Scratching of Windows, Insurance Issues.

[Davo36]

Hi, the windows at the front of my property have all been etched just recently.

Some little toe-rag has gone along and scratched their tag into each and every window.

So this raises a couple of questions.

1) I have previously put film on around the shop frontage. The film gets damaged when the etching is done. Are the tenants required to replace the film? i.e. is it their cost or mine? I have used the standard ADLS lease, 5th edition.

2) I have some other windows, not in front of the shop, but in front of the carpark which don't have film on them which have also been scratched. My insurance company will pay for these to be repaired but there is a $1000 excess. To replace the glass would cost around $3k and to put film on (which hides most of the scratches and can be replaced if they do it again) might cost say $500. So not sure what to do here...????

This is happening all over the place, does anyone have any experience dealing with this?

[Keithw]

How about sandblasting the glass where you have the film at present.
Should be able to sandblast many times before the glass gets too thin

[Tan]

We have this happen sometimes. Luckily our excess is only $500 which we on-charge (not sure we are actually allowed to do that any more but ignorance is bliss). In a situation with film, we lodged 1 claim & it covered windows + film.
I am about to put in a claim for a large building with heaps of windows in Auckland all scratched - little b*&^%$s! I'm expecting just the $500 which we will charge to the Body Corp (effectively all the tenants).

As an aside, I saw Diamond Fusion near here sanding the windows of a retail shop. A few months ago they were doing the cafe down the road. I called him to check price & availability several months ago after seeing him in a newspaper article - he said he would only go to Auckland for a very large job. Not worth the hassle for us with the low excess though.

Can you put the film on the inside?

[One]

Have you got security cameras, or at least signs that say you've got security cameras?

[Davo36]

Tan, I'm still unclear on this.

When you say "In a situation with film, we lodged 1 claim & it covered windows + film" do you mean they replaced the windows and paid for new film?

And then when you say "I am about to put in a claim for a large building with heaps of windows in Auckland all scratched - little b*&^%$s! I'm expecting just the $500 which we will charge to the Body Corp (effectively all the tenants)." What sort of repair are you doing here? Replacing windows? Film? Both?

[Davo36]

One, no, I can't see any point in having cameras either. They would vandalise those. And even if I got them on video I doubt the police would do anything about it.

But stickers might be a good option...

[Tan]

When you say "In a situation with film, we lodged 1 claim & it covered windows + film" do you mean they replaced the windows and paid for new film?

Yes. I just sent in both invoices and was paid for the total less $500.

And then when you say "I am about to put in a claim for a large building with heaps of windows in Auckland all scratched - little b*&^%$s! I'm expecting just the $500 which we will charge to the Body Corp (effectively all the tenants)." What sort of repair are you doing here? Replacing windows? Film? Both?

Replacing 15 windows - no film at that one.

[Davo36]

OK, so in the first instance where there is film on the windows, you're replacing both the windows and film? I don't get that. Why would you replace the glass if it has film on it? Wouldn't you just replace the film?

And in the second instance, the insurance company is not making you put film on? Surely it'll happen again and you'd have to replace all the glass again?

[Ivan McIntosh]

It never ceases to surprise me that insurance companies will often refuse to stump up for preventive measures.

For example, I know of a house that got flooded regularly...say once every couple of years. There was carpet in an area downstairs.

Would the insurance company replace the ruined carpet with vinyl that would almost certainly survive a minor flood? No way; they were adamant. They restored the carpet, only for it to be ruined in the next flood. Whereupon they replaced it with more carpet.

[One]

One, no, I can't see any point in having cameras either. They would vandalise those. And even if I got them on video I doubt the police would do anything about it.

But stickers might be a good option...

There's a walkway down the road from us that goes past the back of a heap of buildings. Lots of tagging. One building has a "24 hour video surveillance" sign on it. Much less tagging on that one - and not a camera in sight!