The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: ellied on February 04, 2011, 12:12:51 pm

Title: Insurance
Post by: ellied on February 04, 2011, 12:12:51 pm

Someone remind me why we have to have insurance on everything?

I have stopped most policies from animals to house contents, but three policies are required of me - the car, my professional indemnity, and the buildings cover..

In December, under the weight of snow and ice, the top barn roof collapsed.  It is clear that the snow was the cause.  A tree partially fell at the same time and there are big cracks in various walls about the garden aswell as one in the harling of the house wall :(

OK, walls and trees aren't covered, fair enough.  Outbuildings are, even my shed, tho it's more than an average garden shed being 45' x 15' ::)  But it isn't going to be repaired because after weeks of waiting, a surveyor says the collapse is partially due to a design/build flaw and partially due to wear & tear, as there are signs of rotten wet wood in the corner of the older barn it is an extension to ::)  So no payout, and I get to withdraw the claim or lose my no claims ::)

So unless my shed is brand new and under warranty, in which case insurance doesn't pay, then it is wear and tear or not built to their (current) buildings spec.  It's a shed - tele poles with a roof on and gates round the edges ::)

Oh and the harling is a maintenance issue not an insurance one ::) 

So having dealt with the tree (and doing so again with another faller) and ignoring the garden walls and half fallen shed being unuseable for the forseeable future until I find £10k+ to start over or decide to spend £1-2k fixing a roof on and reinforcing/replacing timbers in the one next door, I am left with lots of bills and clearly not a leg to stand on if anything further happens as a result of my not being able to pay for what already has ::)

So why in gods name do I have to insure the buildings when nothing counts?  Even if it flooded or fell over in a hurricane I would no doubt be invalidating my claim in some way so nothing had to be paid out.  RIP OFF >:(

Title: Re: Insurance
Post by: little blue on February 04, 2011, 06:40:45 pm

as we are in the middle of a household claim following flooding, I'm going to make no further comment at the risk of tempting fate!