Margaret Castle’s insurers have carried out work on the property over the years – including as a goodwill gesture – but she claims there is still damage
The owner of a home affected by the 2008 earthquake says she is still seeking further help from her insurer 17 years after the devastating damage to her country home. Margaret Castle says her home was structurally damaged by the earthquake, which rocked towns and villages in the Humber and Lincolnshire region on February 27, 2008.
The Victorian-built home was shaken to its foundations and water has continued to get into the brickwork as a result, she claims. She says a large crack also appeared through the stables of The Old Schoolhouse, Linwood, near Market Rasen, Lincolnshire and under the outdoor septic tank.
Work has been carried out by insurer Aviva over the years since, and they say that following multiple further inspections, any existing issues have been found to be related to the age of the house and ongoing maintenance needs. However, Margaret disagrees with these findings.
The town was at the epicentre of the earthquake which struck in the early hours, measured 5.2 on the Richter scale and was felt in Hull. Emergency services worked through the night and the following day to safeguard properties and residents.
Margaret – who has Masters Degree from the University of Hull, says she had to wait for days for anyone to come to assess the damage at the renovated home, which was built in 1862. Contractors and repairers were busy throughout northern and greater Lincolnshire restoring buildings.
Margaret moved to Linwood, just four miles from Market Rasen, 43 years ago and has spent tens of thousands of pounds renovating the home and former school room, which she transformed into a holiday let. Margaret claims renovations to the old School Room have been blighted by damp and mould and water accessing electrical points.
Water came in through chimney breasts due to the structural damage, allowing water to get into the property, she claimed. The chimney linings were repaired, however, water then went running into adjoining walls, she said.
This has caused water stains and damp. Items, including clothing in wardrobes are continually getting mouldy, she says. Despite the recent heatwaves, the damp continues to be visible.
Insurer Aviva has carried out repairs over the years – including on damage that may not have been related to the earthquake as a goodwill gesture.
A spokeswoman said inspectors had visited the property on numerous occasions and that work had been carried out to repair damage confirmed to be related to the earthquake, and also on damage of which the cause could not be determined, and following a further complaint, more inspections were conducted. She said: “Numerous further inspections reaffirmed the original findings, concluding that the remaining issues were due to ongoing maintenance needs rather than earthquake-related damage.
The case is now with the Financial Ombudsman Service for the second time for consideration. Aviva has provided all relevant information and is awaiting the outcome.
Mrs Castle is a former graduate of the University of Hull, who studied a Masters Degree in immunology. She appeared in BBC series Escape to the Country in 2004, when she put the Old Schoolhouse on the market.
Soon after, she decided to keep the historic home, which is in the shadow of St Cornelius Church, with its Commonwealth Grave accreditation.
She said the chimneys need realigning and ridges repointing and claimed that due to the shift in the house structure, roof tiles formerly stuck out beyond guttering causing water to cascade down outside walls. Most of that she has paid for herself to get repaired.
She claimed surveyors have found “penetrating damp” caused by the earthquake, and said she has instructed the Financial Ombudsman Service to investigate the delay in the insurance payout she believes she is entitled to.
Chimney breasts were relined in work covered by Aviva. But Margaret believes that caused the water to run into adjoining walls, rather than down the chimney breasts. She said the clearest indication, in her opinion, of an issue was the crack in the stable floor, which she said had originally been built to a high standard.
Now the roof is parting company with the barn and the septic tank is raising up out of the ground, she claims. She said: “I am worried it has blighted the property permanently.”
A spokeswoman for Aviva said: “This claim was made by Mrs Castle following an earthquake that occurred in 2008. As a result of the claim, remedial works to the chimney were carried out from 2010 to 2012.
“In 2014 and 2015, further investigations were conducted after the customer reported additional damage which she believed was caused by the earthquake. Although defects were found, the inspections determined these were unrelated to the earthquake and the case was referred to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FoS) in 2016.
“An independent survey was then conducted, which identified areas of damage potentially related to the earthquake. While we were unable to determine the exact cause of the damage, Aviva agreed to complete additional repairs and maintenance to the chimney as a goodwill gesture.
“Following this, both the FoS and the independent surveyor concluded that Aviva’s offer to pay for the chimney and investigate associated issues were fair and reasonable, and that Aviva had completed sufficient repairs. Nonetheless, Aviva and the surveyor re-attended the property after Mrs Castle expressed dissatisfaction with the work.
“Numerous further inspections reaffirmed the original findings, concluding that the remaining issues were due to ongoing maintenance needs rather than earthquake-related damage. In November 2023, Mrs Castle raised further concerns about damage she believed stemmed from the 2008 earthquake and subsequent repairs.
“Aviva agreed to re-investigate the original claim, commissioning both an independent surveyor and an independent chimney specialist. These inspections again concluded that the moisture damage was consistent with the property’s age – originally built in 1862 – and the structural changes it has undergone over time, including its usage and ongoing maintenance needs.
“The case has since been referred back to the FoS by Mrs Castle and Aviva has provided all relevant additional information to them. While we believe that there is no outstanding damage related to the 2008 earthquake incident and that no further remedial work is required to resolve the original claim, we await the outcome of the FoS’ investigation and will give full consideration to their final decision.”