Y'all, Its been a while since I've visited these shores, so How is everyone?
Got word of a small fire in the kitchen of my IP (Canberra). Apparently the lady of the house left a pan full of oil on the cooktop while she took a shower or went to sleep or something equally "responsible".
Anyway it flared up, burnt the rangehood filters to a crisp, Burnt the Pantry, overhead cabinets next to the rangehood, smoked the ceiling and possibly the walls etc, etc.
Agent tells me that the tenant wanted me to claim on insurance and he would pay the excess. I informed the agent to tell him to stop being an idiot. The agent agreed then proceeded to get quotes for him to pay the lot himself (as I would have expected).
Next thing I hear is that he's approached the Tenants union ACT who have given him legal advice that:
"Damages to the landlords property has to be fixed in the options which ever is cheaper.
If private quotes are higher than the insurance. Then the landlord has to go with the insurance.
If the landlord is not happy to claim the insurance for what ever reason , then he has to put an application to the tribunal justifying why he does't want to go via insurance.
This is the advise that was given to me by the Tenants Union legal advisor."
Now wait a minute. Am i bloody dreaming here? Do I get a say in all this? If we just put aside the cheek of this guy for a second, I need to consider the fact that my premiums will almost certainly rise next year, and that I will now have a black mark against my name for the purposes of finding other insurance. Is he also going to compensate me for that? How is it that the law can permit this cockroach to direct me on how I should use my insurance ? WTF ???
Anyone seen this before ???
Got word of a small fire in the kitchen of my IP (Canberra). Apparently the lady of the house left a pan full of oil on the cooktop while she took a shower or went to sleep or something equally "responsible".
Anyway it flared up, burnt the rangehood filters to a crisp, Burnt the Pantry, overhead cabinets next to the rangehood, smoked the ceiling and possibly the walls etc, etc.
Agent tells me that the tenant wanted me to claim on insurance and he would pay the excess. I informed the agent to tell him to stop being an idiot. The agent agreed then proceeded to get quotes for him to pay the lot himself (as I would have expected).
Next thing I hear is that he's approached the Tenants union ACT who have given him legal advice that:
"Damages to the landlords property has to be fixed in the options which ever is cheaper.
If private quotes are higher than the insurance. Then the landlord has to go with the insurance.
If the landlord is not happy to claim the insurance for what ever reason , then he has to put an application to the tribunal justifying why he does't want to go via insurance.
This is the advise that was given to me by the Tenants Union legal advisor."
Now wait a minute. Am i bloody dreaming here? Do I get a say in all this? If we just put aside the cheek of this guy for a second, I need to consider the fact that my premiums will almost certainly rise next year, and that I will now have a black mark against my name for the purposes of finding other insurance. Is he also going to compensate me for that? How is it that the law can permit this cockroach to direct me on how I should use my insurance ? WTF ???
Anyone seen this before ???