Insurance question

starbelgrade

Hi - just looking for some advice for my mother... she recently dropped an ornament onto the fireplace hearth in her apartment & broke some of the granite tiles.

She contacted her insurance company who said that the cost of replacing the tiles was not covered by her contents insurance, but would be covered by her structural insurance which she pays for as part of her management fees for the apartment complex.

However, the management company told her that the structural policy does not cover damage to a fireplace as this is considered part of the contents.

She's in a bit of a fix over this, so any help on this matter would be much appreciated.

Cheers is advance!

oldyouth

A fireplace is part of the structure and is therefore considered Buildings. It would be covered under the apartment block policy, providing it is on an 'all risks' basis (they nearly all are)
As a member of the management company, your mother is entitled to a copy of the policy and she can get an official answer from the insurers herself, but I think the situation only requires you to be persistant with the person on her management committee

Contents are often described, in lay terms, as something you could easily, but not necessarily would, take with you if you moved. Therefore, a free standing wardrobe is contents and a fitted wardrobe is buildings. A fireplace is obviously buildings

MB74

Yes definitely buildings or structure, just beware of the policy excess, depending on which company could be €500 or more.