The London house that broke in half has received wide media attention.
It collapsed 2012 due to a botched basement extension where the builders failed to install proper supports. Apparently the home building insurers have refused to pay (structural alterations are generally excluded) and whilst the owners have successfully sued the builder for £290,000, the builders are now insolvent. The reports do not mention whether the builder was insured, but so long as Public Liability cover was in force at the time the damage occurred, the fact that they have since gone bust should not be a problem.
The case is a reminder of the need to ensure that any contractors or consultants you use are adequately insured.
Four years on from the 2011 riots, the Home office review of the outdated Riot Damages Act 1886 has received a mixed reception from insurers. The main issue is with the Police and Crime Commissioners retaining the power to decide whether an incident is a riot or not, which is a huge conflict of interest. They face the dilemma that by declaring a riot, they open up their own budgets to compensation claims under the Act, hence why a number of Police forces were reluctant to acknowledge events in their areas as riots during 2011.
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