Woman buried under rubble after tree smashes through her home
Katrina Walmsley and her daughter have been left without a home during an 18-month battle with the insurance company.
A Victorian mum has been locked in an 18-month battle with her insurer after a tree crashed through the roof of her house, leaving her buried beneath rubble and tree branches.
Katrina Walmsley was laying in bed at her home in the regional Victorian town of Ballarat when heavy winds caused the 60-year-old tree to topple over, smashing through the roof of the master bedroom and ultimately forcing her into temporary accommodation with her daughter.
The incident occurred in October, 2021, but Ms Walmsley and her daughter are still without a home. She claims her insurer CGU refuses to pay out the money owed to repair the damage after the freak incident.
"Originally the damage was to the master bedroom, some of the ensuite, plus the hall," she told A Current Affair on Friday night. "Now it's the complete house. There's not one room in that house that hasn't been touched."
The family were only in the house for seven months when they were forced to move out. The frustrated mother said it's been a "long journey" to get her home back and for the insurer to pay out the premium. When the incident first occurred, her home was allegedly valued by CGU at $380k. Since then, the company has only offered Ms Walmsley $160k, she claims.
Existing damage not caused by tree, insurer claims
CGU told the program the delay is due to a "pre-existing issue" with the property. When a builder commenced work in January 2022, they identified cracking in the walls and damage to the building frame which they say was not related to the tree falling.
"The engineer reattended the property and confirmed this damage was the result of renovations that had been undertaken at the property at some stage, including the removal of a load-bearing wall, rather than the damage caused by the falling tree," a spokesperson said.
After lodging a formal complaint, the homeowner requested that CGU pay her premium in full so she can begin to repair the damage caused. "We need help. Big time," she said.
Sally Tindall, from RateCity, said once a formal complaint is made about an insurance provider, they must reply to any requests and confirm in writing. She said they have to provide customers with an update every 10 working days "but also make a determination within 30 calendar days".
Customers can also lodge a complaint with the relevant government agency."The Australian Financial Complaints Authority, they can provide free, independent determinations on financial disputes including for things like home insurance," Ms Tindall said.
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