Legal Advice? Flooded Cellar.

Mikharper

Mikharper

Mikharper

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Joined
30 Apr 2003
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Prescot, Liverpool UK :)
The waterboard have been doing work today along one side of the street, and about an hour ago all the cellars along the street have flooded, some fully furbished rooms, about 4/5inches of water. The water board came out and were/are totally crap. They started (after much standing around) to pump water out of one of the holes infront of the house at the end of the road (the worse affected) straight into the other 2/3 holes infront of other houeses! Including my sisters! All my sisters fiances tools/fridge freezers, new furniture was down there, totalling thousands I would say.

I was wondering what you can advice them? Phone house insurance (should I take pictures of inside and outside the house for proof?) Get a solicitor, get the money off the water board or what? I just want to do something yknow, its wrecked a lot of peoples houses and the water is going to be off for an indefinate period. Sounds a bit sad, but Ive seen stories less than this make the local paper, do you think that might be an option to speed repairs up? Serious answers only please its not a funny matter .

Thanks in advance, any websites you could point too or numbers to ring would be greatly appreciated.
 
if it was me.

Take records, photos everything thats damaged estimate a price.

Seek legal help and advice from them on which way of recouping the money is going to be "less painful" innsurance or courtcase i assume.

Im pretty sure that it will all be covered by house insurance but depending on their state of mind and the legal grounds for a case, im sure you could persue it the other way but is it worth it ?

So unless theres a Lawyer/Soliciotor that specilaises in building stuff reading this now, get on it first thing in the morning.

Look in the yellow pages for Citizens advice Bureau they will offer free legal advice and probably help you a lot more than me. ALSO speak t o the neighbours, see how they are dealing with the same issue.
 
I would think it would be covered under your household insurance, although if it was caused by work carried out by the water company I would suspect that it may be covered under their insurance (if it was planned work rather than a burst main?).

If the damage was directly caused by the waterboards actions (pumping water into an area where it would flood other properties), i'd say it's almost certain you could claim frm them.
 
Thanks guys I photogaphed everythin, even went down the street and took photos of everyone elses cellars thanks for the suggestions Il take them all on board. The flood was caused by the waterboards work earlier today, so yeah I think it`l be more compensation from the Water company than insurance claiming.
 
call your household insurers .They wll handle it all for you , then claim it back from the water company.Assuming that your policy covers flooding of your cellar .
 
Yep, I'm also sure your household insurance will cover it. Phone them pronto, they may send someone out straight away to view the scene and write a report on what they think the cause is, if the water board are still there it would certaintly help. Though to be fair it does seem like a fairly clear cut case anyway. Also write doen the licence plates of any Water board vechiles that are present, it may help to track the exact personnel at a later.

I suspect you insurance will cover the damage, it will then be up to your insurer to deal with the water board. Though it may depend on your exact policy.

Good luck getting it all sorted.

Pete
 
Do you have any idea what caused the flooding?

A few photos of the flooded cellars in question wouldn't go amiss from this thread either. : )
 
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