Stoke man's roof insurance claim rejected - for not being damaged enough
A veteran from Stoke-on-Trent who returned home from an appointment to find his home's roof damaged after strong winds, says his insurance company is refusing to pay out - because "it wasn't windy enough".
Steve Clews, who's 53, suffers from Gulf War syndrome. He had returned home to Sneyd Green from an eye appointment to find tile rubble over his garden. He then called his insurance after spotting more parts of his roof falling away.
He says a cordon was put around his "dangerous" property. But he's since been told he's not eligible for a payout, as it 'wasn't windy enough'.He says “Around a week ago we noticed one of the top ridge tiles had broken off and it nearly hit one of the neighbours so we phoned the insurers. A contractor came around and told us the side of the roof is in a dangerous condition. They said if we have any winds the chances are it’s going to blow up. We told them it needs repairing and they took no action".
"I had an eye examination on Tuesday and when I came back I saw rubble in the front garden. I got a torch, looked up and saw I had got holes in the roof. The sides were slit and the tiles had fallen off. We phoned the emergency insurance number and they advised us to call the fire brigade - they came out very quickly. The pavement was cordoned off because it’s a bus route, children walk past and there’s a school opposite".
“On Wednesday morning we had another assessor come and he said ‘Oh my God, this is really bad and dangerous’. We talked to our insurers and they said they looked on Google and the wind was 21mph and they don’t cover for insurance unless it’s 60mph. It was actually 46mph".Steve, who is on disability benefits, has now been quoted £9,000 for a new roof to make the property safe. He's temporarily put in tarpaulin in his loft, as water has been seeping through the huge holes.Steve says “The roof has been left in a dangerous position and the insurance company is saying they are not going to pay out....The assessor said all it’s going to do is leak through unless something is done immediately ...To say I am really annoyed is an understatement".
"We feel let down. We paid for this extra cover. I’m disappointed with the excuses they are giving."Steve and his family have been with the same insurance company for more than a year, paying a monthly £30 fee for an extensive cover.He says "I want them to pay out for the repairs and make the roof safe. It’sdangerous to us and to the public. We simply don’t have the money. We pay insurance so that we could have these repairs. They are happy to take your money but they completely let us down and don’t want to know.”We're awaiting a statement from the insurance company.