Help - Not insured??

[Andy]

Hi, I have been told by my insurance company that unless I have shutters on all of the ground floor windows and doors I am not insured for theft at my property, however they did say that you don't need the shutters if the glass in your windows were to the afnor nfp 78/406 specification. Can anyone advise me as to how I might establish if my windows are or not. I realise this is a bit of a specialist area but here's hoping.

Andy

[Monika]

I only recently have asked my insurance company if we need shutters. They confirmed in writing that we neither need shutters nor a yearly certificate for chimney sweeping. It might be cheaper to change your insurance company, unless yours is very reasonable. To give you an idea. We pay 200 Euros for a 2 bedroom house a year.

[Andy]

Thanks Monica, have sent you a pm asking who you use, but I have also been told that this rule applies to maison secondaires only....is this the case?....has anyone else had experience of this?

[Val_2]

Never been asked to confirm if shutters are fitted or not on principal residence and never at all during the five years it was a holiday home. Shutters will not keep burglars out as my brother found out when he went away as they prised them open as well the grille over the rear door and he had neighbours either side on a busy main road. Shutters in my opinion clearly show the property is not in use if all the windows are covered hence an open invitation but left unshuttered,the burglar cannot be sure.

[Nicos]

Our insurance states that we have to have shutters but doesn't specifically say they have to be closed when the property is empty!!! ( think I should double check on that again though!!!)

Shutters on any window lower than 3m from the ground. We too were not asked to confirm if they had been fitted- nor a certificate from the chimney sweep!

[BJSLIV]

I assume that they don't require sight of a certificate from the chimney sweep because its a statutory requirement to have the chimney swept at the specified intervals.

If you needed to claim because of a fire and you didn't have the appropriate proof, then the company would automatically apply contributory negligence deductions to any claim.

[Nicos]

There is a house in a nearby hamlet which has recently burned down- because of a chimney fire- and the locals say it's not covered by their insurance. Very sad to see a house recently renervated in that state.

I'll not hesitate to get mine swept next time we are out( only had the house since June)..just need to fine a chimney sweep .

[Clair]

[quote user="BJSLIV"]

I assume that they don't require sight of a certificate from the chimney sweep because its a statutory requirement to have the chimney swept at the specified intervals.

If you needed to claim because of a fire and you didn't have the appropriate proof, then the company would automatically apply contributory negligence deductions to any claim.

[/quote]

I know of no such statutory requirement. Can you clarify your source?

My insurance company specifically said to me last year that they did not require any proof or certificate.

We do our own sweeps several times a year and they are satisfied with that.

[BJSLIV]

Code général des collectivités territoriales

Article  L2213-26  En vigueur
  Créé par Loi n°96-142 du 21 février 1996 (jorf 24 février 1996).



En vigueur, version du 24 Février 1996

DEUXIÈME PARTIE : LA COMMUNE.

LIVRE II : ADMINISTRATION ET SERVICES COMMUNAUX.

TITRE Ier : POLICE.

CHAPITRE III : Pouvoirs de police portant sur des objets particuliers.

Section 4 : Autres polices.

Le maire prescrit que le ramonage des fours, fourneaux et cheminées des maisons, usines, etc., doit être effectué au moins une fois chaque année.

 

[Panda]

 

I understood too that it is a requirement for 'some' insurance companies (i.e. not a statutory requirement), ours have confired it is not a requirement for them. 

[Panda]

 

This states it just has to be done, doesn't state you have to have someone do it and provide a certificate. 

[Clair]

Thanks for that link BJSLIV.

From what I have read, I believe the Règlement Sanitaire Départemental (available from the mairie and/or préfecture) can bring variations to that.

As far as I know, a certificate must be delivered if the sweeping is done by a professional, but there is no obligation to obtain or provide one otherwise, unless the insurance company demands it, of course.

Speaking for ourselves, and I mentioned that last winter (http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/850285/ShowPost.aspx), Mr Clair sweeps several times a year, as the stove is on 24/7during the cold season...

[jc]

Most companies accept bars or grilles in place of shutters and the glass should be engraved with it's specification number if it meets the requirement.

[AnOther]

Do you think this is an opportunity for me to start a business as a Sweep to get me into CMU, I'm clearly well suited for the job [;-)] 

[Clair]

Ernie,

Those in charge will probably ask to see your qualifications!!

[;-)]

[Benjamin]

A quick look at his avatar will probably suffice. [:P]

[Clair]

Ahhh but... Has he got a certified translation of it in French?

[Nicos]

Well...he certainly looks certifiable...[:-))]

[Wendy]

Monika, each year we get ramonage men bang on our door all waving the same piece of paper. They claim we MUST let them clean our chimneys. We never use our fireplaces so we refuse them. The first year we were here we allowed one company in and they handed us a bill for 250 euros for 20 minutes work. Never since. I notice that when we refuse to let them in they appear quite affronted but that is their problem. We are expecting the next wave soon, but I am thinking about putting up a sign out front...'ramonage pas necessaire, merci' this time. Some of them are quite aggressive I must add. We refuse to pay for something we do not need.

[Will]

Those 'ramonnage' bricks you can burn in your fireplace often come with a certificate which you fill in and retain in case you need to show it to your insurer.

There is quite an epidemic of chimney sweeps at times in areas known to be popular with English-speaking residents. They know that there is a common view that an annual ramonnage is compulsory (defaulters are punished by either the guillotine or being banned for life from AngloInfo) so they take advantage. Some are honest enough, and will do the job for a reasonable price and give a proper receipt, but a lot are nothing more than con artists.

Ernie - have you thought where they would stick the poles?

[BJSLIV]

defaulters are punished by either the guillotine or being banned for life from AngloInfo

Are you certain that this isn't an old wives's tale? If its definite, I will cancel my forthcoming ramonage.

[Monika]

After I have just picked myself off the floor - I was laughing so much re the guillotine and the irreverence towards angloinfo - I am going to try and buy the ramonnage bricks with the certificate, so we can use them once a year!

[Nicos]

Out of interest....what do people pay to have their chimney swept????

[Clair]

2003: €62

2004: €56

then we bought rods and brushes...

PS: for one insert and one open fireplace

[derf]

Or they may have to use this for 12 months, thank god for progress. This is guaranteed not to take the cr*p out of anybody[:D].

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/stephen.johnson/steve/bronco.jpg