Fed up Chch residents threaten EQC with legal action

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Mon, 04 Apr 2011 10:31p.m.

Christchurch residents fed up with the EQC are threatening legal action

Christchurch residents fed up with the EQC are threatening legal action

By Laura Frykberg

Christchurch residents are battening down the hatches as a cold wet southerly sweeps through the region over the next few days.

Homeowners affected by the quake are bracing themselves for winter, while other residents are fed up with the EQC’s assessment of their property and are threatening legal action.

David King is one resident who knows appearances can be deceptive.

“The initial view of the house makes it seem like no damage has occurred. But when you look around it, you can see it’s been shaken fairly violently.”

Speaking on Campbell Live this evening, Mr King said the quake-damaged home was on a lean, with cracks in the walls and ceiling.

“The whole house is changing shape – that’s what we told the insurance company,” he said.

“They were quite amused by that.”

The insurance company assessed the damaged to Mr King’s house and so did the EQC.

“The insurance company came up with an assessment of the repairs, with $196,000. EQC a month later assessed the damage at 34,000,” he said.

That’s a difference of $162,000.

The EQC has refused to reassess the damage and others say they’ve got the same problem.

“EQC’s price to finish one damaged wall was $14,000. They asked us to get a builder to have a look at it, the builder priced it at $57,000,” says rental property owner John Hunter.

The EQC told Campbell Live the volume of claims has made its job tough but also promised to do better.

“We’re assessing what is probably the largest number of claims to be received by a single insurer from a single event anywhere in the world,” says EQC chief executive Ian Simpson.

For other Cantabrians, a short-term fix to get through some rough weather is of more of a concern.

“Obviously the rain is due to come and it’s a bit of nerve-wracking situation wondering whether it is going to come through the roof or not. We have still got little bends in the roof as well,” says Linwood resident Tineke Ward.

In Avonside, Annabelle Harvey doesn’t know if her broken chimney will stand up against the elements.

And there’s other problems too.

“The landlord has had repairs done, but not satisfactorily,” she says.

“There are big gaps on the other side, where rats can get in.”

Mr King is just relieved he has insurance and doesn’t have to rely solely on the EQC.

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Comments

03 Apr 2012 03:30p.m.

Paul_Bags wrote:

EQC wants to give us just seven thousand to re-pile the house, having never done a proper assessment & without finishing their own land report. Meanwhile the house is slowly falling apart because it's no longer on a proper foundation. It's been over a year, what's going on? Why is this shambles no longer news? Where's the investigations? Where's the lawsuits, how do we get in on them, and how do we afford them?

11 May 2011 04:50p.m.

Maggic wrote:

EQC have been taking money off of us for years-now its time to pay up they are making us wait while the rain falls through the roof and chimneys collapse. When you take money from someone and then don't deliver I believe it is called theft? Why are they called EQC then if not to cope with earthquakes in a country on a major fault line and frequent earthquakes? Do your job to collect your pay rather than mess people about who are doing their best to cope with a traumatic disaster: for which they are insured. I don't want to have to deal with an incompetent on the end of the phone while my chimney is collapsing in major aftershocks. We do have rights you know.

06 Apr 2011 10:09a.m.

Ted Samson wrote:

Hey,before you guys published this article, I wonder how much home work that you have done on this? How can you be 100% sure if this claimant didn't claim for something that are pre existing? People need to understand it is important that EQC only pay for what are damaged by the EQ because if they are managing a enormous public fund here. If they have a open cheque book and just pay whatever people want to claim under the scheme there will be no complaints but is this being responsible for the public? What if there is another hit in somewhere else in the country? Do we still have money left if EQC pay anything to people who whinge? EQC is non for profit organisation meaning they are not going to gain any benefits by not paying what they should. Of course people in EQC can make mistakes but the public have to understand most of the staffs working in EQC have been working as hard as they could to help people in CHC and taking all the abuses from everywhere. Most of the EQC staffs only been recruited since the September 10 EQ and for the last 60 years EQC has been set up more like a piggy bank than a disaster managing centre.While the staffs doing their best it is very hard to work in this organisation when the system is not set up right and the leaders can't provide proper guildences and directions bx it is a learning curve for them as well. Seriously, if people want EQC to do the right jobs under this circumstance, here what they should do: 1)restruct EQC management team from CEO to each team leaders 2)upgrade EQC system so the right hand knows what the left hands are doing3)EQC needs to cooperate with the insurance industry,after all people are rely on these two parties to help them to get through this disaster.4)EQC needs to get some well trained engineer involved to access damaged houses even this means not to over promise the public about the timeframe for assessment. You can't expect a ex policeman or real estate agent know anything about constructal damages.