Helpdesk

THIS WEEK:Car damaged by floods in basement car park

From ET: Can you offer any advice regarding property insurance and if a car parked in the basement is covered by it, in the event of a flood. My car was completely covered in the recent flood in Dublin. It was parked in the basement carpark of my apartment complex and the management company is refusing to accept any liability.

We spoke with an insurance broker who didn’t hold out much hope. He suggests that you would have to prove that the management company were negligent in allowing the basement to flood. However a legal expert was a little more open to your claim, suggesting that the first step is to get your hands on the insurance policy for your complex. If you are an owner then you are entitled to view the document. If renting, then your landlord can get it for you. Check if the exclusion clauses in the policy specifically state that it doesn’t cover flooding in the basement. The legal expert did warn that even if it’s not specifically excluded the insurance company is likely to dispute responsibility as the floods could be judged to be outside the expected duty of care. I suspect any claim will involve recourse to a lawyer.

From MA: I am currently driving a 2004 Opel Vectra GTS 1.8 petrol with 48,000 miles on the clock. It was bought new. I love my GTS but am thinking of trading it in for a car from 2010 or 2011. I like the Opel Insignia and Audi A5. Any suggestions please.

The Audi A5 would be a great buy, but having outlined your motoring budget to us, I think you might struggle get a 2010 one for less than €35,000. A low-mileage, well-maintained Insignia is more likely to come in on budget. It’s a lovely looking car that didn’t sell as strongly as its rivals and has plenty of appeal. An alternative if you are not set on the hatchback but want sporty looks, would be the VW Passat CC. A new version is due next summer but the outgoing version remains a head turner and is a five-seat family car with a decent boot.