Deccenial insurance claim

[Pommier]

Please could anyone advise on this!

We bought a new house a year ago and one of the the snagging problems was that the garage roof leaked. The roofer blamed the renderer who blamed the roofer and the construction company then declared it to the insurance.

An expert came out and said that the joint between the garage roof and house wall was wrong and it'd be repaired with everything ending up the original colour. The work has now been done which involved repainting the house wall above the garage, and the colour doesn't match. We think that the whole of that wall needs painting, but the contractor said he doubts the insurance paying as the leaky roof is now fixed.

I've tried phoning the 'expert' but there's just an answering machine so I've emailed (with photos) saying we find the work unacceptable.

What can we do next? Have we done the right thing so far?

Any advice gratefully received.

[ernie]

Hi,

 

Hi Pommier,

 

What rotten luck, I’m sorry to hear all that, you must feel awful about it..

 

Not an expert by any means, but having had a couple of tangles with la Loi, maybe this will assist.

 

I recommend you keep a record of every telephone call with any of the parties involved, plus all e-mails, letters etc.  Do NOT rely on conversations, send them (those concerned) a follow-up letter (AAR) with a record of what took place.  Registered letters are a real hassle and cost money, but it is the only sure way recording a communication.  A verbal promise is not worth the paper it’s written on J 

 

In the seriously unfortunate event of going to law in France … you might well find this useful.

 

Having said that, if you can avoid all the grief and arrive at a settlement, might just be easier and cheaper in the long run.

 

Just general advice, from an amateur, but HTH.

 

ernie

[Pommier]

Thanks for the advice & support!