Australian couple win $50,000 battle with insurance company after their ceiling collapsed during La Nina rain and issue an urgent warning to home owners
- Linda Jones’ ceiling at her home near Brisbane collapsed after persistent rain
- Her insurers RACQ told her they would not cover the $50,000 in damages
- After some argument and second opinions, her claim is being fast tracked
- She warned other homeowners to regularly check for signs of water damage
A homeowner whose insurance company refused to pay up when her ceiling collapsed has warned others to look out for water damage.
Linda Jones said the ceiling of her house in Springfield, Queensland, caved in after weeks of rain from the La Nina season left hidden water damage.
She said her family faced a $50,000 repair bill due to the extensive damage that meant the entire roof would need to be repaired.
There were no warning signs and she was was lucky to not be in the room, as she was in the kitchen making a cup of tea.
Linda Jones said the ceiling of her house in Springfield, Queensland, caved in after weeks of rain from the La Nina season left hidden water damage
![She said her family faced a $50,000 repair bill due to the extensive damage](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/06/14/05/59036449-10913733-She_said_her_family_faced_a_50_000_repair_bill_due_to_the_extens-a-35_1655181204963.jpg)
She said her family faced a $50,000 repair bill due to the extensive damage
‘I had just come out of that room to make myself a cup of tea. I heard this almighty clap and I thought: “Oh my god, someone has driven into our house”,’ she told 4BC radio.
‘It was that loud and the vibrations were that strong, I really didn’t know what was going on.’
With Ms Jones’ living room in tatters, she contacted her family’s insurers RACQ but soon learned it would not cover the damages.
The Jones family was told the roof collapse was as a result of a glue failure and the RACQ assessor found no evidence of water damage or moisture in the roof.
The claim was denied and the insurer claimed they did not take good enough care of the house in spotting and addressing the issue.
![Linda and Gary Jones were shocked to originally learn the damage was due to a glue failure and not water damage, leaving them liable for the $50,000 in damages, a decision that has since changed](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/06/14/05/59036443-10913733-Linda_and_Gary_Jones_were_shocked_to_originally_learn_the_damage-a-36_1655181204977.jpg)
Linda and Gary Jones were shocked to originally learn the damage was due to a glue failure and not water damage, leaving them liable for the $50,000 in damages, a decision that has since changed
![The Queensland woman was fortunately out of the room making a cup of tea when her living room ceiling came crashing down](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/06/14/05/59036453-10913733-The_Queensland_woman_was_fortunately_out_of_the_room_making_a_cu-a-37_1655181204980.jpg)
The Queensland woman was fortunately out of the room making a cup of tea when her living room ceiling came crashing down
Ms Jones argued the damage had to be caused by water leakage from the rains as there were water marks all over the collapsed ceiling.
She also claimed the assessor didn’t see the water damage because he didn’t look underneath the plastic or assess the roof.
The Insurance Contracts Act mandates that insurers can’t deny a claim if ‘a reasonable person in the circumstances could not be expected to have been aware’ of a defect.
‘We’re not tradespeople, we don’t recall there being any significant damage that to our mind that we understood it to be,’ Ms Jones earlier told the Courier Mail.
‘Because sagging to me and my husband it where your roof is actually bowing down… but it’s not the case in the building industry, as we’ve since found out.’
Ms Jones discovered water marks on pieces of rubble as they were clearing it up and said two sets of professionals said rain damage was the cause.
![Ms Jones discovered water marks on pieces of rubble (pictured) as they were clearing it up and said two sets of professionals said rain damage was the cause](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/06/14/05/59039307-10913733-Ms_Jones_discovered_water_marks_on_pieces_of_rubble_pictured_as_-a-38_1655181204981.jpg)
Ms Jones discovered water marks on pieces of rubble (pictured) as they were clearing it up and said two sets of professionals said rain damage was the cause
However, RACQ said it was a potential hazard for its assessors to look under the plastic or go on top of or inside the roof.
‘How can they do a proper check if they didn’t look at the evidence, they didn’t look at inside the roof, or get on top of the roof,’ Ms Jones said.
RACQ eventually sent another assessor to look at the damage and fast tracked the claim.
Ms Jones urged fellow homeowners to be wary of potential damage to their roofs and look out for signs of sagging.
‘I would not want anyone else to have to go through this, but if they have to then they need to note everything down – who they’ve spoken to, and take so many photos,’ she wrote on Facebook.
Ms Jones said homeowners should pay particular attention to separated ceiling boards and protruding nails as they are often a sign of roof damage.
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