Our homeowners insureds had a strange loss. They were in the process of having their basement re-built by a construction company, when they realized that the work was causing the floor of the living room to sink. They ordered the construction crew to stop the work until they could have an engineer inspect.

Meanwhile, the local municipal inspector told them the home was not safe to live in, and ordered them to vacate until the work was completed. We turned in a claim for collapse to the insurer, and they agree the collapse is a result of faulty methods in renovation. However, they take the position that additional living expense is not covered, since the insureds did not immediately vacate the premises when the floor first began to sink.