Upheld: Home insurance claim disputes complaint against Brooklin Claims Consultants Ltd

Decision detail

Summary

Miss G made a claim on her buildings and contents insurance following a fire in February 2022 and appointed BCC as loss assessors. Work did not commence until March 2023 (13 months later). When Miss G attempted to move back into her property in June 2023 after giving notice on her rental accommodation, the work was incomplete and the property uninhabitable, forcing her to remain with her parents for a further three months until September 2023. Multiple defects were identified in the completed work, including missing trickle vents on windows (building regulation non-compliance), damaged patio slabs, and poor quality repairs. The ombudsman upheld the complaint, finding BCC's service fell below expected standards, particularly given Miss G's vulnerable circumstances following her son's death in March 2022. BCC was directed to rectify the window defects, replace the damaged slabs, and pay £750 compensation.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

While the delay in starting work (13 months) was lengthy, the ombudsman found it was not avoidable given the complexity of the claim and BCC's active engagement. However, the ombudsman upheld the complaint regarding the condition of the property when Miss G attempted to return in June 2023 - work was incomplete and uninhabitable. This caused significant inconvenience lasting three months, compounded by Miss G's grief following her son's death. The ombudsman also found defects in the completed work (trickle vents missing from windows, damaged slabs, poor quality repairs) that BCC failed to rectify properly. The ombudsman determined that £750 compensation was appropriate for the distress and inconvenience from June to September 2023, and directed BCC to rectify the window defects and replace the damaged slabs.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website