Dispute over damage to antique stove at museum
The CHB Settlers Museum in Waipawa insists it is not responsible for a $20,000 antique stove that was damaged while in its care.
The Lakeside Foundry cast iron stove was left in the care of the museum by its owner, Lindsay McNicol, who acquired it from a South Island scrap yard about 30 years ago
“I thought if the museum is interested that's a good place for it to be,” McNicol said.
The stove was insured for $20,000 when he moved it from Oamaru to Hawke's Bay last year, but when the premium expired he could not afford to renew it.
A dispute ensued after the stove's legs collapsed while in the museum's care.
The museum's lawyer, Martin Rockel, said the stove broke due to regular wear and tear and it was the owner's responsibility to have insurance for the stove.
McNicol, on the other hand, said the stove could not have been broken without being dropped.
“It's either fallen from a height, it's been on a forklift or something,” McNicol said.
The museum originally said it was happy to pay for the repairs if the ownership of the stove was passed on to it.
But after lawyers became involved the museum said it would no longer pay for the repairs, and would return the stove to McNicol in its current condition.
McNicol said he was happy for the stove to remain under the care of the museum if it paid for the repairs and the ownership remained with him.