Fire and Smoke Damage Throughout on Rural Managed Property

Your Claim received a call from a busy managing agent in Suffolk, for a property on a rural managed estate which had sustained fire and smoke damage throughout.

Introduction

Contacted by the managing agent to assist and advise Your Claim instigated emergency repair works within 4 hours, a loss recovery schedule would come later however an immediate plan of action was mobilised and the ongoing management of the claim was undertaken under a letter of authority at this privately owned dwelling, managed block of apartments on a rural estate.
A faulty consumer unit had led to a sporadic fire on the 3rd floor of the building, which quickly caught hold, burning the structural timbers which were supporting the central light well and damaged several aspects of the building’s roof.
fire insurance claim

The challenge

Acting as an Authorised Representative for the landlord the Your Claim Assessor noted that Fire damage had been significant in the hallway of flat 4 and smoke damage had spread throughout the common stairwell and affected all common parts of the building.

Firstly we had to secure the building placing structural props under the ceiling where the fire had caught hold and then by stripped back all of the timber plaster and fabric in the hallway and the structural roof, whilst water-proofing the building temporally during the winter period.

Tenants were quickly relocated and their treasured possessions that could be salvaged were put into storage awaiting further instructions.

smoke damage insurance claim

The outcome

Due to the complex nature of the roof structure and the light well the Your Claim Assessor advised the landlord to commission an independent surveyor and independent electrical engineer.

Surveyors produced a forensic appraisal of the building damage and followed with the scope of works and specification for building works that would be issued to three contractors to price. The following procurement process engineered significant savings and structural works were completed in a 6 week period allowing the rest of the restoration work including a full internal redecoration programme to continue, whilst the landlord received full loss of rent payment with only the top floor flat affected that remained unoccupied.

The Your Claim Assessor advised the landlord that the building did not reach fire safety regulations. With the landlord’s consent Your Claim commissioned a further independent fire assessment of the property, which become a separate project privately financed by the landlord, with repairs supervised by the building surveyor.

insurance claim rebuild

Client Testimonial

Having worked with Your Claim on issues varying from fire, flood and water escape across our residential management portfolio I cannot recommend his services highly enough. Your Claim provided vital expert advice and ultimately been able to improve our response and service levels on claim related issues.