A dispute between insurance company IAG and an Auckland couple means the latter is still not back home, four months after the April storm.
In an article produced by Stuff it was outlined that San Loo Lee and his wife Siew Khim Tan were getting ready for bed on the night of April 10 when the storm sent a tree crashing through their roof. They contacted the police but were told it was an “insurance issue.” IAG then put up the couple in a rented home after their house was deemed uninhabitable. The delay in getting back home has since expanded.
Their home had insurance coverage up to the value of $486,795, and the cost of fixing the damage was quoted as being $140,000. However, IAG offered the couple $54,656.34 as an initial payment, following advice from an independent expert, who assessed the damage.
Sarah Belgrave, of IAG insurance, who was working on the claim, reportedly said the amount would be enough to get the renovations started.
“We’ve been working with Mr. Lee and Mrs. Tan to assess the damage to their home and resolve their claim as soon as we can, but the settlement has been delayed since June,” she told the publication.
Stuff reports that the couple are refusing to sign an agreement with IAG, fearing they will receive no more than the initial payout of $54,000.
“We’re too scared to sign – it’s not enough to fix everything,” Lee said.
Now, with only two months left, the couple are running out of time or they will no longer be eligible for emergency accommodation.
“I just want them to pay the builders to fix my home, I want to go home as fast as I can,” the claimant added.
