Partially upheld: claims handling and quality of repairs complaint against Society of Lloyd's

Decision detail

Summary

Mr D claimed on his buildings insurance with SoL following a 2019 water escape. After initial repairs and a previous complaint decision, Mr D raised further concerns about repair works completed in August 2024. SoL responded that most issues related to the freeholder or fell outside the original insured event scope. The Ombudsman found that while most of Mr D's concerns were not SoL's responsibility, SoL had acknowledged poor workmanship on a wall repair and offered a fair cash settlement. The Ombudsman upheld the complaint in part and awarded £150 compensation for the inconvenience Mr D would experience arranging the wall repairs himself.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The Ombudsman found that most of Mr D's concerns about repair quality either related to work by the freeholder/their contractors, arose from matters outside the original insured event, or lacked supporting evidence. However, the Ombudsman accepted that the wall repair with a bulge in plaster was poor workmanship acknowledged by SoL itself. While SoL's offer of cash settlement was fair, Mr D would face inconvenience in arranging the repairs himself. The £150 compensation was considered proportionate for this specific inconvenience, consistent with the previous £600 award for the earlier claim period.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website