Newsletter #154 | CanCERN: Canterbury Communities' Earthquake Recovery Network

When a small but committed group of resident leaders kicked this organisation off in September 2010 to make sure we could put resident focused solutions into the decision making mix, we honestly thought we would be out of here by now.

We’re not! There are still a few thousand reasons to stay and until those few thousand families have a clear and supported pathway to getting back in their homes, it looks as if we still have work to do.

There are many, many people who help us to help stuck residents in the earthquake recovery and we would like to thank every single one of you. Whether you have supported us with encouragement, funding, great information, pivotal introductions, practical solutions, or open doors, we thank you with great gusto!

2015 will be a year we work with others to focus on getting people through faster and better. Our mantra will be ‘one starfish at a time’.

Until then though, we are taking a break to refresh and enjoy time with our families. The office will be closed from 21 December – 5 January, but we wont be fully staffed again until 19 January which is about when we will all be back online.

We hope you have a joyous and relaxing Christmas.

Festive regards,

Marcus, Sarah, Brian and Leanne

Things to know about jack and pack, epoxy resin, etc.

19 December 2014

Some time ago we uploaded a number of questions about jack and pack, epoxy resin, notching of bearers and other foundation repair methodologies into In the Know. There are some great responses here which hopefully will add clarity to those who have been told this is how their foundations will be repaired. Please share with others who may have concerns.

Don’t forget, if you keep hearing unanswered burning questions about the residential recovery or you are looking for some answers, go to In the Know.

If a contractors refuses to jack and pack based on the unknown status of the land or stating that the ground does not have the bearing capacity to get the lifting equipment onto site to actually do a jack and pack, what would the next steps be when this happens during;
(a) a PMO managed repair or
(b) An owner-managed repair?

See the responses from IAG, Tower and Southern Response here.

How does jack and pack reinstate the same structural integrity to the role of foundations when the land the home is sitting on has a much lower weight bearing capacity as a result of earthquake-induced land damage? Is the weight bearing capacity of the land a consideration when determining whether jack and pack is an appropriate repair methodology?

See responses from IAG and MBIE here.

How do the foundation methodologies jack and pack, notching of bearers, Smart Lift and epoxy resin or other fill techniques fulfil the EQC Act with regard to ‘replacement’ – “replacing or reinstating the building to a condition substantially the same as but not better or more extensive than its condition when new, modified as necessary to comply with any applicable laws” (quote from the EQC Act)?

How do these methodologies meet the requirement of my full replacement insurance policy? How has it been determined what ‘as new’ and ‘like for like’ mean with regard to foundation repair methodology?

See responses from IAG, Southern Response and Tower here.

When an insurer states that they will continue to insure a property only if the foundation repair has been signed off at each stage by the council, however the repair does not need a consent, what sign-off documentation is provided to the homeowner and by whom? What documentation specifically does the insurer require to ensure ongoing insurance?

See responses here.

Categories Cancern
Tags epoxy resin In the Know Jack and pack notching bearers

Community Q & A from EQC

19 December 2014

The following questions were posed to EQC via the Customer Advocacy Group. Star community leader, Carmel Jagger is all over the big questions in the community so expect her to keep asking the hard questions. Responses are from EQC.

How does EQC intend to settle land claims for cross leave titles when all owners within the cross-lease own the land in equal shares but damage to insured areas is not equal?

The standard approach for land damage relating to individually insured cross-lease flats is to pay each flat owner for any covered damage to their exclusive land area and to split any covered damage to shared land areas between the flat owners based on their ownership obligations.

Will EQC require repair of ILV land prior to CHRP undertaking repairs to the building?

In order to expedite the repair of Canterbury homes, EQC has decided to continue to undertake CHRP repairs to buildings in advance of determinations of whether associated residential land has suffered ILV damage. EQC is in the process of developing its policy for the settlement of ILV damage claims and expects to finalise this in the first quarter of 2015.

If EQR intend to carry out repairs to building prior to any land repair who is responsible for any subsequent damage to the building?

EQC is considering this issue as part of its development of a policy for the settlement of ILV damage claims. EQC is in the process of developing its ILV policy and expects to finalise this in the first quarter of 2015.

How is DOV relevant as part of the assessment process for ILV if repair of land is consentable and feasible?

DOV is not specifically used to assess and confirm ILV damage. However, as well as geotechnical investigations, an assessment is undertaken to confirm that the property has suffered a loss of utility or value as a result of the property being more vulnerable to liquefaction damage in a future event.

EQC has not yet finalised its approach to settling ILV claims, however its preference is to settle claims based on the costs of repair where this is feasible and consentable. Where a repair is available then DOV is a settlement method that may be utilised.

If a DOA is given to an insurer does EQC still make settlement to the homeowner?

No. In general, where EQC is on notice that a customer has assigned the benefit of a claim to the insurer, EQC is obliged to pay the insurer in accordance with the DOA. However, this depends on what exactly has been assigned.

Because every Deed of Assignment is different, it is important to look at the individual terms when determining who to pay. For example, in some cases a customer will assign the benefit of the building claim only to the insurer, or sometimes building and land. If only the building claim is assigned, then any land payment will go to the customer (not the insurer). In other cases, the customer might only assign one of their claims and not all claims for the property.

We note that if there is a mortgage against the property EQC will generally be obliged to direct payment to the mortgagee (the bank) unless the mortgagee has approved the assignment to the insurer.

It will also be important for customers to check the terms of their agreements with the insurer to see what they have agreed to the insurer using the money for.

We know of homeowners who have not accepted the Crown’s Residential Red Zone offer and remained on the property who have not received notification of ILV or IFV potential – can this be explained? If they are neither ILV or IFV when can they expect their land claim to be settled?

The red zone data as to who has accepted a pay-out from CERA and who has not is still being worked on. We have deliberately excluded these properties until the data is clear enough to use.

Categories Earthquake CommissionEQC
Tags Cross-lease DOA DOV IFV ILV Land settlements

Recycle Project garages a win for community

19 December 2014

The past couple of weeks have produced some amazing results for our Recycle, Reuse, Relocate project with the generous donation of two double garages, which have found new homes at the Linwood and Rolleston Menz Sheds. After what has been a sometimes painfully slow process, securing these two garages has made the entire project feel worthwhile.

Well over a year ago, staff at CanCERN were musing about the amount of material from the red zone that was headed for the tip. It just felt like such a waste, especially considering that many not-for-profit groups could really do with some upgrades and put a lot of this material to good use. Thus the Recycle, Reuse, Relocate project was born. The idea was simple: to give community groups, kindergartens and schools access to materials for projects that would normally draw on community support or special not-for-profit funding by recycling materials destined for the tip (a basic premise from the outset was that this project would not involve any money passing hands so that it could never be mistaken for a business).

While we’ve been able to secure smallish items like kitchens and garden sheds, our sights have always been set on a garage for one of the local Menz Sheds. Garages don’t come cheap and there are plenty to be had in the red zone, but tightening security and safety restrictions in the red zone in recent months had all but dashed our hopes of ever getting our hands on one.

Imagine our delight and surprise when a couple of fortuitous phone calls to local demolition contractors resulted in not one, but two double garages! Thanks to the quick-thinking and skills of R.R.R. project coordinator Simon Gurnsey and The Menz Shed network, teams mobilised to get in, dismantle, and relocate the garages on very short notice. For the Linwood Menz Shed, this has meant they no longer have to operate from under their concertina marquee, the tarp of which they take down when the really big southerlies are blowing. For Rolleston, their metal working shop has just found a new home.

We can’t say thank you enough to Tim from City Salvage and Peter from Selkirk Place Yard for their generosity in donating these garages. It’s great to finish the year on a high note and we know there will be lasting benefits to both communities for many years to come.

Categories Cancern
Tags Linwood Menz Shed Recycle Project Recycle Reuse Relocate Rolleston Menz Shed

Things to know about jack and pack, epoxy resin, etc.

Community Q & A from EQC

Changes to the Building Act

Foundation repair fact sheets

Recycle Project garages a win for community

RAS update – technical panel

Getting EQR customers through CHRP

Cool stuff for a community fun day

Materials on offer from Gap Filler

Need a computer stand?