Phil Anthropist wrote:
"Gloxx1961" wrote:


Hi hope someone can tell me if I am doing the right thing. Last
year my brother noticed a crack on my side wall it was only 3ft in
length it just looked like the mortar was crumbling he told me to keep
an eye on it. I looked at it again earlier this year (Feb) and I was
shocked to find the crack its now over 10ft high and has gone through
two small half bricks into the upstairs part of the wall, the initial
crack hasn't gone through the damp proof course just gone upwards
mostly following the mortar except fot the two half bricks. I have
informed insurance company in Febuary but only got a final reply that
this crack was due to earthquake movement that happend in 2001/2002 and
that I wasn't insured with them at the time and to take it up with
insuer that I was. In the mean time the mortar has started to fall out
and I am worried that I will be piggy in the middle the bad weather has
started and I know the crack will get worse by the time winter has
ended. What I have done and probably will have to re-do-it is I have
got Duck tape waterproof and some bin bags and went up some ladders and
sealed the crack under bags so keep the water and frost out hopefully,
I just want to know am I doing the right thing or will I make it worse
please help
Thank You

Duck tape and bin bags will not make anything worse. Regarding taking this
up with the insurer that you were with in 2001/2002, that sounds like
rubbish to me. The crack appeared this year. Ask your insurance company to
indicate where in your policy it says that you are not covered for a crack
appearing in a wall during your current policy. How can you submit a claim
to a previous insurer on a policy that is no longer in force? You need to
put in a complaint to your insurance company and if you don't get anywhere
go to http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/ Also, uk.legal is a worth a
try.

You need professional advice for what sounds like heave or subsidence. Your
insurance company should arrange this, otherwise you will have to pay a
surveyor or structural engineer yourself:
http://www.localsurveyorsdirect.co.uk/

Thank you for your comments

I am glad you mentioned about the bin bags and duck tape and
yes like you I am thinking on those same lines, why do we pay insurance
otherwise!!! and thanks for the legal stuff. The structual engineer
who came out through the Loss Adjusters has ruled out subsidence which
is what I was worried about.