Fire News update

After the initial rush and madness on the 4th July, the fire day, it’s all gone quiet.

The loss adjuster from Davies in Newcastle made his initial visit on Tuesday 7th July and informed me that he needed to get a surveyor out to look at the extent of the damage.

On the Friday after the fire, 10th July, our next door neighbours insurers had arranged for scaffolding to be put up around the building. Their insurance company is Halifax, who seem pretty good, I wish were had the same level of service. On the Monday, they had arranged for builders to create a temporary roof and cover it with plastic sheeting.

Some of the tiles have slipped on our roof and the rain is getting in. We aren’t allowed to turn the electricity on until it’s been inspected by a qualified electrician. Not good!

Our insurance was arranged with AA Insurance, which I thought that it meant the we were insured by them, but alas, not!

We have one company for the contents (NIG) and another company for the buildings insurance (Allianz). It now transpires that the NIG insurance is underwrittern by RBSI (Royal Bank of Scotland Insurance).

On the following Tuesday, 14th July, Andy Hall of Davies Surveying Services came out to inspect the damage. After his assessment, he concluded that an engineer was required to create a bill of works and decide on the leve of repairs needed.

HPS building services arrive with Andy, to assess what short-term repairs are needed, so that we can get back into the property and out of the hotel. They arranged for an electrician to be on-site for Friday, to see if he can check the safety of the electricity and to repair the upstairs power/lights so that it’s reasonably habitable.

On Friday, two electricians turn up to sort out the electrics. After an hour or so, they conclude that it’s too much of a health and safety hazard to work in the loft, as there is so much water up there! They tell us it’s safe to put the electricity on in two rooms only. As such the house is still uninhabitable.

Keep in mind of course, that during all this time, we are still living in the hotel. Keving Cummings of Davies Loss Adjusters seems to be in no hurry at all to arrange for a static caravan to be put onto the garden!!

It’s a bit of a mess!!

Here’s some photos of the inside of the roof;

Be patient, they are high res!