The Bank of Exploitation

<p>Near Christmas time when the heavy rains started we had a roof leak. More like a waterfall in our dining room. This was only when it was raining heavily. We have been living in our new home for about 4 months and this is the first time we noticed the problem. Early in the new year we contacted the insurance and 4 roof repair companies. Two of the companies and the insurance even arrived on the same day, at the same time. The insurance guy told us its an architectural flaw - when it rains too much the water streams back. This is also what the roof repairing companies told us.</p> <p> </p> <p>More than a week later the insurance calls us to tell us they will be paying NOTHING of the water damage to our ceilings. My questions are: Who inspects houses before granting a home loan and the manditory home insurance? How is it our fault that the house, with the particular section of the house probably 50 years or more, was build incorrectly? How do we contact builders or architects that are probably dead by now? How can we even still blame them? By the way, the insurance guy who told us that it was an architectural issue told the insurance it was a maintanance issue. I wonder how much he gets paid for his dishonesty.</p> <p> </p> <p>Why are we paying for insurance? It seems we are paying them money for them to find loop-holes so that they do not need to pay out. On another (ethical) note, why were we only given a contract months after we bought the house and after we had to ask numerous times? Only when we wanted to claim from the insurance was our home loan and insurance contract even given to us. Should we not have had a copy to begin with? </p> <p> </p> <p>I want to know how we could have known or forseen architectural issues (and maintained it? How does one maintain it?) before buying the house and before the heavy rains? I want to know, being aware of the problem for less than a month now, how we should have maintained or prevented it? I want to know why all four other companies tell us this is an issue that the previous owners had to have known about? Why was this was not disclosed to us by the previous home owners? Should the bank not know what they are insuring and providing a loan for? </p> <p> </p> <p>As our home loan is still far from being paid off, our house is still the bank's asset. Are they ok with it that their assets are flawed and for that reason refuse to pay damages. </p> <p> </p> <p>Just to make things clear. I fully understand that things like painting and fixing roof leeks are maintainance issues. This is not a leak... this is how the house has apparently always been. I'm not even asking the bank to fix my roof... we will save every little bit we have, and try to borrow the money to do so ourselves. After all we were told by the bank that it was our own fault. Although I do not feel it is right for this burden to fall squarely on our shoulders when there were parties aware of this problem, I can still live with it. I struggle... but I live with it. We want them to fix the water damage to our ceilings. Tell me why this is not possible? Why do I pay insurance...</p> <p> </p> <p>Hopefully very soon we will have a reply from another bank to take over the home loan and worthless insurance, along with all my husband's accounts. I am left with this thought: Why can no-one offer us anwers to our questions? I am certain it is because Standard Bank runs on the single premise of exploitation for own gain.</p> <p> </p> <p>Claim number: 17/001560</p> <p>Xanya Liebenberg</p> <p> </p>