The Star: August 20, 2020

Thursday August 20 2020 The Star 17
PUBLIC NOTICE
Canterbury on-sold
property repair package
Any Canterbury property owner who believes they may be eligible for the ex-gratia on-sold building
repair payment has less than two months left to lodge an application. The deadline has been extended
to 14 October 2020 to recognise the disruption caused by COVID-19.
The on-sold package allows eligible Canterbury property owners to apply for an ex-gratia payment
to repair missed damage and/or failed EQC commissioned building work arising from the Canterbury
earthquake sequence. It is available for a limited time only.
On-sold building repair ex-gratia payments
You may be eligible if the offer you made to purchase your current
home was made after the Canterbury earthquakes (from 4
September 2010) but on or before 15 August 2019 and the previous
owner lodged a claim with EQC.
You will need to be able to show that:
a) you meet the eligibility criteria; and
b) there is missed earthquake damage or failed EQC repairs
that exceed the EQC insurance cap*.
Assessing the risk of damage
Because missed earthquake damage may exist and can be difficult
to identify, on-sold property owners are encouraged to seek
professional advice to determine whether they should apply. EQC’s
claims information on each property may be publicly available, but
on-sold property owners are warned this information may not be a
comprehensive assessment of the building and should not be relied on
without independent verification. Always seek independent advice.
The application process
If you believe that you may be eligible, you have until 14 October
2020 to lodge an application describing the damage that you are
claiming for.
Applicants will need to provide documents as soon as possible,
including:
• A copy of your signed sale and purchase agreement
• A deed of assignment for the original EQC claim (where
applicable)
• A description of the damage or building issue that you would
like to claim for
• Any correspondence, or other document, where applicable,
that sets out the final conditions of any sale and purchase and
if those conditions have been met.
Once your eligibility is established, and depending on the complexity
of the repairs, you will have a further five months to provide any
building, engineering and/or geotechnical reports requested by EQC
in order to establish the earthquake damage and options for repair.
The repair process
Ex-gratia home repair payments are not an insurance pay-out made
under the EQC Act. The application, assessment, and settlement
procedures may differ from those commonly used by private
insurers.
• Property owners are required to spend the ex-gratia payment
to complete the repairs
• Payments on approved applications may be made in tranches
• Documentation, including a signed building contract, council
consent, and/or receipts may be required before payment can
be made.
Applications close 14 October 2020
The final date to apply is 14 October 2020. EQC is not able to accept
applications after this date.
How to apply
If you have considered your options and decided to apply, you can
submit an application online at www.eqc.govt.nz/on-solds
You can also contact us by phone on 0800 DAMAGE (326 243)
or email info@eqc.govt.nz
Applications cannot be lodged after 14 October 2020 and stalled or
inactive applications may be closed after two months. If you have
difficulties obtaining the required documentation to establish eligibility, you
should discuss this with EQC as soon as practicable.
Find out more and apply at www.eqc.govt.nz/on-solds
Phone us on 0800 DAMAGE (326 243) or email info@eqc.govt.nz
*The EQC cap for damage is as at the time of the Canterbury earthquakes: $100,000 (+GST)