A Christchurch man who has finally had what he terms a "breakthrough" with EQC after weeks of delays and a lack of information about a payout on his wrecked Burwood home has some advice for others in the same situation.
"Keep on harassing them and don't take no for an answer."
The house owned by Maurice* was written off by his insurer within 36 hours of the February 22 Christchurch earthquake.
He and his family moved out two days later and since then six professionals - including engineers, builders and a valuer - have confirmed the home cannot be fixed.
But a month later, an EQC rapid assessment determined the damage to the house was minor and listed it as low-priority for a second and full assessment. Maurice came to understand that could mean his house would not be reassessed until mid-December.
He contacted EQC to ask why it could not accept his insurer's assessment, and was told someone would call him back in the next few days.
Four weeks later, after two letters to members of Parliament and at least eight calls to "very apologetic, very social worker types" at EQC's call centres - at least one of whom said his property was on the critical list for a rapid reassessment - he had still received no call back from anyone at EQC.
"It was like constantly running into a brick wall."
In the meantime, Maurice moved his wife and child to stay with family in Balclutha while he commuted to work in Christchurch. They have finalised plans to build a house in Dunedin, but say work cannot begin until EQC signs off the claim.
The situation was exceptionally frustrating, especially when he had done everything required of him, he said.
"Why should people put their lives on hold for 12 months, when the solution seems so simple [that EQC should just accept the insurance company's assessment]? I said to them when a house was a 100% rebuild, the insurance company was up for $5 to EQC's $1, so why would they bother to make it up? There's nothing in it for them. It's just so frustrating."
An EQC spokesman said he could not discuss individual claims, but EQC was now willing, if it felt an insurer's assessment was robust enough, to accept the claim would be over EQC's cap of $100,000 on structural damage and $20,000 for contents, and sign it off.
He advised Maurice to lay a complaint online. Maurice did that the same day, and received a return call the next day.
He said he was outraged to learn there were no notes on his claim file to the effect that his home was to be reassessed urgently. In fact, his file still said his home had only minor damage and was due to be fully assessed in December.
"Despite someone telling me we were on the critical list for a reassessment."
This time, he was informed that EQC would now look at his insurer's assessment, and if it was satisfied with it, would sign off the claim, which should happen within seven days of EQC receiving the insurer's report.
Despite the report already being sent twice, Maurice said he was happy with progress, and hoped this time he would have some success. However, the whole process had caused him and his family considerable distress, and he was certain thousands of other people were in the same boat.
"I'm sure there will be people out there who are thinking they have to sit back and wait their turn, but they shouldn't. They should lay an online complaint and start pushing for some answers."
*Not his real name
