Save articles for later
Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time.
A western Melbourne family feared they would be left homeless after being told by their insurer to move back into their uninhabitable, half-repaired and mice-infested home because their claim for flood damage – which was initially accepted – had been denied.
The Bridgers say that in October last year their home suffered water damage after a storm, leaving it sodden and riddled with mould. Mum of two Rebecca Bridger said she contacted their insurer RACV to make a claim.
The Bridgers – Harley, Rebecca, Kane and Nikita – in their flood-damaged home in Melbourne’s west.Credit: The Today Show
“We were told in December over the phone that yes, the claim has been accepted,” Bridger said.
After that, she said, they were hit by delays before receiving a written apology in February from RACV over “the level of service”. The letter reaffirmed that the claim was “accepted for any resultant damage from the listed event”.
The Bridgers were put up in temporary accommodation by the RACV – but in May they received an email telling them that their claim had subsequently been denied. “I was just really shocked and really confused to be honest because as far as we were aware, it was all going ahead,” Bridger said.
The RACV based its decision on an engineer’s report that concluded “several maintenance-related issues and building defects have resulted in condensation issues experienced at the residence”.
“The reported damage is considered to be a result of the condensation issues and has occurred over an extended period of time (years) and not during a one-off event,” the report said. But an earlier engineer’s report, commissioned by the RACV in November 2022, had determined: “No maintenance issues were found to be contributing to the damage.”
The RACV agreed to honour the mould rectification works – but before they were completed, the Bridgers were told their temporary accommodation would no longer be paid for and that they had to move back into their house.
Their home was uninhabitable, infested with mice and their possessions were ruined after being exposed to the elements. There were missing walls and the bathrooms had been ripped up. Rebecca’s husband Kane described the RACV’s decision as “pathetic”.
“I was furious. They obviously didn’t know what ‘ready to move back into’ is because we have no bathrooms, no toilets, no walls … even if we did move back in how did they expect us to go to the toilet?”
Nikita, 15, said she was heartbroken when she saw the state of her home.
“It’s just sad because this used to be our home and now there is nothing here that feels like home … we walked in today and it’s just like I wanted to cry, kind of thing. It’s just been really stressful on everyone,” Nikita said.
RACV had a change of heart and extended the temporary accommodation after the Bridgers lodged a complaint with the regulator, the Australian Financial Complaints Authority.
Lawyer Philippa Heir, from the Consumer Action Law Centre, said insurers were increasingly using these types of reports to deny customer claims.
“It’s really important to look carefully at that expert report and see if it’s actually saying what the insurer says it’s saying,” she said. Heir said insurers could deny a claim after initially accepting it, but needed new information.
“It really depends on the particular circumstances,” she said.
After being contacted by The Age and The Today Show, RACV offered the Bridgers a settlement for their contents and compensation for the delays. The Bridgers are now paying for their own independent reports to try to get RACV to pay out the full claim.
In a statement, RACV said: “We have acknowledged our member’s concerns regarding the findings of the engineer’s report and have apologised for the delays experienced in finalising their claim.”
The RACV said it told the family on January 25 that their contents claim would be covered, but the building damage would not. However, the Bridgers have a letter from RACV dated February 23 confirming the company would pay for any damage from the flooding and apologising for the delay.
Kane Bridger said he had been left “gutted” by the ordeal, with the family unable to live in their home for almost a year.
“It’s been so stressful and when they said we have to come up with rent on top of a mortgage, I do two jobs as it is. I was trying to make more money. I just don’t understand how they can do it,” he said.
Get the day’s breaking news, entertainment ideas and a long read to enjoy. Sign up to receive our Evening Edition newsletter here.
Most Viewed in National
From our partners
Source: Read Full Article
