I can't persuade my insurance company to cover me for ground movement because years ago there was some mining subsidence. The damage from that was covered by the NCB Residuary Body. All the mines have been closed for years.
Anyone had this problem?
Bill
I have a similar problem - but not mining subsidence. I made a small subsidence claim on my insurance policy about 25 years ago because some cracks appeared - which turned out to be due to an oak tree too close to the house taking the water out of the clay subsoil.
The tree was duly removed and the cracks repaired - and there have been no problems since. However, in order to be covered for subsidence, I'm having to stick with the insurance company I was using at the time even though they're uncompetitive because all other companies insist on either excluding subsidence damage or will not cover me at all.
Will they cover you for everything else, or are you just plain uninsurable?
If they will, does the NCB Residuary Body still exist and will they make good again if there was a problem?
Try Nationwide (from similar experience), although the policyholder had a number of other Nationwide products, not sure if that was related...
If they haven't already, I imagine some of the inhabitants of St. Albans soon will have!
St. Albans is on chalk, BTW, which, like limestone, has a habit of dissolving away.
Email me with details if you need.
My Dad was the head manager of the British Coal Yorkshire subsidence department. I am sure he can still give good info on what can and cannot still move due to old mining or at least give you numbers to call for the info.
You will have to wait a few days for a reply from him as he is busy spending his BC pension on another holiday
You live in S Yorkshire? See if John Staniland is still about - used to be a partner with Stanilands, later WH Brown, in Doncaster.
Oh yes we have had insurance with them for ages, it's just that I think after all this time I ought to have cover against sink holes etc.
Yes and yes.
Bill
Would you mention it to him Adam and let me know if he can offer any into. You know where my house is.
Bill
Why, would he be able to help?
Bill
Certainly can, once he gets back from having his passport stamped with North Yorkshire I will be in touch:-)
Probably back on Wednesday.
I think they are all a bit careful now since all the publicity about sinc holes and the like due to long closed mining shafts and tunnels which have not been looked after and allowed to flood. I guess one cannot blame them,but its no great help if they cannot come up with a compromise. Brian
I think he might be worth asking. When I worked there (1990ish) he used to do all the mining related surveying work. I was under the impression that if there was a mine and property related issue in the area, he knew about it.
I would expect that he's pretty much retired now, but might be worth a call. I would.
I don't know if St. Albans ever had coal mining, but it certainly did have clay mining. There were a number of brick factories there, and the bricks produced were naturally bright red (but usually hidden with dirt by now). My 1909 house was built from bricks made by Aots of St. Albans (IIRC). The clay mining finished between the wars, when the particularly good clay seam was exhausted, and attempts to use the remaining clay resulted in too many exploding bricks during firing.
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