Lily once adored her home, but a decade after a seemingly minor incident, her cherished property has become a symbol of her protracted battle against an insurance giant.
What began as a simple repair following truck damage has escalated into a living hell, leaving the 70-year-old’s house gutted, riddled with asbestos and toxic mould, and completely unlivable.
“I got no home, they make me homeless and they don’t want to fix my home,” an emotional Lily shared told A Current Affair.
“It’s very hard.”
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The nightmare commenced in 2016 when an oversized truck brought down powerlines, causing damage to Lily’s guttering and roofing.
She lodged a claim with her insurance provider under her $1500-a-year policy, expecting a swift resolution.
“They came and they just replaced the gutter and eave, and they didn’t do it properly,” Lily recounted.
Lily loved her home, but now she hates it. Souece: A Current Affair
After a truck damaged it, it should have been an easy repair, but it’s 10 years later and her home has been gutted and is completely unlivable. Souece: A Current Affair
The shoddy workmanship meant that every time it rained, her home was subjected to a deluge.
“It was like a spout, basically like a waterfall,” she described.
Over the next three years, Lily claims the insurance company’s contractors inadvertently exacerbated the problem, leading to a severe mould infestation.
“Mould was really, really bad. It was black and smelled, especially when it was raining, you could not breathe,” she said, detailing the insidious spread through her cupboards and roof.
Despite her repeated attempts to escalate the issue, Lily alleges the insurer dismissed her concerns.
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It’s now riddled with asbestos and mould. Souece: A Current Affair
It all began back in 2016, when a truck took down powerlines, causing damage to Lily’s guttering and roofing. Souece: A Current Affair
“They were trying to say it’s only surface mould, regardless, (the insurer) already had pictures of the black mould,” she stated.
An independent report later confirmed her fears, revealing “extremely high” mould concentrations and recommending extensive remediation, including full gyprock and timber replacement.
Living with a disability, Lily was forced to sleep in her lounge room, enduring the unhealthy conditions.
“Because my bed was mouldy, I was sleeping on a mouldy bed, I was sleeping for how many years in a mouldy house,” she explained.
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Despite attempts to escalate the issue, Lily says her insurer failed to properly fix the damage and mould. Souece: A Current Affair
Lily says all claims-related costs have now been withheld. Souece: A Current Affair
When work finally commenced in April last year, the extent of the damage was staggering. Then, just before Christmas, she discovered disturbed asbestos in a wall, prompting another independent report that declared her home unsafe.
She felt pressured to accept a cash settlement from her insurer, a proposition she ultimately rejected.
Subsequently, the remediation works on Lily’s home have been on hold for 10 months, with the dispute now before the Australian Financial Complaints Authority.
Adding to her distress, Lily continues to pay her insurance premiums for a home she cannot inhabit, a financial strain exacerbated by her pension not covering her rental costs.
Despite the immense hardship and the seemingly endless battle, Lily remains resolute.
“Are they waiting for me to die? Are they hoping? I’m not gonna die, I’m gonna die the day I settle, not before,” she vowed.
English (US) · 