Schoonord home-owner to foot bill for storm-related damage – insurance company rejects compensation claim
A HOME-owner of Schoonord, West Bank Demerara, is counting her losses while being at her wit’s end to repair the roof and verandah of her brand new home, extensively damaged during the storm that struck coastal Guyana about three weeks ago. But what she finds most agonising is that her insurance company has indicated that it does not cover damage suffered as a result of natural disasters, so she will have to foot the cost of repairs on her own.
The beleaguered property owner, Angela Bess, was caught in a dilemma when, on Sunday June 28, having shopped extensively and being in the process of displaying her newly-acquired furniture in the home, disaster struck. Around 14:30hrs, howling gale-force winds, gusting across the Atlantic, hit Schoonord and a few other coastal communities around Demerara and Berbice, wreaking havoc.
In the process, power poles were thrown down, trees and small structures were uprooted, and several galvanized sheets and other roof coverings were ripped off and sent flying dangerously around communities.
Bess, who was at the time in the lower flat of her home with her two daughters, recalls the terrifying ordeal when on hearing the eerie sounds, they looked out to see galvanized sheets literally “flying through the air.”
The winds had ripped off her neighbour’s roof and sent it flying across the street (about 75 feet away), where it connected dangerously to hers. On impact, it dented and twisted several of her sheets; smashed a huge portion of the verandah, immediately converting concrete spindles into rubble, cascading down the front of her elegant, upscale home.
Devastated, the only consolation she immediately had , was that, hopefully, her insurance would cover the cost of repairs. She was therefore dumbfounded to find out, a few days later, that the insurance company would not, since the home was not insured to cover natural disasters.
Meanwhile, the person whose roof caused the damage would also be hard put to undertake the repairs, since he too had to restore his roof .
Meanwhile, Ms. Bess is going about her own repairs and has so far repaired her verandah and is looking towards repairing her roof in the near future.
INSURANCE POLICIES
But while this particular insurance company is allegedly claiming it does not cover natural disasters, another insurance company asked for a blanket position on such damage, replied that some insurances companies do, but the home-owner, at the time of taking out the policy would have had to specify that they would like to be covered against the particular element.
Fire seems to be the most prevalent disaster against which local properties are covered. “But when taking out an insurance policy, it is important that you know exactly what you will be covered for,” the agent said, adding, “You would not be wrong to ask for what you want.”
One representative outlined that there are many different types of insurance policies, and that levels of coverage, exclusions and limits of liability vary greatly. Some policies provide basic coverage, while others offer broad coverage and high levels of protection.
The Guyana Chronicle will endeavour to get an informed statement from an insurance company on just what it takes for a policy-holder to secure coverage that will protect properties from natural disasters, if at all possible, especially in light of the fact that the coastal areas are very low, and subject to varying kinds of natural disasters.
