A MAN whose house burned down while he was on holiday leaving him forced to live in his garden shed has finally won a two-year battle with his insurers.
John Rodger, 88, from Norfolk, was away on holiday on the Mediterranean island of Gozo in January 2023 when a blaze destroyed his two-bed wooden detached home.
3
His son Stuart, 60, broke the news of the devastating blaze over the phone, leaving John in complete shock.
When he returned, he began living in his shed at the site while he filed a claim with his insurers Advantage Insurance.
Unfortunately, Advantage Insurance rejected his claim for a payout because a fire service report found the property may have been used as a cannabis farm, which John completely dismissed as a “joke”.
The pensioner, whose wife of 52 years, Anne, died in 2011 aged 72, then escalated his claim and took his battle to the Financial Ombudsman.
Speaking to thisismoney.co.uk, John said: “I was in shock and could barely get out of bed for the next few days. I’d lost everything.”
The pensioner, who enjoys gardening and spending time at his local social club, refused to move in with relatives because he wanted to retain his independence.
Thankfully, after initially rejecting John’s challenge, the Financial Ombudsman upheld the complaint and ordered Advantage to pay out up to £415,000 to rebuild John’s house.
Speaking after the decision was finalised last week, the father-of-three said: “It’s about time. I won’t believe it until it happens and I see the money.
“Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched.”
In her provisional report, Ombudsman Alison Gore wrote: “There was a period of around four weeks before the fire started where the property was unoccupied.
“So-called “cannabis farms” can be set up relatively quickly by experienced criminals, so it is possible that the set-up took place within that time by persons unknown.”
Alison also added that she was not satisfied that Advantage had established that John was involved or had any knowledge of the alleged cannabis farm.
John has now criticised how long it took the ombudsman to make a decision, saying it took them 14 months to reject his claim and then when his lawyers appealed, it took them another five months to make a provisional decision in his favour.
The 88-year-old completely denies the allegation that there was a cannabis factory in his house, explaining that they must have seen a few pots and bits of horticultural equipment and must have jumped to conclusions.
John, who has three sons, Robin, 64, Stuart, 60, and Ivan, 56, said: “The idea that I had a cannabis farm there is a complete joke.
“I was growing acorns and some chilli plants in pots so maybe they somehow got confused.”
The ombudsman’s report stated that there were remains of high-powered lamps, soil and plant material in the house and that there was no evidence the main building was being lived in.
As a result, police concluded that it was likely cannabis that had been grown at the property but due to the devastation caused by the fire, no plant samples were available to be tested.
However, the ombudsman later accepted a bill from a credit card John used, which showed him spending money at the social club, proving he lived in the property.
John’s solicitor, Martin Richardson, of Richardson Hartley Law, said: “We can’t give him back the two years of his life in which he has been forced to live in a shed.’
The Financial Ombudsman has said it cannot comment on individual cases.
Hastings, which gets their policies underwritten by Advantage Insurance, has been approached for comment by The Sun.
3
3
