Preexisting and apparently tried to fix the issue ourselves with tape and a bucket?

My husband and I purchased our home in June 2024, and we have been living in it for approximately six months.

Recently, we experienced a significant amount of rain in the area. As this was the first time we encountered rain while living in this house, we noticed several leaks in the property.

We reported the leaks to our insurance company, and an assessor came to inspect the house and review all six or seven areas where leaks were identified.

One of the leaks was in our garage, directly above a wooden antique shelf that we were concerned about damaging. To prevent further harm, we app**** temporary tape and placed a bucket underneath the leak during the same week the assessor was scheduled to visit, as the shelf is not easily moved or replaced.

About a week later, my husband received feedback from Standard Bank, informing us that our claim had been declined. The reason given was that the leaks were considered pre-existing and that we had attempted to fix the leaks ourselves. How is some tape and a bucket "trying to fix a leak on our own"? another thing is how are we supposed to know that these leaks were here before we moved in?

While they assured us that they would send a proper evaluation of the case, we have yet to receive it, even though it has now been almost a month since the inspection. We checked the house from top to bottom before moving in so according to us these leaks are all new!

We are extremely unhappy about the outcome of this claim at this current stage and still only have temporary fixes at this stage.