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ASK TONY: Halifax won¿t cover my damaged garage wall

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I have buildings insurance with Halifax bank. My property is 14-years-old and I bought it from new.

The property was passed by NHBC Building regulations. A vertical crack appeared in my garage wall. My property has been kept in good order without abuse.

Halifax says the damage is not covered because it has ‘happened over a period of time or as a result of wear and tear or general maintenance’. M. G., Thaxted, Essex.

Beware: Thermal movement damage is not covered by your policy, nor is it usually covered by buildings insurance

I asked Halifax to look again at your claim and to give a rather more helpful explanation of what has happened.

It seems that when you made the claim Halifax asked loss adjuster Crawfords to inspect the damage. Crawfords said that ‘no insured cause had occurred’ — in other words the damage was not covered under the policy terms and conditions.

Your own builder then concluded that the damage was a result of thermal movement. Apparently this is when hot or cold weather causes the building materials to expand or contract. It might be unsightly, but it is not subsidence.

After I contacted Halifax it arranged for a structural personal claims consultant to visit your property with your builder. This confirmed that from the detail of the construction and pattern of the damage it was caused by thermal movement within the structure.

Now the bad news. Thermal movement damage is not covered by your policy — nor is it usually covered by buildings insurance.

Halifax has however offered you £200 for the distress and inconvenience caused during the process of your claim.

My abusive ex-husband left me with debts and now I'm terminally ill, will my life insurance payout and pension go to my sons?

In 2009 I plucked up the courage to leave a very abusive marriage. I had a lot of debts, but I am a worker and knew that I would eventually pay them off.

My ex-husband stayed in the marital home and did not pay the mortgage. He turned down good offers for the house which was eventually repossessed and has just been sold leaving a £30,000 debt which I share.

In 2010 I was diagnosed with cancer. I continued to work to pay the debts, However last December I had to give up work so now rely on income from social security and a small work pension.

I have a life insurance policy that is in trust to my two sons, aged 26 and 30, and a pension from my old employer which is signed over to them 50/50.

I am now in the terminal stage of the disease and don’t have too long to live. I am really worried about whether this money is safe for my sons.

I am trying my best to do as much as possible for them before my death to make things a little easier when I die. B. F., Manchester.

What a brave, selfless woman you must be to be doing so much for your sons when you are so ill.

But love and sacrifice perhaps sums up what being a mother is all about.

First, given your history I have changed your initials and address.

Second, I can offer you reassuring news. I have contacted your former employer and HSBC — which holds the life insurance policy — and both assure me the money is safe from your creditors.

The insurance policy was, sensibly, written in trust to your sons. This means that the proceeds are not part of your estate, but belong to them both. HSBC is in contact with you to see if you would like earlier payment, if possible, in view of your circumstances.

  More... How to get the best home insurance: get a cheaper deal and the cover you need Why won't Standard Life let me extend my life insurance policy? Best savings rates: Cash Isas, fixed rate Isas, regular savings Isas ASK TONY: Why didn't Amazon listen when I lost £125 on its website?

Your pension will not continue to be paid after your death. However there is likely to be a death grant.

This is ten times the annual pension you were awarded when you retired, minus any pension that has been paid. Technically this is at the discretion of the trustees. This is a good thing because it puts it beyond the reach of your creditors.

The pension fund trustees have told me they see no reason why the grant should not be paid to your sons as per your wishes.

On a more general note, I should point out that lenders can claim money owed to them from the estate of a deceased person. However if there is no money in the estate they cannot make a claim against relatives unless it is a joint loan.

Lenders should not ask children or spouses to pay off debts from their own money because there is no legal obligation for them to do so. This a complex subject and it is generally worth taking legal advice or seeking help from the Citizens’ Advice Bureau.

I've been waiting seven months for my £250 compensation from Santander

In May, following a complaint to Santander over my Isa account, it was agreed I would be paid £250 compensation.

After repeated phone calls I was told to expect a cheque within seven to ten days. I was told this on May 25, June 6, and June 18.

On June 29 I was promised an electronic transfer would be made to my account. I am still waiting. C. C., Bridgnorth.

Santander is on our shortlist of companies for the 2012 Wooden Spoon Award. And no wonder.

The bank seems to have adopted the Spanish motto 'mañana'. In other words, why do today what you can put off until tomorrow?

I sent your letter to Santander on September 27 and, after chasing, finally received a response on November 28. So it’s not just you they keep waiting.

I understand that you now have your money. In a statement I was told: ‘We are very sorry that Mrs C did not receive the goodwill gesture we had agreed with her.

‘This delay was caused by an administrative error. We have confirmed that Mrs C has received her goodwill gesture of £250 and we have given her a further £50 to apologise for the delay.’

Straight to the point

I have my cash Isas spread around several accounts. Am I allowed to do this? G. B. by email.

Yes. The only restriction is you must keep the new money you put in this tax year — you can put in up to £5,640 — with the same manager.

So for example, if you open an account with Halifax this tax year with £100, anything further you put into your Cash Isa in the same tax year must go into the Halifax.

If you want to change to another manager, you have to switch the new money you have put in so far with the one manager to the new manager. The money you put in over previous tax years can be split among as many managers as you like.

I have had free broadband from Orange for many years with my mobile phone contract of £35 per month. On February 6, 2012, I renewed my contract for 24 months. Now they tell me that the broadband will be withdrawn from January 2013. Please help. P. S., Portsmouth.

Orange has apologised and offered to provide free broadband until the end of your contract in February 2014.

My TalkTalk home phone and broadband recently failed to work for 22 days. After repeatedly complaining about how long it was taking to put it right, they said I would be credited £30 even though I had spent over £45 on my mobile. TalkTalk then only credited me with £20 and I feel I have been very badly treated. R. L., by email.

TalkTalk blamed your problems on faulty external wiring that was out of their control.

That said, they have now apologised, and paid the outstanding £10 and your £45 mobile phone bill.

A microwave I bought from Comet six months ago has broken. How do I go about getting it repaired? C. C., Greenock.

All Comet stores are now closed. If you purchased an extended warranty or an extracare service plan you can still claim as these are provided by a third party called The Warranty Group.

If you didn’t buy extra cover most electrical items come with a standard 12-month warranty period so you should contact the manufacturer direct. For Comet branded goods call the Comet Customer Support Centre on 0844 800 95 95 and you will be directed to the relevant repair agent.

All of the Tesco Clubcard vouchers and discount coupons that I have earned over the past four years have been sent to my  ex-husband. This is because Tesco failed to update the address on my account, as I requested, when I moved out. When I complained Tesco would only refund me one year’s worth of points. Can anything be done? S. M., Nottinghamshire.

Tesco has admitted it made a mistake in not updating your account and agreed to refund you £100 worth of vouchers.

This includes an extra £10 as a gesture of goodwill.

Is there a best time to sell a house? I’ve had it on the market since September but got nowhere — and reduced its price three times. H.E., Manchester

Tough economic times and a stodgy housing market aside, you’ve picked a difficult time to sell.

Research by property advice website theadvisory.co.uk rates each calendar month for its popularity with buyers — and suggests March to June is your likely best chance of selling.

Estate agents regularly cite warmer weather as a lure since many sell the bulk of their properties between the months of April and August.



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