EQC is nearly finished with assessing claims and is spending a lot of time now looking forward to preparing Fletchers for 2012. They have recently focused attention of the Fletchers EQR Hubs making sure the right people are in the hubs, saying and doing the right thing with the right systems. They have acknowledged there have been gaps and are working hard to get everything ready to go. Nearly 6000 repairs have been completed already and EQC are strategising where and when repairs will take place. They hope to have information out before Christmas which should give us some idea of where and when work will commence in the different areas.
A few Questions and answers
Q. I opted out of the Fletchers Managed Repair before the technical categories were assigned. Can I opt back in?
A. Yes, anyone can opt back in by calling EQC – 0800 DAMAGE. The technical categories may mean some houses will have an increase in the scope. People should have this checked.
Q. I have heard if my land is deemed uneconomic to repair, I will be cash settled and still retain ownership of my land. Is this correct?
A. Yes. There are not likely to be very many in this category.
(Note: This has implications for Red Zone residents who have not been able to retain ownership of their land after settling with the government.)
Q. My damage has been apportioned over two (or more) events. The total repair scope is very high. Will my house be repaired according to two (or more) scopes or will the damage be treated as a whole and why do I not move to my insurers?
A. The damage has been assessed according to the Court’s ruling. If each scope came back undercap (under 100K), you will still be managed by Fletchers EQR (unless you opt out). The repair strategy will be treated as a whole. If they deem your house is uneconomic to repair, it will be demolished and rebuilt. Your claim will stay within Fletchers because they have been exposed to the largest financial risk.
Q. I have itemised my contents and provided replacement costs but the settlement I have received is lower than the figure I gave. Why is this?
A. EQC settles your contents claim according to your individual insurance policy. Some items depreciate so full replacement will not be offered. There are also some items not covered by EQC and these will need to be claimed for your insurer. You must read your contents insurance policy to understand how EQC have come up with a figure for your contents.
(Note: I have asked EQC to provide a detailed and itemised claim list so people can see what has been paid for and what price was attributed to it.)
Q. Some of my carpets were damaged in the quake. EQC has not accounted for the replacement of all of my carpets. Why is that?
A. Again, carpets are settled according to your individual contents policy. Some insurers only replace damaged carpets on a room by room basis. Therefore, you may not get your whole carpet replaced.
Q. I have a stream running down the back of my property and any dwellings are further than 8 metres away from it. Who will pay to have this damaged land repaired?
A. EQC can only account for land damage that is within 8 metres of a dwelling. If the land further away from this is damaged, you need to check with the Council who actually owns the land and therefore who is responsible for fixing it. If you are the landowner and are therefore liable for the cost of the repair, you might want to organise repairs for this with the other effected landowners around you as this may be cheaper than doing it individually.