Insurance Claim - Advice?

craig_t · 24 Jun 2016 at 15:55

I recently had a house fire and my home is as a result inhabitable. The insurance company have rented me a property, I did have a choice in which property I got within a budget but there were not many suitable on the market at the time. I got one which was close ish to home and had a garage and off road parking but not quite a driveway, more of parking bay area outside the house. (This was a requirement as I will not leave one of my cars in the street for people to see, likewise would not leave it at my empty home where I wouldn't be able to hear the alarm etc if anything happened.)

Insurance company advised me that they will cover any costs which I incur over and above what I would need to spend if I was at my house. This is where the complication comes.. This morning I woke up to find someone has keyed my car (The one which isn't kept in the garage) on the door, rear quater, bumper and boot. I don't want to claim on my car insurance for this as I don't want a claim on there. No one I know knows I actually live here currently to my knowledge other than 2 close friends and family. I haven't pee'd anyone off and the position the car was parked and how these bays are mean there is a little walkway beside my car. They have keyed as you walk past the car and then turn left to walk up the street.

In my proper house, I have a garage for one car and my other car parks infront of the garage and has had no bother for the 4 year I have lived in that house. My driveway at my house also is camera'd from next doors cameras. Would it be a reasonable expectation for my home insurance to cover these damages, based on the fact that it is an additional spending that I would not of had to spend had I been at my house? If so, how would I approach this, just discuss the situation as described above and ask if they would be willing to pay towards the issue?

Glanza · 24 Jun 2016 at 15:58

What car is it that got keyed?

With how you make it sound about not leaving it on the street for people to see etc makes it sound like it's something out of ordinary so could have just been done due to that.

Home insurance will not cover damage to your car and will advise you to speak to your car insurance if your claiming.

McGray · 24 Jun 2016 at 16:07

No chance.

Diagro · 24 Jun 2016 at 16:22

No chance. Just a shame and something you will have to pay for.

Like when that dog died by committing suicide with my car.. i have to fork out £220 to repair the door. :/

craig_t · 24 Jun 2016 at 16:43

Glanza said:
What car is it that got keyed?

With how you make it sound about not leaving it on the street for people to see etc makes it sound like it's something out of ordinary so could have just been done due to that.

Home insurance will not cover damage to your car and will advise you to speak to your car insurance if your claiming.

Car is a golf GTD that was keyed. It's my track car that is garaged though not the golf.

Rids · 24 Jun 2016 at 16:44

Yeah, don't think you've got much chance of getting the car repair paid for.

tom_e · 24 Jun 2016 at 16:49

No chance, but if you don't ask you've got even less of a chance.

Maundie · 24 Jun 2016 at 20:56

Surely they would point you in the direction of your car insurance, you have informed them that your car isn't garaged or parked on a drive currently haven't you?

holymonk · 24 Jun 2016 at 21:35

Exactly what car insurance for... Did you burn your house down by any chance?

craig_t · 25 Jun 2016 at 10:29

Maundie said:
Surely they would point you in the direction of your car insurance, you have informed them that your car isn't garaged or parked on a drive currently haven't you?

Yes but the point is I wouldn't have this problem at my house. I don't want to put a claim on my car insurance to then have increased premiums for however long. It is cheaper for me to just fix the issue myself than the increased premiums would be that's why I thought I could maybe have home insurance pay..

Diagro · 25 Jun 2016 at 11:15

Dr colour chip.

may help...

Danger Phoenix · 28 Jun 2016 at 00:40

I work for a major insurer (not on the claims side but I have contacts) so I asked a few friends and they basically said what others have said... not going to happen.

Depending on how bad the damage is, you are better of getting it repaired yourself or if you have plenty of NCD and many many years of fault free driving then go down the insurance route.

alx · 28 Jun 2016 at 08:32

Danger Phoenix said:
I work for a major insurer (not on the claims side but I have contacts) so I asked a few friends and they basically said what others have said... not going to happen.

Depending on how bad the damage is, you are better of getting it repaired yourself or if you have plenty of NCD and many many years of fault free driving then go down the insurance route.

Yeah, you'll need to weigh up how bad the damage is. If multiple panels need respraying it's going to get expensive and it will probably be best to go down the car insurance route.

alx · 28 Jun 2016 at 08:33

craig_t said:
Yes but the point is I wouldn't have this problem at my house. I don't want to put a claim on my car insurance to then have increased premiums for however long. It is cheaper for me to just fix the issue myself than the increased premiums would be that's why I thought I could maybe have home insurance pay..

At any point a random scrote could come on your property and scratch/damage your car. The insurance company won't buy that unfortunately.

Haggisman · 28 Jun 2016 at 08:51

alx said:
At any point a random scrote could come on your property and scratch/damage your car. The insurance company won't buy that unfortunately.

Where do you draw the line in this instance? If the op had a high wall/gated drive with CCTV etc at home would this still be the case?

I think logically and ethically the insurance co should be responsible, legally however I would be surprised if you could get them to pay up

~Divine~Wind~ · 28 Jun 2016 at 09:34

Did you notify your car insurance of the change of address?

Hades · 28 Jun 2016 at 09:43

Haggisman said:
Where do you draw the line in this instance? If the op had a high wall/gated drive with CCTV etc at home would this still be the case?

I think logically and ethically the insurance co should be responsible, legally however I would be surprised if you could get them to pay up

If a high wall and gated drive with CCTV is a priority for the op then he should ensure his policy covers it (which would mean a very specialised and therefore expensive policy). It's likely that the op want prepared to pay for this and so won't be covered.

Danger Phoenix · 29 Jun 2016 at 00:34

~Divine~Wind~ said:
Did you notify your car insurance of the change of address?

You don't have to for a temporary circumstance. For example, if I have booked a cottage somewhere in the Lake District for a 2 week holiday, would I then have to call up for an mid term amendment (MTA)?

Haggisman said:
Where do you draw the line in this instance? If the op had a high wall/gated drive with CCTV etc at home would this still be the case?

I think logically and ethically the insurance co should be responsible, legally however I would be surprised if you could get them to pay up

Whether it would or wouldn't have happened doesn't really come into play as it could be argued both ways, and you could be asked to prove it wasn't there before. With no one to recover the costs from, it becomes a fault claim for which an excess will have to be paid and will adversely affect any future premiums.

Hades said:
If a high wall and gated drive with CCTV is a priority for the op then he should ensure his policy covers it (which would mean a very specialised and therefore expensive policy). It's likely that the op want prepared to pay for this and so won't be covered.

Not entirely sure what you mean... are you trying to say there would be a policy which covers the car under home insurance when it isn't in the drive way? Having a gated property with CCTV has no relevance to the insurance and only on whether it would or would not have happened if the car was parked in the drive.

In short, depending in the cost of repair you can either do it yourself or go down the route of a fault motor claim. At the end of the day the car could be keyed anywhere... if your house hadn't caught fire, you wouldn't have gone to B&Q to buy paint and the car would have been in the drive so the fact that some idiot keyed it isn't the home insurer's issue.

alx · 29 Jun 2016 at 08:51

Haggisman said:
Where do you draw the line in this instance? If the op had a high wall/gated drive with CCTV etc at home would this still be the case?

I think logically and ethically the insurance co should be responsible, legally however I would be surprised if you could get them to pay up

I do agree with your point, if my house was like Fort Knox and then I had to move somewhere else, park my car in public and it got damaged then I'd definitely be annoyed!

I'm sure there's a line somewhere at which point you might have a case to argue this point, but in this instance I don't think the OP has a chance.

craig_t · 3 Jul 2016 at 21:13

Just to update.. The insurance have offered to move me if I want but are not willing to cover the cost of the damage to my car. I have notified my car insurance of the change of address so it wouldn't be an issue to claim if I was going to however I am going to cover the cost of repair myself. I have two cars, if I claim it means on two policies I have to declare that I have made a claim for the next 5 years. Especially at 24 I can't imagine that working out very cheap either!

Lessons learnt.. Don't have a house fire!

On the CCTV note, my own home is covered by CCTV so think it is a big deterrent for people who wish to do such a thing.

Insurance Claim - Advice?

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