Mining and Subsidence effect on Insurance

When the Uk was full of working coal mines, there was housing built very close to the Coal mines, and over the years as the mines grew larger the shafts sometimes went under the homes.

When subsidence, ground heave and landslip in the area was noticed the Coal Board paid out to have the properties underpinned. These properties find it difficult to obtain insurance and the insurers may still ask for a mining survey.

We at T R Youngs have insurers that are willing to help place this business and without the costs of having a mining survey done.

If the property has been underpinned, they should be treated correctly and in most cases they are possibly a better risk than those that have not had any work done to them.

Underpinning the property is usually done by specialist builders who basically jack up the house and lay concrete under the affected areas.

Most insurers avoid properties that have suffered any form of underpinning and will only insure risks that they have previously insured. As such there is a very small market and we have the ability to help those people, whether the property, is currently owned or is being purchased.

Areas that suffer this are found all over the country, but main coal mining areas of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Cumbria, Kent and parts of Wales are the worst affected.

If you would like to see what they can save, CONTACT THEM BY CLICKING THIS LINK HERE.

Article Source - Dave Burn - Special Risks - TR Youngs Insurance Brokers

Flood Risk - Wycombe District and County News

The March 2011 edition of Wycombe District and County News arrived with the post today. A joint publication from Buckinghamshire County Council and Wycombe Dstrict Council, had the following news item.

Flood Risk Following the introduction of the Floods and Water Management Act in April 2010, Buckinghamshire County Council has been designated Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA).

This means the Council has new duties and responsibilities to help prevent and reduce the risk of flooding in Buckinghamshire.

In order to fulfil the new duties, it is essential the Council works effectively with partners, including district councils, Environment Agency, water companies and drainage boards. Equally important is the active participation and involvement of the public and local community groups.

During 2011 the County Council will develop a new flood management website which will include information about flood alerts, flood risk in Buckinghamshire, flood management factsheets and guidance on what to do if a flood event occurs.

In the meantime, please visit the Buckinghamshire County Council, district council and Environment Agency websites and search for "Flood Management" for the latest information available.

I have checked out the Buckinghamshire County Council's website using the Flood Management search term and there are several topics at http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/search_new/search_new.aspx

There are also links to:
•Aylesbury Vale District Council - Flooding
•Chilterns District Council - Flooding
•Wycombe District Council - Flooding
•South Bucks District Council - Flooding
•Environment Agency
•Local Government Improvement and Development
•Changes to Environment Agency Flood Warning Service
•Bedford Group of Drainage Boards
•Environment Agency: Current flooding situation

If you live in area that could be flooded and are having difficulty getting insurance, take a look at "Flood damaged property Insurance" http://www.jml-insurance.co.uk/types.php?id=81&sec=1

Flood plan testing March 2011

According to media reports in the last couple of days "Emergency crews from the Thames Valley, Surrey and London are to be tested for their response to mock "catastrophic flooding" in the South East." Similar flood tests under Exercise Watermark will take place in areas that could be affected by flooding in England and Wales.

In Garforth, Leeds - Residents will be putting their community flood plan into action next week as part of a large-scale emergency flood exercise across England and Wales according to a report from the Environment Agency.

Garforth has a long history of flooding problems, particularly with local drainage systems which are unable to cope with large storms. After the severe flooding in June 2007, residents decided to write their own plan of how they could work together during a flood.

The group’s founder and treasurer, Jacky Simpson, said: “With support from Leeds City Council and the Environment Agency, we have worked hard to develop our Flood Plan. We have divided Garforth up into eight areas which we know are vulnerable to flooding.

“My role, along with the other Flood Wardens, is to liaise with these authorities and pass on information about potential flooding problems to the sub-warden in the relevant areas.

“They can then use the information to alert homeowners and businesses in their communities. We were conscious that we had not yet used the Flood Plan – so with Exercise Watermark happening, it seemed an ideal opportunity to have a ‘dry run’.

The trial will involve the group receiving simulated weather and flooding information from the Environment Agency and Leeds City Council, and then using this to test their call-out procedures and actions.

This includes alerting vulnerable residents and installing flood protection products, such as door guards or airbrick covers, which have been provided to some properties through a government grant scheme.

Environment Agency community officer Graham Lindsey said: “We’re really pleased that the Garforth committee is testing its flood plan. We will be rigorously testing our own procedures during Exercise Watermark, but this exercise is equally a chance for individuals, community groups, schools and businesses to think about how they would respond.

“In a major flood, the emergency responders may not be able to help everyone affected, and any assistance may take a while to arrive. Therefore it is essential that people know whether they could be affected by flooding, know how to stay safe and have a plan in place.”

In Norfolk Police, fire, local authorities, health representatives and other partner agencies in Norfolk, together with the Environment Agency, will be exercising the county’s response to river and coastal flooding on Wednesday 9 and Thursday 10 March.

The exercise, called "Watermark", is a nationwide flooding exercise that looks at the country’s preparedness against a range of flooding scenarios. Thousands of people from government departments, agencies, emergency responders and communities are taking part in one of the biggest emergency exercises ever to take place in the UK.

Locally, the exercise is being co-ordinated by a partnership of local responders including Norfolk Constabulary, Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service, Norfolk County Council, District Borough Councils, Environment Agency, Broads Authority, Anglian Water, Military, Maritime Coastguard Agency, Met Office, UK Power Networks and NHS Norfolk.

Norfolk’s County Council Resilience Manager, John Ellis said: “One in six properties in England and Wales is at risk of flooding. It is only by working and practising together that we will be ready to protect people’s lives, homes and livelihoods when flooding hits.

Thames Barrier flood awareness day and test closure - Thursday 10 March (exhibits will also be in the Thames Barrier Learning Centre between Friday 11 and Sunday 13 March)

Members of the public will be able to visit the Thames Barrier site on Thursday 10 March to take part in a flood awareness day and to witness the monthly Thames Barrier test closure.

There will be a marquee with staffed displays on flood warning and informing, maintenance and reliability, taking action and planning for the future. We will also show people how we build a sandbag wall and will demonstrate a demountable defence.

A local primary school, Lowther Primary School, which is at risk of flooding, will also be visiting. We have invited a number of local MPs, local authority Chief Executives, councillors and climate change representatives. Representatives from the London Fire Service are also planning to attend in a fire engine and to demonstrate a high volume water pump. Members of the Woolwich Riversides Safer Neighbourhoods team, part of Metropolitan Police, will also be attending.

Meanwhile a number of towns and villages in Warwickshire are taking part in Exercise Watermark next week in a bid to test national flood defences.From Friday, March 4 until Friday, March 11, Exercise Watermark will test the country’s response to surface water, reservoir, river and coastal flooding.

Do you live in area that is in a flood risk Zone? Are you worried about being able to get insurance? Find out more at http://www.jml-insurance.co.uk/types.php?id=81&sec=1

Another flood victims story

DON’T BANK ON YOUR BANK GETTING YOU COVER IF YOU HAVE BEEN FLOODED

- Major UK clearing bank being able to get us flood insurance.

Strangely enough we have just shifted our business account from Bank "A" to Bank "B" (***) and as you would expect they have tried to sell us all sorts of policies etc. They offered insurance but I was sceptical and said that they won't get us flood cover only to be assured that they could in fact get us cover. I didn't hold my breath but was amazed when the phone call came in and the agent told me he had in fact managed to secure me flood cover! Fantastic I said what's the catch?

Here we go, are you ready?

Flood cover was offered, but with a ten thousand pound excess which isn't too bad I suppose but this is the real killer. After that initial first 10K excess they would then only offer me ten percent of the total claim in cover! So yes I suppose that they are offering flood cover and can tick that box but the reality is they are not.

One good thing did come out of it, at present my insurers have lumped together "Storm, Tempest and Flood" as one category and I'm not covered for all three. Lloyds would not do this so it would only be the flood claims that I could not make and I would be covered for Tempest and Storm.

(***)The two banks are both part of 2 British banking groups.

Source: Neil Cook

Gas Safety in rented accommodation

We received an email about a short blog on the Painsmith Landlord and Tenant Blog yesterday afternoon.

"The Old Bailey will this summer be hearing the case of a Plumber charged with the manslaughter of a woman who died of carbon monoxide poisoning. It is alleged he breached his obligations under regulation 26 (9) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.The Plumber has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

This case should serve as a reminder to landlords and agents to ensure their obligation to maintain all gas fittings and flues in a safe condition and that a gas safety check is carried out by a registered engineer every year.

Many agents contact us on the helpline in complete frustration due to a tenant’s refusal to grant access for these checks and given the potential consequences the frustration is understandable.

Whilst a landlord will not be able to transfer this responsibility onto the tenant in any circumstances the legislation does make it clear that the landlord is required to take all reasonable steps to gain access for this checks. Reasonable steps do not include forcing entry or using management keys to gain entry in the absence of consent.

Possible options to gain access include applying for an access injunction or even applying for possession. The injunction is the quicker and potentially the more expensive of the two options and the threat of an injunction is possibly most effective when a tenant understands that the costs of any action will be sought against them.

Whilst it is accepted that this is a very difficult task in some cases, landlords are strongly advised to ensure that they retain confirmation of requests for access, cancellation notices, appointment cards, missed appointment cards and the like to defend their position when and if necessary."

For more information on Gas Safety in Rental Property visit http://www.jmlproperty.co.uk/Gas_safety_in%20rental_properties.htm It is very importan if you let out your property that you are 100 per cent compliant

Reasons to buy your insurance from an insurance broker

Neil Cook an insurance broker has just sent us this information. He specialises in insurance for ex offenders, people living in flood affected parts of the UK plus many other areas of the commercial and residential arena including cover for Kidnap and Ransom

“After speaking to various clients came a cross an interesting analogy” about the current state of the insurers who sell their wares to the unsuspecting buying public through call centres which usually branded as the insurance department of the supermarket chain, a financial institution etc
For example a lady who had brought a policy under a supermarket found that it was administered by a well know bank, who in turn brought the cover from a branded insurer who was in fact a major insurer in the background so in fact by the time the transaction to buy the policy was completed 4 mouths had to be feed out of any commission

The whole principle of buying insurance this way was to cut out THE MIDDLEMAN IE the insurance broker now there are four middle men

The advantages of traditionally using an insurance broker was that the commission they earned who be justified by the professional advice they gave (you may not be aware that insurance brokers are a “learned profession” who have to undertake exams almost in depth as the legal trade because so much about the core is insurance relates to a contract of trust.

Bearing in mind that on a typical household or motor policy the broker might earn about £40 for a whole years work that’s pretty

Good compared to the £150 a solicitor or accountant charges PER HOUR !!!!

Another down side to buying your policy through a bank, supermarket or comparison site are hidden charges! Are you aware that it can cost over 30% more to buy on installments were as typically broker will charge about 10% also every time you make a change on the policy those insurers will charge you typically £25!!

The idea is that mass selling of policies keeps the cost to the consumer down as admin costs are lower!! in fact that’s not true

They pile them high and sell them cheap but charge extra every chance they get !! also these insurers have expensive add ons, like legal protection insurance which can carry a mark up of several thousand percent

Have you ever wondered how all that wonderful junk mail that comes through your letter box every day finds you ? Could it be that the insurer sells your personal details to junk mail companies for profit !

Dealing with claims can be hellish too We all make jokes about the standard of service we get from some supermarkets, although this is improving, as some supermarkets are recruiting more mature staff , sadly most of the younger in experienced “THE COMPUTER SAYS NO “ work force is employed by those insurers as call staff

OK if you are just after the cheapest possible insurance deal the above might not be of great interest to you

BUT when you need specialist insurance for example if you live in a flood risk area or have been flooded and actually want to get insurance for your house and want to get insurance that you can afford REMEMBER without insurance that coves flood your home or business is worthless as it cannot be sold IF you buy cover do get it in writing that the insurer will actually pass the policy on to the future or you will never be able the property other than perhaps to a “cash buyer” will usually only pay a small percentage of market value, the same applies to those who have had subsidence issues

If you or any member of the family have criminal convictions only speak to a broker

To contact Neil Cook CLICK HERE

Lewes flooding remembered

On Thursday 12th October 2001,following three days of exceptionally heavy rain on already saturated ground, the River Ouse overtopped the flood defences and flooded substantial parts of Lewes in Sussex.

Following extensive flooding of Lewes in 2000, the Sussex Ouse Flood Management Strategy was published in August 2002. The Strategy included a recommendation to provide flood protection to the town of Lewes. The Strategy considered Lewes to be comprised of several areas, known as flood cells, as shown in Figure 1. The economic justification for various standards of flood protection was considered for each of these flood cells.

Since 2000, millions of pounds has been spent on defences by the Environment Agency , but when heavy rain is predicted people still cast a wary eye at the River Ouse.

BBC Sussex has a report on "Ten years on - Lewes people remember the floods of 2000" HERE

Looking for insurance for flood damaged property? Click Here