A 97-year-old pensioner has lost her possessions and memories after contractos were wrongly told she had died.
Widow Mabel Ogle, from the Isle of Wight, had her possessions thrown into a landfill when contractors visited to remove damaged furniture.
The furniture was being moved after her house flooded but a more thorough clear out was eventually conducted.
Ogle’s granddaughter Karen Henshaw, 51, from Oldham, was left shocked by the situation.
A pensioner lost her beloved belongings during the mistaken clear out
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She told The Oldham Times: “It’s 97 years of possessions, how can you replace them?
“She is a proud lady, she had many things. It’s disgusting, I don’t think it’s been dealt with properly.
“I want a proper written apology from the company that’s done this.
“I don’t think she’s been properly compensated. They said they can’t put a value on items of sentimental significance.”
Henshaw added: “I haven’t had the heart to tell her what’s happened. She’s 97 and she can barely see, she’s bedridden.
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Ventnor is a seaside resort established in the Victorian era on the Ise of Wight
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“But she knows something is wrong because she’s in the living room, she has no furniture anywhere else.”
Insurance company Royal Sun Alliance hired a local management company to sort the property following the flooding.
They have since issued an apology and paid Ogle £2,500 in compensation for distress.
Ogle lost a number of items, including clothes, wedding photos, love letters, war medals and other priceless items.
The 97-year-old has returned to the home but is living in the living room.
Senior woman sitting by window
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She is only able to use one eye and is unable to walk.
A spokesman for insurance company Royal Sun Alliance said: “We are sincerely sorry for the upset caused to Mrs Ogle and her granddaughter Mrs Henshaw when some of Mrs Ogle’s belongings were incorrectly disposed of during the handling of the water damage to her home.
“Following a thorough review of this incident we previously offered our apologies for the mistakes that were made and while it is impossible to place a value on some of the more sentimental items that were lost we have paid compensation to reflect the undoubted distress that these mistakes caused.
“Mrs Henshaw subsequently referred the case to the Financial Ombudsman Service as she was unhappy with the level of compensation and it has concluded that our handling of the complaint and compensation payment was reasonable.”
Source Agencies
