The Earthquake Commission is reminding customers whose land suffered damage from landslips or flooding during the storms in March this year that they still have time to lodge a claim.
General Manager, Customer and Claims, Trish Keith says that customers who have suffered land damage have three months to lodge a claim with EQC, but the deadline will be different for people in this case.
"Each customer's deadline for lodging their claim depends on when a flood or landslip damaged their property. You have up to three months from that point. For example, if your property suffered landslip damage on 7 March, you have until 7 June to lodge your claim.
"If your property has suffered landslip or flood damage, and you have fire insurance for home or contents, then you can make a claim with EQC within three months from when the damage occurred," says Mrs Keith.
EQC covers only damage to residential land within certain limits that has been caused by storms and floods. Insurance companies cover house and contents damage according to the terms of their policy with the customer in these cases. However, EQC also covers damage to home, contents, and land within certain limits for natural landslip damage.
People can lodge land claims with EQC online at www.eqc.govt.nz/claims, via email on 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. Customers should contact their private insurer for content and building claims.
What does EQC cover for floods and storms?
With storms or floods, 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.
EQCover 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?
EQCover 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.
