General Chat

While I am not casting aspersions on any one of you lovely people or your family, it is important that you read the following.
I had no idea about it and didn't see the programme the other day. I would hate to see anyone have their insurance company refuse to pay out when required because of a little known but most important clause in your house insurance.
I have been to this lady's garden on one of the Open Garden days a while back and it's a lovely place, I am sure she would not have cut down the trees has she known they had preservation orders on them. Mistakes like this are easily made I expect but with dire consequences this time.

Lizx

From my local paper today...
Insurance shock for Norfolk gardener


Janet Muter who was fined £6000 for cutting down two yew trees in a preservation area which is in her garden in Brundall. She is pictured next to one of the yew trees which has begun to regenerate.



A life-long gardener who found herself hauled before the courts when she cut down a pair of yew trees unaware they were protected by a tree preservation order has discovered the conviction has rendered her home insurance worthless.

Janet Muter, 80, urged other people with minor convictions to check their insurance has not been rendered invalid because they failed to declare the convictions to insurance companies.

She was watching the BBC television programme Inside Out this week which featured a woman from Barnsley who had made a claim following an arson attack on her home, but was told she would have to repay the £240,000 for the rebuilding costs - because she failed to mention she had been convicted of fraud following a benefit overpayment.

That rang alarm bells for Mrs Muter, who discovered her insurance with Saga was also worthless, because she had not contacted them to say she had been fined for cutting down the trees.

Mrs Muter, who had made it her life's work to restore the Victorian pleasure gardens at her Lake House home in Roman Drive, Brundall, was fined £6,000 two years ago when she admitted cutting down the two trees.

She had planted hundreds of rare shrubs and trees herself, but magistrates said she was negligent in not checking the trees had a preservation order on them.

“I was watching the programme and wondered if I was in the same boat, so I rang up Saga, who said I was no longer insured with them because I should have let them know I had a criminal record.

“I have had to find another insurance broker, at greater expense. It seems that in the small print it says you need to let them know if you have a criminal conviction, but I didn't realise and I'm sure many people don't realise.

“Had I tried to claim then they might have refused to do so and they don't seem to publicise it very much that people with convictions do need to let them know. I think they are keeping very quiet about it.”

One in five of the working population is said to have some kind of conviction or caution and it is not just the policy holder who has to own up to their past - people have to declare the past of those living under their roof.

Mrs Muter said: “It seems that if your son has been a bit naughty then you have to tell the insurers that or you could find your home is not insured.”

Chris Bath, from the charity Unlock, which is running a campaign to raise awareness of the issue, said: “People are getting caught out because they do not realise that they have to disclose these things when they first take out their insurance contract.”

Paul Green, spokesman for Saga, confirmed Mrs Muter's insurance had been cancelled after she contacted them with her concerns.

He said: “Unfortunately the conviction needs to be five years old before the underwriters will insure people and in the case of something like fraud, they still might have issues.”

He said if somebody did not tell their insurers about a conviction, and the company found out about the conviction, then they would reject a claim on the insurance.

n

Another case of insurance companies weaseling out of their contracts. They will do anything rather than pay out.

That is a bit of a shocker. I am now wondering if my insurance company would have paid out if my husband had managed to set fire to our house. When he couldnt find matches to light the fire in the lounge he took a bit of screwed up newspaper to the kitchen and was looking at the stove wondering which switch to turn on so he could light the paper from a hotplate. Luckily I saw him in time and stopped him, but if I hadnt I hate to think what would have happened. Thank goodness he is no longer at home.

Huia.

Well, Arctic Blonde, it is a fact that in some marriages it is the man who deals with all the finances, he even dishes out a certain amount of housekeeping money to the little wife. With my daughters first marriage her husband did that and she had to scrimp and save very hard to have a little to spend on herself, so she got herself a night job at a local factory and he promptly told her she could now pay the power and phone bills with her earnings! Yet he thought nothing of spending hundreds of dollars on books for himself - I know, because one day she asked if I could go to the bank to get the English money order that her husband had asked her to get to send for some books. No wonder that marriage didnt last.

As somebody who has always been an equal partner with her husband (and who handled all the finances) I feel sorry for those women whose husbands treat them like chattels.

Huia.

I wonder do speeding endorsements or traffic offences convictions/fines/ fixed penalties count in this scam?

Bob

And another way to negate house and contents insurance is to go out and fail to lock doors/windows. Since Phil went into hospital I have come home on two occasions and found I had left the garage door open - major panic, but nothing taken, phew. Must be more careful.

Huia.

I suppose if something happens and you have been insured with the same company for a long time and just let the renewals go ahead, you wouldn't think to advise them of the new situation. Maybe that's what happened to the lady who was with Saga.

It does say a conviction needs to be five years old before the underwriters will insure someone and even then depending on the circumstances, then there might be issues.

Pays to check these things out tho, hence me advising you.

Huia, hope you can train yourself to remember to check all is locked before you leave the house in future.

AB, I think I remember you posting about that conversation when it happened, if not, someone else had the same thing happen.

Take care all,

Lizxx

Bob, I read an article on this and the way I read it, yes, even speeding, parking offences count.

Clever.... VERY *&^%$£"£$ CLEVER.

how come we are the only ones who ever suffer?

Actually, as far as the tree business goes, I thought that it was illegal to cut down trees , without permission anyway.

Poor woman, there will ALWAYS be a TINY CLAUSE..... to sort us out!!
CYNICAL? Yes, that is me. I have learned Cynicism over many years of stories like this!
We don't stand a chance, do we?

Thanks for that tale Liz.
Deanna X

Christine(A B),
A few years ago I had my en suite replaced.We had Dolphin who were very good .BUT the lady planner who came was very adamant that she could not take my say so to go ahead,she wanted to meet my husband so he would say yes.I was incensed !!!!!!!!!!!!.Luckily OH walked in as she was here ,and he just said "I trust my wife to choose the suite ,and agree the price,I don't need to see anything" LOL .You should have seen her face.

that sounds like another excuse by insurance companys to discriminate,
they wouldnt discriminate over a prisoner whod done a murder,

so why discriminate over this,
id take them further, blinkin cheek

I have just discovered that the Double Glazing Warrenty is invalid if the property changes hands and they are not notified of the change in ownership within 30 days.

It is in the "smallprint" !

My daughter has several oldish trees on her estate, and if they need attention the council have to be informed.....and permission obtained...

Bob

AB I would think you were safe enough cutting back those trees but in future if I am ever in that position I think I would make sure by contacting the council. However recently some trees were cut down in a parking area owned by o.h's works, and he was angry cos they were lovely trees in the city so a green lung. I contacted the council to ask if they were allowed to do that and they said they had no say over it s no preservation orders on them.

Lizx