurance Cover and remember it was the Insurance Company that employed the services of that Company to carry out the work in your Property so the Insurance Company is responsible for the works carried out by that Contractor.

[kenwood]

Stu007, thank you. I've asked the managing agents for the name of the company, if it is even a company. Also the actual insurance policy to see what it says. Will ask for what you mentioned too.

[kenwood]

Is it true that once an armoured cable is in place nothing can be done?

[dx100uk]

no why do you think that?

dx

[stu007]

Hi

 

If you are specifically on about Armoured Electrical Cable the answer is as dc100uk has stated.

 

Armoured Electrical Cable can be moved and I assume this is the cable you are referring to in post#1 the thick black cable.

 

I do hope this is not one of the excuses from the Management Company/Person that installed that cable.

[kenwood]

Stu007 thanks for getting back to me. Yes it absolutely is one of the lies the electrician told me and yes, I believe it's an armoured cable, 5cm diameter with clips, its hideous.

[unclebulgaria67]

Is the possible reason for the cabling being done in this way, due to asbestos in the building, so they cannot(*) start drilling into some area to hide the cables ?

 

* if there is asbestos present, they may not want to disturb it, as that would mean they would have to clear the building of people for the period of the works, take a lot more h&s precautions etc.

 

 

[kenwood]

Hi, sorry I didn't see this before.

 

No I doubt very much there was a concern about asbestos, although he probably would have said there was just to shut me up.

 

The electrician was a bit of a sociopath, he told me one lie after another, after another, just so he could do what he wanted. He just laid the cable from A to B with absolutely no concern about anything else due to it being an "emergency". 

 

I've challenged the managing agents many times but they will not listen to anything I say, will not show me a copy of the insurance policy and furthermore they are going to deduct £500 excess for the whole claim from me.

Edited January 27, 2022 by dx100uk
unnecessary previous post quote removed + post spacing

[unclebulgaria67]

In that situation, I think I would obtain further legal advice about the actions I could take.

 

If you are a leaseholder, you need to think about future saleability of the property.