THEFT CLAIMS
Unfortunately, theft claims do arise from time to time and in our experience, this can range from the theft of garden equipment to full blown property burglaries. In some cases, the damage caused to properties can be significant and can also cause our customers great concern and worry.
Recently, there has been an influx of claims for theft of lead flashing from buildings and also for theft of copper piping from unoccupied properties. This is because both lead and copper have high re-sale values as scrap in the current markets. In such cases, our aim is to deal with claims fairly and promptly at all times.
In insurance terms, theft is defined as someone taking an insured item that does not belong to them without permission by forcible entry or exit. Whilst buildings insurance policies do not cover the stolen items themselves (these are normally considered to be Contents), physical damage can be caused to the property itself (for example damage to doors, smashed windows and damage to permanent fixtures and fittings)
In insurance terms, claims for theft or attempted theft are covered with the usual exceptions:
- Caused by the Insured, their officers, or an employee
- Caused by a resident to the portion of the buildings in which they reside
- Caused to contents of common parts and residential contents unless there has been forcible and violent entry to or exit from the buildings.
NB – It is always advisable to check the specific terms of your policy as the above list is general and not specific to every policy term
When handling these types of claims, below are the typical questions that we will ask:
- When & what has happened?
- How was the theft discovered?
- Where has the theft occurred?
- What has been damaged?
- Are photographs available to help validate the claim
- How was entry gained and how did the thieves exit the property?
- Was there forcible and violent entry?
- Is property now secure?
- Was the client in the property? If not, how long was the property unoccupied?
- Has theft been reported to police and a crime reference number obtained?
- Do you know who may have done this or have the police made any arrests?
- Has anyone else nearby suffered similar thefts recently?
- Have any temporary repairs been undertaken to aid with security?
In terms of theft claims, we work with a number of Approved Contractors who we can instruct to carry out emergency boarding up and to make properties secure. Buildings Insurance policies will usually cover the reasonable costs of boarding up and making secure the buildings following damage.
In order to avoid delays at claims stage, we would recommend the following actions be taken once theft has been reported.
- Ensure that the Police are notified immediately and that a Crime Reference Number (CRN) is obtained
- Ensure that your property is immediately secured after the theft by a qualified tradesman to prevent further incidences
- Notify Deacon of the incident at the earliest opportunity
- Inform your Contents Insurance provider immediately if any contents or personal belongings have been stolen.
- Take detailed photographs of the damage caused to the buildings as these help us to validate the cost of restoring your property
- Instruct qualified and reliable tradesman to provide a quotation for repairing the damage and submit these to Deacon as quickly as possible.
To help guide you through the process, we have developed a specific online claim form for Theft claims. You can go straight to our online claim notification page by clicking here.
THEFT CLAIMS
Unfortunately, theft claims do arise from time to time and in our experience, this can range from the theft of garden equipment to full blown property burglaries. In some cases, the damage caused to properties can be significant and can also cause our customers great concern and worry.
Recently, there has been an influx of claims for theft of lead flashing from buildings and also for theft of copper piping from unoccupied properties. This is because both lead and copper have high re-sale values as scrap in the current markets. In such cases, our aim is to deal with claims fairly and promptly at all times.
In insurance terms, theft is defined as someone taking an insured item that does not belong to them without permission by forcible entry or exit. Whilst buildings insurance policies do not cover the stolen items themselves (these are normally considered to be Contents), physical damage can be caused to the property itself (for example damage to doors, smashed windows and damage to permanent fixtures and fittings)
In insurance terms, claims for theft or attempted theft are covered with the usual exceptions:
- Caused by the Insured, their officers, or an employee
- Caused by a resident to the portion of the buildings in which they reside
- Caused to contents of common parts and residential contents unless there has been forcible and violent entry to or exit from the buildings.
NB – It is always advisable to check the specific terms of your policy as the above list is general and not specific to every policy term
When handling these types of claims, below are the typical questions that we will ask:
- When & what has happened?
- How was the theft discovered?
- Where has the theft occurred?
- What has been damaged?
- Are photographs available to help validate the claim
- How was entry gained and how did the thieves exit the property?
- Was there forcible and violent entry?
- Is property now secure?
- Was the client in the property? If not, how long was the property unoccupied?
- Has theft been reported to police and a crime reference number obtained?
- Do you know who may have done this or have the police made any arrests?
- Has anyone else nearby suffered similar thefts recently?
- Have any temporary repairs been undertaken to aid with security?
In terms of theft claims, we work with a number of Approved Contractors who we can instruct to carry out emergency boarding up and to make properties secure. Buildings Insurance policies will usually cover the reasonable costs of boarding up and making secure the buildings following damage.
In order to avoid delays at claims stage, we would recommend the following actions be taken once theft has been reported.
- Ensure that the Police are notified immediately and that a Crime Reference Number (CRN) is obtained
- Ensure that your property is immediately secured after the theft by a qualified tradesman to prevent further incidences
- Notify Deacon of the incident at the earliest opportunity
- Inform your Contents Insurance provider immediately if any contents or personal belongings have been stolen.
- Take detailed photographs of the damage caused to the buildings as these help us to validate the cost of restoring your property
- Instruct qualified and reliable tradesman to provide a quotation for repairing the damage and submit these to Deacon as quickly as possible.
To help guide you through the process, we have developed a specific online claim form for Theft claims. You can go straight to our online claim notification page by clicking here.