Flooding damage.

ScouseMouse

Hiya folks.

Just curious about this as its a real hot topic at the moment.

With all this flooding, numerous cars will have been destroyed in basement car parks, both in retail and apartment blocks. We are well aware of the signs claiming "we are not responsible" etc, etc, but are they?

Would a car driver have any comeback against any of these car parks / shopping centres.

I wonder will insurance companies (either car insurance or centre insurance) try the "act of god" clause.

God, I use the basement car parks in Dundrum when I go to the movies, NOT last night though! It was a night to get home (eventually) and stay home.

I feel real pity for the people caught up in this.

Cheers everyone.

ScouseMouse

I take it no one knows ?

cormie

I'm following this out of curiosity sake myself, haven't a clue though

PCPhoto

chances are insurance companies will try to facilitate the victims of this .....erm.... noooo.... insurance companies will look for every excuse in the book to stop people claiming from them.

so it means people who's homes and property have been destroyed will more than likely be told sorry ..."act of GOD clause means we don't have to pay out"

however for those in/on private property they could argue there were not adequate provisions for flood defence - especially in the case of Dundrum shopping Centre, the previous building closed (went out of business) due to flooding so it should have been paramount of the developers/planners to ensure adequate flood defence mechanisms.

in theory .... anyone affected by the floods can claim some money from the government - there are a few different places where people may qualify for "Aid" and receive some funds to help cover the expense, however if I was affected I would be looking at a class action against the various Councils or government officials who are to blame..... there was similar flooding in 2009 - the various councils should have put adequate procedures in place to deal with this happening again failure to do so in my opinion leaves them open to litigation.

Failure to prepare is preparing to fail !!!

- I blame the councils for not having an "action plan", I blame the senior Gardai and councils for the slow reaction when it all actually happened, I blame the government for standing back and doing nothing.

Ireland has a lot of rain .... so why are there no procedures to deal with a lot of rain ? do we have an emergency plan ? if so, why was it not implemented until after most of the rain had fallen and houses/cars etc were destroyed ?

ScouseMouse

I think this is bloody awful.

There is a 10 D focus sitting down from my house with a "tide mark" up to th windows - that car/engine could never be cleaned enough. It has to be a writeoff.

I was thinking about the Dundrum Centre. If the ground floor flooded - what about the parking levels below it ???? I park down there when I go to the cinema over there.

Who would be responsible (if anyone). Is it the Dundrum centre? Is it the cars insurance? the architect?

It goes on and on.....

I was no where near it, I was in work, so I am not looking for any legal advice, I am just wondering what everyone thinks.

Thank god I live on the side of a hill !!!

Thanks

napplechunks

My car will be written off, most likely as it was under to the window line.

It was outside on ground level but unfortunately my apartment block was built over an underground river. Luckily my apartment was not affected but there are 10 on a lower ground level that are gutted.

I got off lightly as my car is old and not worth much but if I was one of the people whose apartment was damaged I would be hopping mad !

It is worth investigating to what degree the council are required to put in adequate flood defences. Especially if it has happened before (it has here, about 5 years ago, although not that volume of water).

The Council are here now investigating in their lumo suits and CSI underwater gear. I will be interested to find out what the upshot of it is.

Surely insurance premiums will go up !

Our man in Havana

Surely insurance premiums will go up !

No doubt about that.

SNAKEDOC

not necessarily. after the last big flood two years ago insurance companies did a huge overhaul of house car and land insurance. contents insurance and such. most will tell you flood damage is not covered at all. there are some areas that the companies have black flagged too such as low lying farms and city areas prown to flooding. The insurance companies got caught napping last time and billions in flood damage was claimed now people won't be able to cause of clauses writen into their cover. always read the fine print. heard some lady in dublin had no flood cover at all and her house was wrecked. thought she was coered till she rang the company.