0:00:02 > 0:00:04We asked you to tell us what's left you feeling ripped off,
0:00:04 > 0:00:06and you contacted us in your thousands.
0:00:06 > 0:00:10You've told us about the companies you think get it wrong and
0:00:10 > 0:00:13the customer service that simply is not up to scratch.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16I've complained and complained and nobody takes any notice of me.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19In all honesty, I think it's just a way for the shops to make more money.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23You've asked us to track down the scammers who stole your money and
0:00:23 > 0:00:26investigate the extra charges you say are unfair.
0:00:26 > 0:00:30You don't want to spend any more, but yet they're always trying to offer you little things extra.
0:00:30 > 0:00:33And when you've lost out but no-one else is to blame,
0:00:33 > 0:00:37you've come to us to stop others falling into the same trap.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40I rang up the company and they went, "Oh, it isn't our fault." So whose fault is it?
0:00:40 > 0:00:44So, whether it's a blatant rip-off or a genuine mistake...
0:00:44 > 0:00:48We're here to find out why you're out of pocket and what you can do about it.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52Your stories, your money - this is Rip-Off Britain.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57Hello and welcome once again to Rip-Off Britain,
0:00:57 > 0:01:01the programme that goes in to bat for you when everyone else seems
0:01:01 > 0:01:02to be saying their hands are tied.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06At times like that it can be hard to know where to turn for help.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09And of course, that's even worse if you're in a situation that's especially difficult,
0:01:09 > 0:01:14as is the case with many of the people that we're going to be meeting today.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17Some are out of pocket, but others, even worse,
0:01:17 > 0:01:21are at risk of losing their home or their livelihood,
0:01:21 > 0:01:25thanks to circumstances they did nothing to cause, but are powerless to stop.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29But I'm afraid however desperate their position is,
0:01:29 > 0:01:32they say that no-one is really paying much attention
0:01:32 > 0:01:35and as a result, they're facing a difficult and very uncertain future.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38So of course, that's why they've come to us, to Rip-Off Britain,
0:01:38 > 0:01:42to see if there's anything that can be done to help move things along
0:01:42 > 0:01:44a little bit, or at the very least, get some answers.
0:01:44 > 0:01:50Coming up... The locals devastated by flooding twice in four years and
0:01:50 > 0:01:53priced out of any insurance to foot the repairs.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56We've lost thousands. We're not the only one.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58Our only option's here.
0:01:58 > 0:02:03We're to carry on without the protection of insurance
0:02:03 > 0:02:05and just stand the loss ourselves.
0:02:05 > 0:02:10And why this ex-squaddie's terminal illness isn't quite terminal enough
0:02:10 > 0:02:13for this insurance policy to pay out.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17Not only have I been shocked by the awful disease I have,
0:02:17 > 0:02:20I've now been shocked again, saying it's not covering me.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25And I just think that is totally wrong.
0:02:27 > 0:02:32These days, floods that were apparently deemed once in a lifetime
0:02:32 > 0:02:35seem to crop up with alarming regularity,
0:02:35 > 0:02:38devastating homes and businesses and costing insurers
0:02:38 > 0:02:41millions of pounds to put right.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44And that has left the small shopkeepers of one West Yorkshire
0:02:44 > 0:02:49town facing repair bills that could sink their businesses
0:02:49 > 0:02:51once and for all.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54Christmas night, 2015.
0:02:54 > 0:02:59While much of the country was slumped in front of the television after the day's celebration,
0:02:59 > 0:03:02others were nervously watching the rain come down.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04There are severe flood warnings in force.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06Heavy and persistent rain.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09In Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire,
0:03:09 > 0:03:11the storm continued throughout the night.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13Well, the rain is still falling here
0:03:13 > 0:03:15and behind me is the raging River Calder,
0:03:15 > 0:03:19and after 24 hours of incessant rain over the hills of Lancashire
0:03:19 > 0:03:23and Yorkshire, this is all coming through the Calder Valley now.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26By the morning, the riverside town was underwater,
0:03:26 > 0:03:29and for some small-business owners in Hebden Bridge,
0:03:29 > 0:03:32nothing would ever be the same again.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34I've never seen anything like this before in my life.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36It was devastating.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40When I actually came in, the destruction was unbelievable.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42I couldn't believe it. I wouldn't take it in.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44It was horrific.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47As was the case in many towns across the north-west of England,
0:03:47 > 0:03:51the Boxing Day floods hit Hebden Bridge exceptionally hard.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54Nestled on the banks of the River Calder,
0:03:54 > 0:03:56the town's flood defences gave way
0:03:56 > 0:03:59and water spilled over into the streets.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01Knowing rain was on the way,
0:04:01 > 0:04:05antiques dealer Trish Banyard had moved as much of her stock
0:04:05 > 0:04:07as she could from the floor, just in case.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10But against such a deluge, that wasn't enough.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14CCTV from the shop shows the flood's devastating progress
0:04:14 > 0:04:17and Trish was horrified by the extent of the damage.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21The water was so high it filled the whole of one floor
0:04:21 > 0:04:23up to ten feet and the next floor up to three feet
0:04:23 > 0:04:26and I knew then that we'd lost everything.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31Trish had run this thriving small business for over ten years.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34But in just a matter of hours, the building,
0:04:34 > 0:04:36along with many of the antiques inside,
0:04:36 > 0:04:40was submerged under 13 feet of polluted water.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44These are some of the bits that we've managed to save
0:04:44 > 0:04:47from the flood. This one I call the last refugee.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49I found him in a pile of mud downstairs
0:04:49 > 0:04:52and I've washed him a little bit,
0:04:52 > 0:04:54and as you can see, this is what happens to items
0:04:54 > 0:04:58that have been submerged, not even for 24 hours.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03Trish lost half of her stock, worth £50,000.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07What she didn't lose had to be cleaned by hand.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10You've got to pick up every piece of glass,
0:05:10 > 0:05:12every damaged item,
0:05:12 > 0:05:16clean up all the muck yourself, and it's taken us a month.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20The flooding that inundated Hebden Bridge, although a shock,
0:05:20 > 0:05:23was also depressingly familiar.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26The town had suffered similar devastating floods in 2012,
0:05:26 > 0:05:30after which defences were built that were meant to prevent anything
0:05:30 > 0:05:32like that happening again.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35Tricia's business had been flooded that time, too.
0:05:35 > 0:05:41As a result, ever since, she's been unable to get any flood insurance,
0:05:41 > 0:05:44which meant when the worst storm on record hit Hebden Bridge
0:05:44 > 0:05:48last Christmas, Trish and her premises were left to brace
0:05:48 > 0:05:51the downpour without any policy to protect her.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55We've lost thousands. We're not the only one.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57Our only option's here.
0:05:57 > 0:06:02We're to carry on without the protection of insurance
0:06:02 > 0:06:05and just take the risk ourselves and just stand the loss ourselves.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07And that's what's happened to us.
0:06:07 > 0:06:14Virtually all the estimated £70,000 cost of cleaning up the shop and
0:06:14 > 0:06:18getting the business back on track will have to be paid from Trisha's own savings,
0:06:18 > 0:06:21a burden that could leave her facing financial ruin.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23My kids are really upset.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26They've hardly seen me for a month
0:06:26 > 0:06:29and I think everybody in the family's been ill.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33The knock-on effect of having to deal with all this dirt,
0:06:33 > 0:06:36silt-ridden, damp conditions
0:06:36 > 0:06:39has taken a toll on everybody.
0:06:39 > 0:06:44Trish was eligible to apply for financial assistance from
0:06:44 > 0:06:48the local council, but without flood insurance,
0:06:48 > 0:06:52this still left her almost £68,000 out of pocket.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55And there are plenty of other flooded-out businesses in the area
0:06:55 > 0:06:57in the same position.
0:06:57 > 0:07:02Lily Briggs found the food shop she co-owned submerged under
0:07:02 > 0:07:041.5 metres of water.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08As we came in the next day, the door was blocked and our huge,
0:07:08 > 0:07:12brand-new fridge was floating in front of the door, full of stock.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14We never thought that would tumble over.
0:07:14 > 0:07:19So throwing away £15,000 worth of our beautiful organic food
0:07:19 > 0:07:22was absolutely devastating.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26The chaos in the streets for those three days of skips everywhere,
0:07:26 > 0:07:31furniture all covered in sludge, everything disgusting.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35Like Trish, and so many of the area's other small traders,
0:07:35 > 0:07:39Lily, too, had no flood insurance, because having been flooded once,
0:07:39 > 0:07:41even if an insurer would offer her cover,
0:07:41 > 0:07:46the costs would be impossible for her to afford from what the business earns.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49There is a possibility to get insurance, but the monthly costs
0:07:49 > 0:07:52would be so high, we'd put ourselves out of business.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55We knew the risks of running the business without flood insurance.
0:07:55 > 0:07:56We could lose everything.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59But that's just the risks that we know we have to take.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02Just up the street,
0:08:02 > 0:08:08Valeen and Sid Jones lost an estimated £40,000 worth of stock at their record shop.
0:08:08 > 0:08:13The shop has actually had a flood now three times
0:08:13 > 0:08:16over the last ten years, and three-and-a-half years ago,
0:08:16 > 0:08:19when we had the flood, we couldn't get insurance.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23We were offered either a price of £35,000,
0:08:23 > 0:08:26which is totally out of the question,
0:08:26 > 0:08:31or a premium with an excess of £50,000,
0:08:31 > 0:08:35which for a business this size, it's just totally unacceptable.
0:08:35 > 0:08:40But while none of the people we spoke to can get affordable
0:08:40 > 0:08:42flood insurance for their businesses,
0:08:42 > 0:08:45they can now get it on their homes,
0:08:45 > 0:08:46which are also in the town.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48But that wasn't always the case.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51In fact, several times over the years we've met homeowners who faced
0:08:51 > 0:08:54exactly the same sort of difficulties -
0:08:54 > 0:08:59finding affordable insurance in areas considered most at risk of flooding.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01That's why in April of 2016,
0:09:01 > 0:09:03a new scheme came into force
0:09:03 > 0:09:06to ensure that flood protection was available
0:09:06 > 0:09:08to every home in Britain.
0:09:08 > 0:09:13It's called Flood Re and it works by adding the equivalent of around
0:09:13 > 0:09:16£10.50 to every home insurance bill in the country
0:09:16 > 0:09:20with the money used to spread the cost and the risk
0:09:20 > 0:09:22of insuring those homes that might flood.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25And it's something that we've been following
0:09:25 > 0:09:27since the idea was very first suggested.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30Flood Re is there to solve the issue of affordable flood cover
0:09:30 > 0:09:33for those 2% of people who live near areas at risk of flooding
0:09:33 > 0:09:37and who would be unable to find affordable cover in the future.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41But Flood Re doesn't apply to businesses,
0:09:41 > 0:09:47so for many of them, realistically priced flood insurance remains out of reach.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49And in places like, for instance, Hebden Bridge,
0:09:49 > 0:09:53once-thriving small businesses would say that that leaves them
0:09:53 > 0:09:56at real risk of bankruptcy.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00The Association Of British Insurers worked with the Government
0:10:00 > 0:10:02to implement Flood Re for homes,
0:10:02 > 0:10:06but it doesn't believe the scheme's suitable for businesses.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09Flood Re's designed specifically
0:10:09 > 0:10:11for a problem in the household sector.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14It's not designed with businesses in mind.
0:10:14 > 0:10:19We completely understand that there are problems with businesses in some parts of the country
0:10:19 > 0:10:24with unaffordable premiums, with high excesses,
0:10:24 > 0:10:26but that's nowhere near the same extent
0:10:26 > 0:10:29as the problem that existed in the household sector.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32And while some small-business owners think the principles of Flood Re
0:10:32 > 0:10:35could easily be extended more widely,
0:10:35 > 0:10:38the industry doesn't believe it's that simple.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42Flood Re's based on a principle of pay a little bit more if you're not at flood risk
0:10:42 > 0:10:45for those that are at flood risk, and they subsidise those that
0:10:45 > 0:10:48are at flood risk, should they then flood and have to claim.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51If we're wanting a system for businesses that's based on
0:10:51 > 0:10:56the dry paying for the wet, should a business subsidise another business?
0:10:56 > 0:10:59With riverside cafes, you know, they often choose those locations
0:10:59 > 0:11:01because they attract customers in
0:11:01 > 0:11:03and they may well do well out of that.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06Is it appropriate for another cafe to be subsidising the insurance
0:11:06 > 0:11:10premiums of those businesses just beside the rivers,
0:11:10 > 0:11:12just because they're at flood risk?
0:11:12 > 0:11:16The ABI believes that rival businesses not in areas at risk of
0:11:16 > 0:11:20flooding would be up in arms about supporting those that are.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23And while there's been no such uproar from homeowners,
0:11:23 > 0:11:27it says the emphasis should be on flood prevention first.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30There is a real role for government here
0:11:30 > 0:11:32around what is the most suitable way
0:11:32 > 0:11:34to stop that water going into people's homes
0:11:34 > 0:11:36and going into people's businesses,
0:11:36 > 0:11:39and that can be through flood defences,
0:11:39 > 0:11:42that could be through managing the water in a way
0:11:42 > 0:11:45that it's directed away from communities.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50Of course, Hebden Bridge did have those flood defences fitted
0:11:50 > 0:11:52after the town flooded in 2012.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56But in the Christmas 2015 floods, that wasn't enough.
0:11:58 > 0:12:03All of which leaves the business owners in the area with a stark choice -
0:12:03 > 0:12:07continue to be either refused flood cover outright, or offered policies
0:12:07 > 0:12:12with potentially crippling costs, totalling thousands of pounds.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16And with the same true in other parts of the country at risk from floods,
0:12:16 > 0:12:20the Federation of Small Businesses is adamant that the only feasible
0:12:20 > 0:12:25solution is to extend the scope of the Flood Re schemes.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29The number of small businesses affected by this, at 75,000,
0:12:29 > 0:12:32which is a vast number of small businesses
0:12:32 > 0:12:36who cannot at the moment get effective, affordable insurance,
0:12:36 > 0:12:40needs to change and we need to be having everybody working together
0:12:40 > 0:12:43so that there is something in place for those businesses to continue
0:12:43 > 0:12:46to support jobs and growth in their local communities.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49The Government clearly needs to be looking
0:12:49 > 0:12:51at a Flood Re scheme for businesses.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54They need to be looking at protecting basic infrastructure.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57And therefore all of us, including government,
0:12:57 > 0:12:59have different roles to play here.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02Well, the government department currently responsible
0:13:02 > 0:13:06for negotiating the Flood Re scheme, Defra, told us it's...
0:13:10 > 0:13:11..and that it does want...
0:13:15 > 0:13:17So, with that in mind, while it reiterated that...
0:13:21 > 0:13:24..it is working with insurers and other parties...
0:13:27 > 0:13:29Defra also said it's investing...
0:13:31 > 0:13:33..for communities in the Calder Valley,
0:13:33 > 0:13:36and that wherever they are in the country,
0:13:36 > 0:13:39individual properties and businesses can apply for grants
0:13:39 > 0:13:43of up to £5,000 to help make the property more resilient to flooding.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47But back in Hebden Bridge, where the effects of the flood
0:13:47 > 0:13:49are still keenly felt on the high street,
0:13:49 > 0:13:52Trish is back in business, trading from new premises
0:13:52 > 0:13:56which weren't affected when the river overflowed on Boxing Day.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59But she still can't afford flood insurance and does feel
0:13:59 > 0:14:04that the Government could be doing much more to help small-business owners.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07I think towns like this all up and down the country are in
0:14:07 > 0:14:12difficulties and people like me need a bit of help.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15We need the same deal as everybody else.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23Next, there's a whole host of insurance policies
0:14:23 > 0:14:27designed to protect us and our families if the unthinkable happens.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30And when it comes to cover for something like a serious illness,
0:14:30 > 0:14:34many of us buy them to give ourselves peace of mind, hoping that
0:14:34 > 0:14:36we never, ever need to actually make that claim.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39But if it is what you end up having to do,
0:14:39 > 0:14:42it's going to be completely devastating to discover that
0:14:42 > 0:14:45the policy you'd long believed would help you if you needed it
0:14:45 > 0:14:47isn't in fact going to cover you at all.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50And while that's proved the case for one viewer who got in touch,
0:14:50 > 0:14:53it really spurred him on to make sure
0:14:53 > 0:14:56that nobody else ends up in exactly the same situation.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02Ex-squaddie Dennis Barber has always enjoyed an active lifestyle,
0:15:02 > 0:15:05from football and skiing to running half-marathons,
0:15:05 > 0:15:08all to raise money for good causes.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12I've generally been a fit person from being young,
0:15:12 > 0:15:15and the Army's kept me very, very fit,
0:15:15 > 0:15:16which for nine years was fantastic.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20But in 2011, all of that changed.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24Dennis was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis,
0:15:24 > 0:15:27a very rare condition in which the lungs are scarred,
0:15:27 > 0:15:29making breathing increasingly difficult.
0:15:29 > 0:15:34After working all my life and being fit, it's very, very hard
0:15:34 > 0:15:38to acclimatise to doing virtually nothing.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43Wearing oxygen, not running,
0:15:43 > 0:15:45you can't pick your grandkids up for much.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49It affects your whole life.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53When he was diagnosed, Dennis found out that he shouldn't expect to live
0:15:53 > 0:15:55for more than three to five years.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57It's like being hit by a train.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59You don't even see it coming.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02It was a terrible thing for me and the family.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05Dennis had to give up his job,
0:16:05 > 0:16:08sometimes making it very hard for him and his wife June to get by.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12My wife works 30 hours a week.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15I do get disability allowance,
0:16:15 > 0:16:19but it's very much tightening your belt.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21It is a struggle each month.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24As far as Dennis is concerned, things would be less of a struggle
0:16:24 > 0:16:27if he'd been able to get hold of some money that he'd assumed
0:16:27 > 0:16:32would be there to help in exactly such a situation as this.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36Several years ago, Dennis and June had taken out a life insurance policy,
0:16:36 > 0:16:38and shortly after his diagnosis,
0:16:38 > 0:16:41June remembered that it included terminal illness cover,
0:16:41 > 0:16:43which would pay out a lump sum
0:16:43 > 0:16:48if one of them was diagnosed with a life-ending condition.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52My wife said, "Oh, I think we've got that on the policy, Dennis."
0:16:52 > 0:16:55As we checked, yes, it said terminal illness.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58I thought, "Oh, crikey!" and it said
0:16:58 > 0:17:01on diagnosis with a terminal illness, they will pay out.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04But when Dennis tried to make a claim,
0:17:04 > 0:17:08the response from the insurer, Legal & General, came as a surprise.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12The terminal illness cover would only pay out if the illness turned out to be terminal
0:17:12 > 0:17:15rather more quickly than obviously he and June were hoping for.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18They told me that to meet their criteria,
0:17:18 > 0:17:22I must be dead within 12 months, which I thought was a bit harsh.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26Not only have I been shocked by the awful disease I have,
0:17:26 > 0:17:30I've now been shocked again, saying it's not covering me.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34And I just think that is totally wrong.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37While Dennis's condition could deteriorate at any time,
0:17:37 > 0:17:42his consultant had told him that he most likely had more than 12 months to live.
0:17:42 > 0:17:47So however ill he was, he didn't meet the terms of his Legal & General cover.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49I felt as though I'd been cheated.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52I've paid all my premiums.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54I've not missed one.
0:17:54 > 0:18:00And when you actually need it, they haven't come up with the goods.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03It was just a slap in the face.
0:18:03 > 0:18:08Dennis appealed the decision, but the Financial Ombudsman Service found in the insurer's favour,
0:18:08 > 0:18:14because it had acted in accordance with the industry rules for this type of policy.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16But then, in March 2016,
0:18:16 > 0:18:19a specialist nurse told Dennis to get his affairs in order,
0:18:19 > 0:18:22because his health had deteriorated even further.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26He tried claiming on the policy again, but this claim was rejected as well, due to the fact
0:18:26 > 0:18:31that his consultant hadn't formally given Dennis a diagnosis of less than 12 months.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35So, he's left feeling very frustrated at what he sees as the shortcomings
0:18:35 > 0:18:38of a policy that could make his life easier.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40I've not accepted their decision,
0:18:40 > 0:18:45I think they're wrong in the conclusion they've come to,
0:18:45 > 0:18:48so I've made it part of my bucket list
0:18:48 > 0:18:52that I should let other people know.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55Now, we've looked into this sort of policy before and the truth is,
0:18:55 > 0:18:59they're rarely as straightforward as you might assume.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02Not every terminal illness is covered, and as Dennis realised,
0:19:02 > 0:19:06sadly too late, there may be strict limits on when they'll pay out.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13So, he wants to understand better how this type of insurance works
0:19:13 > 0:19:17and ask the questions that he wishes he'd asked when he took the policy out.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20So, he's come to meet independent financial advisor Ray Tammam,
0:19:20 > 0:19:24who specialises in these types of policy, to find out more.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26I have a terminal illness,
0:19:26 > 0:19:30I've been diagnosed with that, and when I came to claim on it,
0:19:30 > 0:19:33the answer from the insurance company was,
0:19:33 > 0:19:39to claim, you must die within 12 months for it to be effective.
0:19:39 > 0:19:40Can you explain why?
0:19:40 > 0:19:41I'll try my best.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44It's very common with life insurance policies to have
0:19:44 > 0:19:48an added bolt-on included, known as terminal illness cover,
0:19:48 > 0:19:51and if you're unfortunate enough to be diagnosed
0:19:51 > 0:19:53with a terminal illness,
0:19:53 > 0:19:57as you have been, the idea is that you can receive a payout
0:19:57 > 0:20:01earlier than having to wait until the client passes away.
0:20:01 > 0:20:06Specialist policies that don't have the 12-month clause do exist,
0:20:06 > 0:20:09but generally, the insurance industry works to a set of guidelines
0:20:09 > 0:20:13laid out by the Association of British Insurers, or ABI,
0:20:13 > 0:20:15which defines a terminal illness
0:20:15 > 0:20:18as one with a prognosis of 12 months or less.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20Now, it might seem like a brutal cut-off point,
0:20:20 > 0:20:24but it's part of an industry-wide set of definitions that,
0:20:24 > 0:20:27whether you've bought terminal or critical illness cover,
0:20:27 > 0:20:30depend very much on the word of your doctor.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33Insurance companies have many different definitions,
0:20:33 > 0:20:36so what the ABI have done, and I'm a big fan of this,
0:20:36 > 0:20:40they've worked with the medical industry and the insurers
0:20:40 > 0:20:44to standardise the definition for what is a serious heart attack,
0:20:44 > 0:20:46what is a critical illness,
0:20:46 > 0:20:49across all the different 30 to 40 different illnesses
0:20:49 > 0:20:51that are covered.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54So it's actually quite clear to a medical professional -
0:20:54 > 0:20:56does this meet the criteria?
0:20:56 > 0:20:57It's actually yes or no.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59It's not a grey area.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02Only around 5,000 people a year
0:21:02 > 0:21:05are diagnosed with the condition that Dennis has.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08And while his doctor can't say for sure that he will die
0:21:08 > 0:21:10in the next 12 months,
0:21:10 > 0:21:13equally, something like a serious bout of the flu could be fatal.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17I think that that is the big issue for you and other people
0:21:17 > 0:21:21unfortunately in this situation, in a bit of limbo, in that the doctor,
0:21:21 > 0:21:24hand on heart, can't give as near to a guarantee as possible
0:21:24 > 0:21:26that someone won't be here in 12 months,
0:21:26 > 0:21:28therefore by definition, it doesn't meet
0:21:28 > 0:21:32the criteria set by the insurance company, unfortunately.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35But Ray does think that for someone like Dennis,
0:21:35 > 0:21:39who's effectively asking for an early payout of his life insurance,
0:21:39 > 0:21:41that there may be one last thing worth trying
0:21:41 > 0:21:43if a claim has been refused.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47All you can do is ask them, as a gesture of goodwill in this case,
0:21:47 > 0:21:50would they, essentially, advance the money?
0:21:50 > 0:21:53Because you are still covered by your plan, I believe,
0:21:53 > 0:21:56so chances are they would be paying out anyway at some point.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59- Correct, yeah.- So could they, as a gesture of goodwill,
0:21:59 > 0:22:01please consider making a payment?
0:22:01 > 0:22:05However, when we put that to Dennis's insurer, Legal & General,
0:22:05 > 0:22:07while extending its sincere sympathy,
0:22:07 > 0:22:11it said it wouldn't be able to pay out on his life insurance policy early,
0:22:11 > 0:22:14as although it does look to pay all claims...
0:22:20 > 0:22:22It reiterated that his condition...
0:22:25 > 0:22:27..because in the opinion of Dennis's consultant
0:22:27 > 0:22:29and the insurer's Chief Medical Officer,
0:22:29 > 0:22:32his life expectancy is more than 12 months.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36However, the company stressed that it remains in close communication with Dennis
0:22:36 > 0:22:38and will continue to review his claim,
0:22:38 > 0:22:40which it says it will pay...
0:22:42 > 0:22:45..but has said that it has to stick to the industry definitions,
0:22:45 > 0:22:49in order to ensure that all customers are treated fairly,
0:22:49 > 0:22:52adding that in 2015, it paid out
0:22:52 > 0:22:55£94 million in terminal illness cover alone.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59Even so, Dennis hasn't given up fighting,
0:22:59 > 0:23:02and the army veteran is keen that anyone else taking out this kind
0:23:02 > 0:23:06of cover understands exactly when it will and won't apply.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10You need to read your policy,
0:23:10 > 0:23:13and find out the terms and conditions of it,
0:23:13 > 0:23:16because it's not all bright and rosy.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18I just think it is so wrong
0:23:18 > 0:23:23that when you're in a bad place to start with,
0:23:23 > 0:23:25you don't want to be kicked again.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27And this is what's happening.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36Still to come on Rip-Off Britain,
0:23:36 > 0:23:40wait till you hear how much it will cost residents here to put right
0:23:40 > 0:23:42the roads that the builders didn't finish
0:23:42 > 0:23:44and the council won't take on.
0:23:44 > 0:23:49It makes the place look such a slum, and it's not. They're lovely houses.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52People have spent a lot of money on these bungalows,
0:23:52 > 0:23:54doing them up and making them nice,
0:23:54 > 0:23:58but everything is dragged down by these roads.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06Welcome to the Rip-Off Britain pop-up shop,
0:24:06 > 0:24:08and this time we opened up our consumer advice clinic
0:24:08 > 0:24:11right in the middle of a busy Manchester shopping centre.
0:24:11 > 0:24:16We had a host of experts keen to solve your consumer conundrums
0:24:16 > 0:24:20and pass on advice that some of you simply didn't know.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22- Not a clue?- No.- Ask Mum and Dad!
0:24:25 > 0:24:30Frank May called in needing help from solicitor Gary Rycroft.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34In recent years, his flat has been affected by flooding and damp,
0:24:34 > 0:24:37and Frank is sure it can't be coincidence
0:24:37 > 0:24:40that the problems only began after some major changes were made
0:24:40 > 0:24:43to the flat immediately above his.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47Within that year, I had been flooded by the flat above.
0:24:47 > 0:24:48I had to be moved out of my flat.
0:24:48 > 0:24:53I was out for eight months while they tried to fix everything.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55The kitchen was taken out, floors were taken out,
0:24:55 > 0:24:57skirtings, the whole thing.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59The repairs to Frank's flat were covered under
0:24:59 > 0:25:02the building's insurance, but within a year of him moving back in,
0:25:02 > 0:25:06there was a new leak, with some especially unwelcome consequences.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10My bathroom ceiling came in,
0:25:10 > 0:25:13and there was five months where the water was
0:25:13 > 0:25:16still dripping through and it caused my whole flat to be covered
0:25:16 > 0:25:18in damp and mould.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21Frank was forced to move out again, this time for three months,
0:25:21 > 0:25:23but his problems still weren't over.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25There was another leak and a further kitchen refurbishment,
0:25:25 > 0:25:29and even now, he's spotted telltale signs
0:25:29 > 0:25:31that the damp still hasn't gone away.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33As of this week, I've found that
0:25:33 > 0:25:36my new flooring is starting to lift already.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39I've had three kitchens in a matter of three years.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42- Ridiculous.- Two new bathrooms, four new bathroom ceilings,
0:25:42 > 0:25:45three new floorings, skirtings all the way through my flat.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47This is costing tens of thousands of pounds.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49The stress it's causing me, and the amount of time
0:25:49 > 0:25:52I'm out of my flat, is unacceptable, that's my home.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54I'm absolutely speechless.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56It's a litany of horrors.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59And of course, all of this has had a huge impact
0:25:59 > 0:26:01on Frank's building insurance.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03His block of flats has a blanket policy,
0:26:03 > 0:26:07under which residents normally pay a £100 excess,
0:26:07 > 0:26:10but Frank's excess has rocketed up.
0:26:10 > 0:26:16My building insurance, my excess went from £100 to £1,000 excess.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19Now, I have no control over the water from above,
0:26:19 > 0:26:21but I'm being penalised by that,
0:26:21 > 0:26:24which has left me with a property that I cannot sell.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27Frank says he's tried to speak to all parties involved
0:26:27 > 0:26:29to get a resolution, but he feels
0:26:29 > 0:26:31that the management company for the flats
0:26:31 > 0:26:34should be taking more responsibility.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38After all, it allowed the work upstairs to be done in the first place.
0:26:38 > 0:26:42And he is paying the company more than £100 a month in service fees.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47So what screws can he put on the management company?
0:26:47 > 0:26:50So, Frank, if you are the owner of a leasehold flat and you're unhappy
0:26:50 > 0:26:52with the way it's being managed,
0:26:52 > 0:26:56you can get together with the other leaseholders and you can ask
0:26:56 > 0:26:59for a right to manage the flat yourself,
0:26:59 > 0:27:03but you do need a majority of the flats to agree to that.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06In your case, you need to be in touch with the management company
0:27:06 > 0:27:09and make it very clear that you're not going to go away,
0:27:09 > 0:27:13and I would also strongly recommend that you speak to the Leasehold Advisory Service.
0:27:13 > 0:27:18The Leasehold Advisory Service offers free, independent advice to leaseholders like Frank,
0:27:18 > 0:27:22including guidance on how to deal with conflicts with the management company.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24But if none of that helps resolve this case,
0:27:24 > 0:27:28then Gary thinks the matter is serious enough
0:27:28 > 0:27:30to go to a specialist court hearing.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33And ultimately, you are entitled to go to
0:27:33 > 0:27:38the Residential Property Tribunal and have all of this scrutinised.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42Do you think any of that's going to be helpful to you?
0:27:42 > 0:27:44Well, definitely. I'm going to look
0:27:44 > 0:27:47into the people I can chase up about the lease.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49Well, good luck, and keep us posted.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51Tell us how you get on.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54Following his chat with Gary, Frank appealed again to the management company,
0:27:54 > 0:27:57which did succeed in getting the renovations to the flat above,
0:27:57 > 0:28:00which caused the leaks, reversed,
0:28:00 > 0:28:03and that should prevent any further damage.
0:28:03 > 0:28:07And with some additional help from Martin James at the Financial Ombudsman Service,
0:28:07 > 0:28:11Frank's insurers have now paid him £200 in compensation
0:28:11 > 0:28:14for some of the additional furniture that was ruined by the flooding.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17There are still some ongoing problems,
0:28:17 > 0:28:18but Frank says that without our help,
0:28:18 > 0:28:22he's sure he'd still be stuck exactly where he was in the first place.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27Someone else who called in to see us was Julie Low,
0:28:27 > 0:28:30who came along with her daughter, Isabel.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32She met up with technology journalist David McClelland
0:28:32 > 0:28:36to warn about a website that wasn't what it seemed.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39Tell me about the problems you've been having.
0:28:39 > 0:28:42Julie's disabled mother had needed a blue badge for her car,
0:28:42 > 0:28:46so Julie offered to go online to apply on her behalf.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49Went to the first website, it seemed OK.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52A few short questions and then it said, "You've been successful,
0:28:52 > 0:28:54"you are eligible for a blue badge,
0:28:54 > 0:28:57"pay your money and we'll send you a link by e-mail,"
0:28:57 > 0:28:59which is what they did.
0:28:59 > 0:29:03Julie paid £49, believing that meant it was all sorted,
0:29:03 > 0:29:06but a week or so later the local council sent her a different form
0:29:06 > 0:29:09to complete, and she was rather surprised by what happened
0:29:09 > 0:29:12once she'd filled it in.
0:29:12 > 0:29:14My mum got a phone call, saying,
0:29:14 > 0:29:17"You've been successful with your blue badge,
0:29:17 > 0:29:21"would you like to pay your £10 over the phone?"
0:29:21 > 0:29:24So then I thought, well, what was this other £50 for?
0:29:24 > 0:29:27So the next morning, I phoned the local authority,
0:29:27 > 0:29:30they confirmed again that, yes, they had taken the £10, it was genuine,
0:29:30 > 0:29:32and that the other one was a con.
0:29:32 > 0:29:35The website Julie paid her money to has since disappeared,
0:29:35 > 0:29:38but David is all too familiar with others that operate
0:29:38 > 0:29:41in exactly the same way, whether they claim to be helping with
0:29:41 > 0:29:45blue badges, passports or just about any vital document.
0:29:45 > 0:29:50There are any number of websites out there whose business, it seems, is
0:29:50 > 0:29:54to try and fool people into thinking that they are an official website,
0:29:54 > 0:29:55and they'll defend themselves,
0:29:55 > 0:29:58saying that they're offering a genuine service,
0:29:58 > 0:30:00but the service that they offer can go from
0:30:00 > 0:30:03helping you to fill in a form, which you can do for free anyway,
0:30:03 > 0:30:06to all-out scams, and unfortunately it seems as though you've been
0:30:06 > 0:30:08a victim of an all-out scam on this occasion.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11For Julie, it's a lesson learned.
0:30:11 > 0:30:16The good news is that her mum, Noreen, did get her blue badge through the council.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19But David's got some tips to make sure that next time Julie goes online,
0:30:19 > 0:30:22she won't get caught out in the same way.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25Before you click on buy or send,
0:30:25 > 0:30:29do another search and see what other people are saying about this company,
0:30:29 > 0:30:31because very often, if there are scam websites out there,
0:30:31 > 0:30:34other people will be shouting from the treetops about that as well.
0:30:34 > 0:30:36- Yeah.- OK?- OK.
0:30:36 > 0:30:40I'm a lot more cautious now as well when I'm looking at websites.
0:30:40 > 0:30:42Brilliant. Thanks a lot, Isabel. Thank you, Julie.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48Now, let's face it, when most of us walk out of our front door,
0:30:48 > 0:30:49we don't really give too much thought
0:30:49 > 0:30:52to the state of the roads and pavements outside.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54After all, it's not down to us to look after them.
0:30:54 > 0:30:56But for some people, I'm afraid it is,
0:30:56 > 0:30:58because the road's upkeep
0:30:58 > 0:31:00is only the responsibility of the local council
0:31:00 > 0:31:02if it's been formally adopted.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05And in the case of some new-build developments,
0:31:05 > 0:31:07that's not always happening.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10As a result, some homeowners have found themselves stuck right in
0:31:10 > 0:31:14the middle of an argument between the developer and the council that
0:31:14 > 0:31:18can rumble on for years, and in the case of one village, for decades.
0:31:20 > 0:31:25North Wales seaside resort Rhyl has been a holiday destination since
0:31:25 > 0:31:29Victorian times and people have been moving here to retire by the coast
0:31:29 > 0:31:30for almost as long.
0:31:30 > 0:31:32Just on the edge of the town,
0:31:32 > 0:31:37the 200 or so bungalows at Sandy Cove were built in 1936,
0:31:37 > 0:31:41but the developers never properly completed the streets on the estate.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44As a result, the process of adopting these roads,
0:31:44 > 0:31:47through which the council will take responsibility for their maintenance
0:31:47 > 0:31:50and upkeep, never actually happened, and it still won't until
0:31:50 > 0:31:53the council's satisfied that they're up to scratch.
0:31:53 > 0:31:58So the roads of Sandy Cove have been unadopted for 80 years.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01And as far as Roger Norman,
0:32:01 > 0:32:05who is chair of the Local Residents Association, is concerned,
0:32:05 > 0:32:08the state of them is getting steadily worse.
0:32:08 > 0:32:10The roads are just deteriorating.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12Houses are deteriorating
0:32:12 > 0:32:16because people have lost the will to repair them.
0:32:18 > 0:32:20And it's just a vicious downward spiral.
0:32:22 > 0:32:26For now, it's the residents of Sandy Cove who remain responsible
0:32:26 > 0:32:28for the upkeep of the streets they live on,
0:32:28 > 0:32:31and despite their best efforts, that is no easy task.
0:32:31 > 0:32:36Two residents donated eight tonnes of stone and we levelled this road,
0:32:36 > 0:32:39which has gone just as bad again.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41But when favours and donations aren't enough,
0:32:41 > 0:32:44the residents say they simply can't afford to keep putting their hands
0:32:44 > 0:32:47in their pockets to pay for the repairs.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50It's one thing that we just can't do.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53The people who live around here, we haven't got, you know...
0:32:53 > 0:32:55We need help on them.
0:32:55 > 0:32:57Joan Chance has lived in Sandy Cove for ten years,
0:32:57 > 0:33:00but fears that the roads are bringing the whole area down.
0:33:00 > 0:33:05It makes the place look such a slum, and it's not.
0:33:05 > 0:33:06They're lovely houses.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09You know, we try to make everything look as nice as we can,
0:33:09 > 0:33:12but everything is dragged down by these roads.
0:33:14 > 0:33:16For disabled residents like Alan,
0:33:16 > 0:33:19the state of the roads can make it really hard for him to get out,
0:33:19 > 0:33:21or for the taxis and supermarket deliveries
0:33:21 > 0:33:23that he relies on to get in.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25- Good morning, Joan.- Morning, Alan.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28- How are you this morning? - I'm fine, thanks. You?
0:33:28 > 0:33:32- Yeah, not too bad.- How do you get by with these roads
0:33:32 > 0:33:34- when you've got to go out?- You just have to be very careful.
0:33:34 > 0:33:38We do have a taxi that will pick me up in the wheelchair,
0:33:38 > 0:33:40but they are very reluctant to come down here.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43It's a basic necessity, isn't it? To be able to get safely from
0:33:43 > 0:33:45your house to wherever you need to go.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48Because it's going to get to a point where fire engines, ambulances,
0:33:48 > 0:33:51are they going to refuse to come down?
0:33:51 > 0:33:53As the roads get worse, the cost
0:33:53 > 0:33:55of making them fit for adoption only gets bigger.
0:33:55 > 0:33:57When the work was last assessed,
0:33:57 > 0:34:01the cost was put at more than £5 million.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04If that was split between the estate's 253 households,
0:34:04 > 0:34:09it would mean that each of them would have to pay almost £20,000.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12Now, the residents just don't have that kind of money,
0:34:12 > 0:34:17but as local councillor Bill Darwin explains, nor does the council.
0:34:17 > 0:34:20Why can't the council just do the roads?
0:34:20 > 0:34:24I don't believe the council funding it fully is the answer.
0:34:24 > 0:34:28There's so many efficiency cutbacks over the last few years,
0:34:28 > 0:34:31due to the lack of funding from central government,
0:34:31 > 0:34:34so the council's, every council's, losing millions.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37Bill is trying to work with the residents on a solution
0:34:37 > 0:34:41and wonders if the only practical answer might be
0:34:41 > 0:34:42to spread the huge costs.
0:34:42 > 0:34:46What can we do next to get this problem sorted?
0:34:46 > 0:34:48We can get all the key players around the same table,
0:34:48 > 0:34:54Conwy County Council, the Welsh Government, the Town Council,
0:34:54 > 0:34:58local county councillors and the AM,
0:34:58 > 0:35:00with a very important player, which is yourself,
0:35:00 > 0:35:02which is the Residents Association, the people.
0:35:02 > 0:35:06Bill's preferred solution is a scheme under which residents would
0:35:06 > 0:35:10contribute £5,000 towards the cost, but not immediately.
0:35:10 > 0:35:14They'd only pay at whatever point their house is next sold.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17- Everybody would have to pay it. - They would have to pay, yeah.
0:35:17 > 0:35:19But it wouldn't be paid, it would be a charge on the property.
0:35:19 > 0:35:23Yes, that would be the best solution to people paying,
0:35:23 > 0:35:26because it is an area of low income.
0:35:26 > 0:35:28- Yeah.- So a lot of people wouldn't have that.
0:35:28 > 0:35:33It's far from a perfect solution, but Bill thinks if Sandy Cove could
0:35:33 > 0:35:37finally have decent roads, eight decades after the estate was first built,
0:35:37 > 0:35:41there'd be more than just the obvious benefits.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44- It would also bring community spirit back on here.- Of course.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47There used to be a good, a really good community spirit,
0:35:47 > 0:35:49but because of the way the roads have deteriorated,
0:35:49 > 0:35:52a lot of that spirit has been knocked out of people.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55You can imagine if you manage to get a safe environment around here,
0:35:55 > 0:35:58and we are next to the sea and the beach, so you could see straightaway
0:35:58 > 0:36:01the mood of the community lifting.
0:36:01 > 0:36:05But I'm afraid it doesn't look like Bill's idea will get off the ground.
0:36:05 > 0:36:09Conwy Council told us that even if the residents did contribute
0:36:09 > 0:36:12to the cost of repairing the roads...
0:36:15 > 0:36:16And at a time when...
0:36:18 > 0:36:21..are at risk from budget cuts, it...
0:36:23 > 0:36:26The council added that it urged people to...
0:36:31 > 0:36:35And that's exactly what Richard and some of his neighbours
0:36:35 > 0:36:38wish they'd done when they bought their homes
0:36:38 > 0:36:40on Paddock Way in Doncaster.
0:36:40 > 0:36:45Work on the eight houses here began in 2010, but as at Sandy Cove,
0:36:45 > 0:36:49the council won't adopt the road until it's in a better condition,
0:36:49 > 0:36:51which leaves Richard unhappy
0:36:51 > 0:36:54every single time he steps out of his front door.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56Sometimes, you can feel embarrassed to have
0:36:56 > 0:37:00friends and family visit when they're parking up
0:37:00 > 0:37:03next to a giant pile of mud and bricks and broken stones.
0:37:03 > 0:37:09It's not what you want to be feeling about your first house.
0:37:09 > 0:37:11There's no street lighting,
0:37:11 > 0:37:14the pavements are unfinished
0:37:14 > 0:37:17and the road surface is riddled with potholes.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20But when Richard bought the house three years ago,
0:37:20 > 0:37:25the sellers assured him that Paddock Way would be adopted.
0:37:25 > 0:37:29They were very keen to tell us that the road would be being finished,
0:37:29 > 0:37:32there would be lights put up,
0:37:32 > 0:37:35you would have a finished surface,
0:37:35 > 0:37:38the council would then adopt it.
0:37:38 > 0:37:40We bought the house thinking once it's finished,
0:37:40 > 0:37:42it'll be a very nice area.
0:37:42 > 0:37:46And Richard's neighbour, Lee, had the same impression before he moved onto the street.
0:37:46 > 0:37:49When we first came to see the house, the builders were
0:37:49 > 0:37:51still working on the opposite side of the road,
0:37:51 > 0:37:54all their materials out, their working equipment,
0:37:54 > 0:37:56still continuing on with the site.
0:37:56 > 0:38:00But six months later, building work ground to a halt.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02Things were just sort of, like, left.
0:38:02 > 0:38:04There was nobody coming back to even tidy up
0:38:04 > 0:38:06the mess left behind. Then after a few months,
0:38:06 > 0:38:09you started realising it still hadn't changed and weeds were growing
0:38:09 > 0:38:12out of places they shouldn't be and there is mess all over the road
0:38:12 > 0:38:15that no-one thinks it's their job to clean up.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20Residents simply don't know where to turn to.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23Until the road is adopted, it's up to them to look after it
0:38:23 > 0:38:26or find more than £50,000 to get it fit
0:38:26 > 0:38:29for adoption by the council.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32I think with the cost being that high to finish the street,
0:38:32 > 0:38:36it definitely isn't something for the people that live here... can afford to pay.
0:38:36 > 0:38:40It's not money people can have, and really it's something
0:38:40 > 0:38:43you don't feel that you should have to be paying.
0:38:44 > 0:38:46And he's right in thinking that,
0:38:46 > 0:38:49because when planning permission is given for a new development,
0:38:49 > 0:38:52councils and construction companies should sign an agreement,
0:38:52 > 0:38:56which says the local authority will adopt the roads
0:38:56 > 0:38:59if the developer finishes them to a certain standard.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02And the developer's supposed to pay a bond to cover the costs
0:39:02 > 0:39:05if, for any reason, it doesn't finish the job.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08But at Paddock Way, the agreement has not been signed
0:39:08 > 0:39:11and the bond remains unpaid, thanks to several changes in ownership
0:39:11 > 0:39:13of the development along the way.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18None of which is down to the homeowners, of course,
0:39:18 > 0:39:23which is why Jim Codd, who heads up a national organisation called
0:39:23 > 0:39:25the Residents Adoption Action Group,
0:39:25 > 0:39:29believes in this case the council hasn't upheld its duty,
0:39:29 > 0:39:32because it allowed the original developer to go ahead
0:39:32 > 0:39:34without having everything it needed in place.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37Building work has started and it is an offence,
0:39:37 > 0:39:39according to the Highways Act, to start work
0:39:39 > 0:39:42without the bond money being in position,
0:39:42 > 0:39:45and therefore, the council should have stopped work
0:39:45 > 0:39:47and taken the developer to task.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50And so, Richard and the residents should really be challenging
0:39:50 > 0:39:53the council, saying you've not upheld your duties,
0:39:53 > 0:39:56therefore we're holding you liable
0:39:56 > 0:39:58to bring our road up to adoptable standards.
0:39:58 > 0:40:02But when we put Jim's opinion to Doncaster Council,
0:40:02 > 0:40:04it rejected his interpretation
0:40:04 > 0:40:07and said that after planning permission is granted, there is...
0:40:09 > 0:40:12..without an agreement to adopt the road in place,
0:40:12 > 0:40:14adding that the council can't legally enforce
0:40:14 > 0:40:17the developer to enter into one.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20They said it did enter into negotiations at this point
0:40:20 > 0:40:22with the original developer
0:40:22 > 0:40:26and is continuing to try and engage with the existing developer,
0:40:26 > 0:40:28to find a way to resolve all of this.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31But nonetheless, it maintained that residents should have been
0:40:31 > 0:40:33made aware of the issue when buying their homes
0:40:33 > 0:40:37and it's the responsibility of the current landowner to...
0:40:40 > 0:40:43That owner is, of course, the current developer,
0:40:43 > 0:40:47who told us that once the work to the unfinished homes is completed,
0:40:47 > 0:40:50it will carry out the road works it's obliged to.
0:40:51 > 0:40:57The vast majority of roads on new developments are ultimately adopted,
0:40:57 > 0:41:01so if you fall in love with a house on a new development,
0:41:01 > 0:41:05there's no need to discount it just because it's on an unadopted road.
0:41:05 > 0:41:07But to avoid getting into the same situation
0:41:07 > 0:41:09as the residents of Paddock Way,
0:41:09 > 0:41:13you should check very carefully exactly when it might happen.
0:41:14 > 0:41:18When you're buying on a development and you're led to believe that it's
0:41:18 > 0:41:21going to be adopted, you need to get your solicitor to check out
0:41:21 > 0:41:24that all conditions have been met.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27And the dangers if the road stays unadopted
0:41:27 > 0:41:29aren't just around the cost of maintenance.
0:41:29 > 0:41:32The question of liability could be a problem as well.
0:41:32 > 0:41:36If somebody trips on a manhole cover, who's responsible?
0:41:36 > 0:41:37It won't be the council,
0:41:37 > 0:41:40because they don't own the road, it's a private road.
0:41:40 > 0:41:44So, therefore, that would fall down to the landowners,
0:41:44 > 0:41:46who may well be the residents themselves.
0:41:46 > 0:41:50But for Richard, however things turn out at Paddock Way,
0:41:50 > 0:41:54nothing would persuade him to buy on an unadopted road ever again.
0:41:54 > 0:41:56I'd find it now difficult
0:41:56 > 0:42:00to purchase another house on an unfinished or unadopted road.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02It's just not worth it.
0:42:09 > 0:42:12If you've got a story you'd like us to investigate,
0:42:12 > 0:42:14then you can get in touch with us
0:42:14 > 0:42:17via our Facebook page, BBC Rip Off Britain,
0:42:17 > 0:42:21our website, that's bbc.co.uk/ripoffbritain,
0:42:21 > 0:42:23or e-mail:
0:42:27 > 0:42:30And of course, you can send a letter to our postal address:
0:42:42 > 0:42:46Well, when we spend so much time, love and money in our homes,
0:42:46 > 0:42:48it can be really devastating
0:42:48 > 0:42:50when something puts them under threat,
0:42:50 > 0:42:53or if living there feels like it's become a daily battle
0:42:53 > 0:42:56with the very people you'd hope and expect
0:42:56 > 0:42:58might be putting things right.
0:42:58 > 0:43:00Well, the people we've heard from today are united by their
0:43:00 > 0:43:04determination not to give up and not to take no for an answer.
0:43:04 > 0:43:08So we really do hope that they get some resolutions before much longer,
0:43:08 > 0:43:11and we will be sure to go back and see them when they do.
0:43:11 > 0:43:14But in the meantime, I'll just say that we love getting all
0:43:14 > 0:43:17your letters and e-mails, so please do keep them coming in.
0:43:17 > 0:43:21Let's face it, we wouldn't be here in Rip-Off Britain without all the cases you put forward.
0:43:21 > 0:43:25I'm afraid, though, for the moment, that's where we have to leave it, so until the next time,
0:43:25 > 0:43:29- thank you for joining us and from all of us on the team at Rip-Off Britain, bye-bye.- Bye-bye.- Bye-bye.