What about getting insurance after making a claim for subsidence?
by Admin
Posted on 27-03-2023 11:43 AM
As our summers get drier and winters wetter, subsidence damage insurance claims are becoming far more frequent. If your home has been affected by subsidence, you will be rightly concerned about the affect on its value and the inevitable disruption you face
it’s an unfortunate fact that subsidence damage insurance claims can take months or possibly years to be resolved.
As well as investigations to determine the full extent of the problem, there will also need to be remedial works such as underpinning and potentially internal repairs. As a consequence, you may even need to move out of your home.
http://3b8.s3-website.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/damage-loss-claim/subsidence-damage-loss-claim/Subsidence-everything-you-need-to-know.html
Subsidence is caused by the undermining of the foundations of a property (usually caused by escape of water from underground pipes). Downward movement in the foundations can result in cracks in the structural walls of a building. Managing a successful subsidence claim is essential in restoring your home to a structurally sound state. However, subsidence claims can be very difficult to negotiate, and require dedicated professional representation with detailed insurance knowledge, to succeed. To establish if you have an admissible subsidence claim it is necessary to prove the cause and source of any cracks. This requires a specialist investigation and engineers report to determine the exact cause of the damage.
What should I do if I suspect subsidence?
Heave is the opposite of subsidence – the upwards movement of a foundation. This is quite rare and usually occurs where clay soils below foundations rehydrate ‘swell’ following the removal of a nearby tree. Depending on the extent of the heave underpinning may sometimes be necessary. Should you suspect your property is suffering from heave we can also advise you in this respect as well.
Your options in this respect are similar to those described above in relation to subsidence. We will be pleased to discuss your concerns and requirements over the phone before we are formally instructed and should you decide to instruct us we will usually provide you with an emailed copy of the report within 24hrs of the inspection.
We have a wealth of experience managing 'subsidence, heave and landslip' related insurance claims across the united kingdom. This has involved undertaking the initial inspection arranging investigations and then appropriate mitigation works preparing specifications and drawings and managing the works on site to completion. If a property owner/lessee suspects that they may have subsidence related damage at their property and they contact their insurer; the insurer normally either: requests that the property owner/lessee arrange for a survey to be undertaken by an independent surveyor. If the damage has been caused by an insured peril the property owner/lessee can normally claim the cost back.
What you can do to prevent subsidence
House and building insurance has included subsidence cover since 1971 letting you claim for damage from uneven movement of your building’s foundations. Establishing the reasons why damage has occurred can be difficult needing a range of building subsidence surveys on your home. Using these surveys, engineers can design remedial schemes to prevent further movement. Completing the remedial scheme allows restoration of the building to its former condition. Making an insurance claim will be your first step in dealing with the damage that has occurred. Critical to your claim is the subsidence survey and monitoring report prepared by an agent of your insurer.
Most insurance policies do not cover damage to a home due to mine subsidence. The mine subsidence insurance fund provides low cost insurance coverage in 37 ohio counties for homes damaged due to mine subsidence caused by underground mines. Report your claim to an agent or the insurance company. Your agent or insurance company will notify the ohio mine subsidence insurance underwriting association, which administers and adjusts the claim. Insurance coverage is mandatory in 26 of the 37 counties, with a low annual premium. Available for 1- to 4-family dwellings having at least 50% of the living area occupied. Mobile homes and farm houses are also eligible.
Subsidence damage as defined by your insurance policy can be hard to prove. Not all cracks in walls and plasterwork mean you have a subsidence problem; many cracks are caused by natural movement in the house structure due to seasonal temperature and moisture level changes. These tiny cracks are often in a corner where a stud wall joins a block wall, or where a wall joins the ceiling. They are generally insignificant, but diagonal or vertical cracks in walls, especially when they are wider than the thickness of a €1 coin are something to be concerned about. Most household insurance policies – and some commercial property insurance policies – cover loss or damage caused by subsidence, heave and landslip.
Subsidence and structural damage can be insurance claims in relation to damage caused by ground movement or impact. Where appropriate, we engage structural engineers to comment on the cause and the extent of the damage and offer their expert opinion on remedial works required. If you discover what appears to be structural cracking and subsidence damage to your property whether this be to a house or other domestic building, a business, a shop, a factory, a warehouse or office, then it is essential that you immediately seek advice. Ins property claims ltd based in billericay, essex are experienced in the handling and management of subsidence insurance claims and can help you with the arrangement of emergency repairs to make the building temporarily safe, if required.