Insurance Risk

It appears that the property that I have lived in for the past 27 years is no longer insured properly.

It works something like this.

1. I inform the management company about a crack in the wall, (that’s why I call them the crack in the wall gang).
2. Some office junior in a back office dismisses the issue with a belligerent wave of the hand. (Immature and should not be a property manager, perhaps that’s why they appointed him) (This crack in the wall affects the value of my property and its saleability in the future, so it really is not a trivial matter)
3. He states in an email that there is not enough money (What about an insurance claim) (What happened to the reserve fund which I was informed at one point was heading towards £15000?. A reserve fund is there for such contingencies)
4. He states that the crack is not moving and nothing needs to be done. (Irrelevant as the crack still needs repairing)
5. I ask for a proper structural survey as this poor office junior obviously knows absolutely nothing about buildings and the need for a proper professional assessment. (The management company have appointed someone who doesn't know what he is talking about, blame can only come from his superiors)
6. His apparent boss gets back to me saying that a structural survey is not needed. He wants to have another test to state that the crack is not moving taking another six months, (more prevarication, hoping I will just go away and not annoy him) when his office junior has already stated that that the crack was not moving and a colleague of his was there as a witness). (It’s obvious that a crack is there and it needs repair, anyone of a sound and rational mind can see that, but they keep on dismissing the issue as of no importance and obviously ignorant on such issues.)
7. I get back to him stating that  a structural survey really is needed
8. Not only for myself but also for insurance purposes.
9. The first action in getting payment for repairs is to go to the building insurance and make a claim
10. They appear unwilling or unable to do this. They asked a while ago that we were underinsured taking into account the value of the whole complex.
11. Maybe they gained a large commission on a vastly increased insurance premium demanded by the insurance company that may or may have not been needed.
12. Maybe they knew that the crack was there and did not inform the insurance company.
13. One can walk by the crack and see it quite clearly, there is no reason why a property manager should not see such a crack that is obvious to one and all.
14. I state there is a need for full disclosure to an insurance company for any fault in a building otherwise they can refuse claims should anything happen to the building that requires a payment for repairs.
15. I ask could you please inform me of the name of the insurance company so I can check that my property is insured correctly and full disclosure of the crack in the building has occurred.
16. This is when I hear nothing more

The implications of all this are vast. There is a high likelihood that the building I have been living in for the past 27 years is not insured correctly and that an insurance company may not payout on a claim because full disclosure has not occurred about the true nature of the building and its cracking.

They appear to not to want to deal with this building structural fault through insurance (or any other means) because the insurance company has not been informed about it when the insurance was taken out.

It’s like driving down the road in a car with faulty brakes and then having a crash. If one knew the brakes were not working correctly or even a possibility of it, and then you had a crash there is no obligation on the insurance company to pay out for damages.

The implications go further,

Not only do I appear not to be insured correctly

There are many people in the flats who I presume have mortgages on their properties

It appears they are not insuranced correctly because it seems there has been no full disclosure of the structural issue that is so clear for everyone to see.

To protect their interests building societies require full and proper building insurance.

I believe that the building insurance on my flat and the rest of the complex has not been correctly set up correctly, that the insurance company has either been deliberately misinformed through ignorance or just plain negligence and we may not be insured properly.

I wish, truly, that all what I’ve described above is not true.

The only way the management company can show everything is correct is to give complete transparency and inform me, in writing, that the building insurance for the apartments is set up correctly and everything is above board. I also need the the name and address of the insurance company so I personally can make a further check that everythings really is above board.

I repeat, so far I’ve heard nothing, which is pretty alarming as they appear unwilling to deal with such an important issue.

Deep Throat

OMG, we have an insider's view of this Hole in the Wall Gang !!

I received some really interesting information from an informer at the Crack in the Wall Gang.

Can’t say whether DeepThroat (DT) is male or female, she/he may be real, I doubt it, who knows ?

DP will henceforth be known as a ‘she’ as the fairer sex tend (not always) be more intuitive and lack that machismo that blights the human soul.

If the way I’ve been treated is a sign of their unpleasantness, any insider found divulging sensitive commercial information to a gobsmacked world would not have a good time at all. I am sure you will know that discretion, as they  say, is the better part of valor.

So the facts and the image presented may not match up at all, which DT said, is so typical of their world.

DT informed me that the place was not a nice place to work in.

The boss (a ‘he’ for the purposes of this revelation) sits at his desk in a small corner in a big office that is half empty of furniture.

He likes to keep an eye on things from this corner and seems to have a six sense for anything not going his way. When he realises something's not right, he never gets up and shouts, but rather glides across his acres of carpet and presents with a smile that would melt half a ton of butter. Butter literally does melt in his mouth, have I got the the right way around ?

He has grand plans for expansion and all that empty carpet space is ready for it, that’s why the room is so big with so little in it.

DT said he appears as a real nice guy as a boss, never shouts, is very good at the ‘sweet talk’, which she fell for at the beginning. Over time she realised this ‘sweet talk’ was just a ruse to control and dominate his world in the most unpleasant way. She would not trust him to ‘look after a dog’, said with a tremor in her voice. Her words, not mine, honestly.

It all started when she walked into a meeting with one of his juniors and heard the words 'f..k him of the b.....d', said in the most evil tone, again with that smile on his face. This did not match up to this sweet persona he was so good at presenting. She couldn't believe that such words could exist in such a nice guy, but they did..............

DT believes the boss is not with it, with his delusions of grandeur. His self belief and ego are stupendous and all with that smile of his. Maybe, she thought, it all it comes from the a child being brought up with an exaggerated sense of their own worth. Someone trained them in the belief that nothing they could do was wrong. That everything he might do and say cannot be corrected or countered. If someone does counter he becomes destructive and wilful, playing games with people's lives to maintain his emotionally precarious position.

On the other hand, she thought, the boss might have had a terrible childhood and that the only way to succeed in the world was to be as ruthless as possible, dog eat dog, and all that. Of course, at all times, using that incredible deceitful smile that hides a multitude of emotions deep inside.

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If truth be told I’m not very good at writing, my words get confused and the story line gets a little mixed up. I try my (ever self deprecating) best.

But I go on with what she appeared to say….just give me a li9ttle more time

I'm expanding this story more and more, taking words, sentences, whole paragraphs, in and out, bending them to my will as is my pleasure, so please be patient. If anyone wants to contribute or make comments they will truly be welcome, as long as they fit within this delicious image I’m attempting to create

Bad Bad Boys

Recent Letter sent to the crack in the wall gang.
These guys are bad boys, bad boys

Dear Sirs

Thanks for your letter of the xxxxxx.

I do not accept any of the statements that you have made in your letter regarding an obvious crack in the building affecting xxxxxx

This is a structural crack right up the building, its movement is now irrelevant. Even if it was relevant your property manager stated in an email of xxxxxx.

"The cracks are not worsening and haven’t worsened for at least the past six months...."

"...and have had them inspected by my colleagues also."

If what your property manager appeared to say was correct then yet another investigation concerning movement would patently be a waste of everyone's time and money, (that's assuming he has the skill and expertise to assess such a situation, which I believe he has not.)

1. I repeat my request for a proper written assessment of damage to the building outlining the work needed by a properly qualified Structural Engineer to enable repair.
2. I be informed at all stages of the works intended.
3. A final report,  after works has been completed, that states that a mortgage can be granted on any of the properties affected written by a properly qualified Structural Engineer
4. Repairs to be of a highest standard with brickwork and mortar matching the surrounding areas.
5. The general area to be returned to a fit and tidy state.

All this is a repeat of my letter of the xxxxxxxx requesting a solid action plan by the xxxxxx.

Other Issues

I still wish to see progress on the other basic maintenance issues to maintain the integrity of xxxxxx. These I have already mentioned previously in my letter of the xxxxxxxxx. I still see no physical sign of any change regarding these important points.

In addition, there is some damage to a step in the stairs in my block. It should obviously be considered an urgent repair issue as someone might trip over it. If someone has done something about it in the mean time, please accept my humble apologies. (<<<<<< possible deliberate vandalism by one of their workmen to "teach me a lesson", yes that is threatening behaviour and unlawful if found to be true)

Insurance Cover

(Posssible they have never been properly insured despite recent increases in the costs of insurance, they should have been able to claim on the insurance for building works but can't because the insurance people have never been informed properly about the issue) (<<<<< cowboys masquerading in suits )

A proper written structural engineers report is also needed to inform the company, who provides xxxxxx building insurance, that there is a crack in the building and it's been repaired to the required standard.

If the insurance company has not been informed of this structural defect and measures to deal with it, it will invalidate any possible insurance claims in the future therefore leaving us, the residents, uninsured for building losses.

Could you please confirm that the insurance company, with its name and address, has been properly informed of this structural crack so the residents of xxxxxxxx are safe in the knowledge we have adequate insurance cover.

Non-destructive protest

My non-destructive protest of a reduced service charge remains the same but if more undue delay and prevarication continues I will cease paying any service charges at all as already mentioned previously in my letter of the xxxxxx

I remain forever positive and constructive in the hope that these issues can be resolved sensibly and timely as would any person who is fair and reasonable.

Kind regards

Sent by signed post

Attached photos of cracks in building with damage to staircase.

Crack in the wall gang

Someone unknown has taken over from the previous, didn't even ask permission, just took over.

Up to their old tricks of prevarication, delay, poor standards and dare I say even a few dirty tricks (Explanations coming up soon).

I've renamed these new people the crack in the wall gang (more on that later as well)  :-)

They got themselves an award - can you believe it, amazing, incredulous, fantastic.

Are they so self deluded, have such massive egos as to their abilities or just can't believe they got away with it. Its at least one of those 3, maybe even more  ?

ha, ha, ha, ha,ha, ha,ha, ha,ha, ha,ha, ha,ha, ha,ha, ha,ha, ha,ha, ha,ha, ha,ha, ha,ha, ha,ha, ha,ha, ha,ha, ha,ha, ha,ha, ha,ha, ha,ha, ha,ha, ha,ha, ha,ha, ha,ha, ha,ha, ha,ha, ha,ha, ha,ha, ha,ha, ha.

Must contain my laughter and get myself off the floor

ha, ha,ha, ha,ha, ha,ha, ha,ha, ha,ha, ha,ha, ha,ha, ha,ha, ha,

Stop it, control yourself !