Editor's note: This brief was summarised by The Property AI Team from a report by Guardian Property. Read the original article for full details.
LV= subsidence claim delays leave family living in collapsing home
A London family with three young children says LV= General Insurance has left them living in a deteriorating property because of cost-cutting and delays over a subsidence claim. The claim, lodged in 2023 for damage to the home's extension and conservatory, remains unresolved three years on.
What the homeowners report
The family says that rather than authorise repairs recommended by independent experts, LV= spent years stalling and proposing what they describe as inadequate, superficial patching methods. Cracking in the interior walls has worsened to the point where a radiator has sheared away, and the homeowners say proof provided to the insurer has been ignored.
Meanwhile, the family's annual premium has risen from £400 to £2,500, which they feel amounts to being penalised for making a claim. LV= says it is reviewing the premium rise under its complaints procedure.
Surveyor findings and LV='s response
An independent surveyor, commissioned by the homeowners in May after they reached an impasse with the company, concluded that the damaged extension needed underpinning or rebuilding. LV= has since told the Guardian that it obtained a quote for underpinning last February, although the work was not carried out. The company has acknowledged that the cracks have worsened and that a full rebuild is now required, saying repairs will begin as soon as designs and council bureaucracy are complete.
LV= blames the subsidence and the delay on a neighbour's eucalyptus tree; the neighbour refuses to have it removed. The homeowners had, on LV='s advice, already had several nearby trees removed, but to no avail.
A spokesperson for LV= said: "LV= General Insurance takes this claim extremely seriously and we understand and appreciate the frustration at the time it has taken to resolve it. Subsidence claims can be protracted because the most important step is to address the cause of movement, in this case tree removal, before permanent repairs can be undertaken."
Why this matters for agents and clerks
The case comes amid a surge in subsidence claims, as repeated droughts cause soil to shrink, with nearby trees accelerating the problem. For letting agents and inventory clerks, the report is a reminder of how protracted subsidence cases can become. Structural movement, cracking and detached fixtures such as radiators should be carefully recorded at inspection and check-in/check-out, particularly where an insurance claim is ongoing.
Source: Guardian Property