They have been left with nothing and the first question, once the hell has passed and after seeing each other on the street, is: Who helps me now, who pays for what I have lost? It’s time to start the insurance machinery – those affected with contracted policies – and to review the fine print of these documents (which will mark the immediate future), to find out what is included and what is not in these policies. Those who do not have insurance – in Spain it is not mandatory to have a home insurance policy – will not be able to claim, unless those directly responsible for the fire are identified. Your claims should be against those people or companies. Below, a guide on the steps to follow in situations like the one experienced in Valencia.
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All home and multi-risk insurances “include cover against a fire”, informs the Spanish Union of Insurance and Reinsurance Entities (Unespa). This protection “includes the material damage caused to a building and the expenses incurred by fire extinguishing and rescue”.
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In the case of the Valencia building, the insurance company is Mapfre, which has already been made available to those affected. This policy, according to Unespa, should cover the “continent”: damage to construction (walls, slabs, structure…) and common areas (portal, stairs, elevators, facilities rooms, gardens) , swimming pool…) and what is called “content”, the portal furniture, decoration… of the common spaces as well.
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After a misfortune of this magnitude, the surprise can come after reading the fine print of the policy. Each insurance is a world. On the continent (structural and material damage to the home) there should be no problem. What is charged will never exceed, however, the value of the destroyed property or the limit stipulated in the contract. That is, of the so-called “insured capital” or “insured sum”. Another thing is the “content” of each particular policy. What was inside those floors. The insurance company will only be responsible for the value of the goods declared. And it is common to charge much less than the value of what has been lost inside the house, since when the policy is signed there is a tendency to lower the value of these goods in order to pay less.
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It is to be expected that the investigators will determine if there is any responsibility for this fire (arson). If so, in the payment of the damage, some civil liability insurance of this or these responsible parties could be added. Despite the fact that the insurance companies with which the policy has been signed usually advance the money for the damages to their customers and then worry about starting the civil or judicial steps to claim them from the person responsible for the fire . Another thing is to prove that the fire was intentionally caused by the owner of that property. The insurance company does not pay.
? Without a home, where do I sleep?
If the home policy has not included the payment of accommodation, given the possibility of having to leave the home due to an unforeseen event, the insurance will not cover this expense. If this possibility has indeed been included, the insurance company should assume the accommodation costs for the time stipulated in the policy. All invoices must be kept. In the case of Valencia, however, an exceptional situation has occurred. Mapfre announced yesterday that “it will immediately pay its customers 12,000 euros per insured home.
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In the case of home insurance or other similar policies, it is advisable to contact the broker with whom the agreement was sealed and they will take care of the procedures. If you have forgotten this information, a solution may be to ask the banking entity you work with to seek confirmation of the payment of the receipt. And if the documents certifying the ownership of the house – also necessary to collect the insurance – have been fodder for the flames, nothing has been lost. The Notarial Association of Valencia announced yesterday that it will provide a free service for the search and delivery of these public documents to all those affected.
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The Ministry of Justice has this information. There you can consult an insurance register with death cover. In that document it is reported whether the person had life or accident insurance and it also states the insurance company, as well as the names of the beneficiaries.
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No. They are two different procedures and the bank can continue to collect it and that many mortgages include home insurance. Another thing is to negotiate with the bank and ask for a shortfall while the problem is overcome. But this no longer has anything to do with the insurance policy, unless this possibility had been expressly negotiated.
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Yes. According to Facua, the federation that protects consumers, there is a period of seven days to report the claim to the insurance company. Therefore, you must not fall asleep when making a claim. And these companies have, for their part, a 40-day deadline to study the case and give their answer for repair or compensation. Although this schedule, and more so in cases with as many affected as this one, are not always met.
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La Facua remembers that there are policies on the market for tenants of rented flats that cover losses incurred in that home due to a fire. In this case, it would only be about the content. You can hire compensation for moving expenses, damage to your own furniture, search for similar alternative accommodation… Although these insurances are not usually the majority.
