Neighborhood problem is a million dollar business

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Nobody wants it. It goes deep into privacy. And getting rid of it is difficult. Quarrel with neighbors. Many are trying to fight lawyers. This pleases the legal expense insurance companies that make money with it.

Pandemic fuels neighborhood disputes

According to legal expenses insurance company Axa-Arag, a subsidiary of Axa, there are three main reasons why neighbors are noisy: First, plants that are too tall or too close together. Secondly, due to noise complaints. Neighbors complain of screaming children or construction noise. And third, because of the construction projects in the neighbors.

“Inquiries to Axa-Arag legal protection insurance company about disputes with neighbors increased by a quarter in the 2020 pandemic year,” the insurance company said on request. said. Even Insurer General posted a 43 percent increase.

Since then, the number of neighborhood disputes involving legal expense insurance companies has stabilized at a high level.

Season is important

There are even signs of further growth: In the first half of 2022, Axa-Arag received a third more investigations into construction disputes than in the same period in 2021.

“One explanation might be that the pandemic has made the home more important,” says Alexandra Pestalozzi, attorney at Axa-Arag legal expenses insurance. “This may have led to increased awareness of new construction projects on the one hand and the negative consequences of these projects – such as more shadows – on the other.”

Legal protection insurance claims are subject to seasonal fluctuations. These searches increase in the spring when the weather starts to warm up and people spend more time on the balcony or in the garden.

Million business legal protection

Legal aid is good business. More and more people are taking out legal expense insurance. Axa-Arag increased its premium volume by 4.1 percent in 2022. Premium revenue in Coop legal protection increased by 4.9 percent.

Axa-Arag alone, the best in the legal protection insurance business in Switzerland, had a premium volume of over 141 million francs last year. Coop’s legal protection is around 69 million francs.

Insurers do not indicate how large the share of neighborhood disputes in total turnover is. At least Generali gives a clue: Last year, 450 neighboring legal disputes and concerns were resolved by legal expense insurance.

It is cheaper than going to court if the neighbors approach each other and look for a solution together. Legal decisions usually do not resolve the conflict.

Source :Blick