Still time to lodge EQC claims for land damage
Still time to lodge EQC claims for land damage following
April floods
Anyone on the Coromandel that had land
damaged from landslips or flooding during the April floods
still have time to lodge a claim with the Earthquake
Commission.
Event response spokesperson, Paul Walsh, says that there is still plenty of time to make a claim for the flooding that occurred when the remnants of Cyclone Debbie and Cyclone Cook passed across the country in April.
“If your land has suffered landslip, flood damage or silt inundation, and you have fire insurance for home or contents, then you can make a claim with EQC within three months of when the damage occurred," says Mr Walsh.
“For example, if your property suffered landslip damage on 5 April, you have until 5 July to lodge your claim," adds Mr Walsh.
EQC covers damage to residential land within certain limits caused by storms and floods. EQC also covers damage to home, contents and land within certain limits caused by natural landslips. Insurance companies cover house and contents damage according to the terms of their policy with the customer in the cases of storm and flood damage.
Mr Walsh says that because of the nature of the land damage in Edgecumbe, EQC is managing the clean-up in the area working alongside the Government and the Whakatane District Council.
“Our contractors are focusing on clearing silt and debris that have inundated properties, or that has got underneath houses so the house can be dried out and repaired by the private insurer where required,” says Mr Walsh.
Claims can be lodged online at www.eqc.govt.nz/claims, via email - info@eqc.govt.nz, or by calling 0800 DAMAGE (326 243). The EQC call centre is open 7am to 9pm Monday to Friday, and 8am to 6pm on Saturdays.
More information about EQC’s cover for this year’s flood events is online at www.eqc.govt.nz/recent-events/april-floods.
What does EQC cover for floods and storms?
With floods and storms, EQC covers natural disaster damage to certain residential land within the property boundary. The following areas are covered:
The land under a home or outbuildings (e.g.
garage or sheds);
The land within 8 metres of a home or
outbuildings;
The land under or supporting the main
access way, up to 60 metres from a dwelling, but not the
driveway surfacing.
EQC cover for land damage also
extends to the following:
Bridges and culverts within the
above areas; and
Some retaining walls and their support
systems necessary for the support or protection of a home,
outbuildings, or insured land.
How much can EQC pay out
for land damage?
EQC cover usually pays the lesser of either:
The cost to repair the damaged land, or
The
value of the damaged land, or the value of 4,000 square
metres, or the value of the minimum-sized building site
allowed in the area in which you live – whichever is the
smallest.
It is also important to note that bridges,
culverts, and retaining walls that support the home or
insured land are covered as part of EQC land cover. Where
EQC pays out the value of the land, the indemnity value of
the retaining walls bridges and culverts will be added to
the land value. This means the valuation takes into account
their age and state of
repair.
ends