Couple ‘refugees’ in their own city
An Auckland couple are still unable to return home four months after a tree crashed through the roof of their house during a storm.
San Loo Lee, 75, and wife Siew Khim Tan are in a rented home paid with money from their insurance company IAG.
They drive almost daily back to their ruined home, where Tan still runs her hairdressing business from the basement – forced to run an extension cord to the neighbour’s property to power her dryers because the electricity remains disconnected.
But time is running out for the couple, with Lee saying the insurance money will only cover temporary housing for another two months. It has left Lee worried sick.
The storm on April 10 caused chaos across the Auckland region with winds gusting up to 213kmh at Manukau Heads. Fire and Emergency dealt with 904 stormrelated callouts, most for downed trees, and more than 180,000 Aucklanders had power cuts.
The Insurance Council of New Zealand said it knew of no-one else affected by the storm still waiting on home repairs.
Lee said the financial stress, along with the stress of not being allowed to live in their home, had made him ‘‘miserable’’.
Tan said she had been concerned about the two large trees outside their property for months before the storm.
‘‘I complained to Auckland Council in March because the tree was bent and I was worried; I wanted it cut down – I rang them over and over and nothing happened.’’
The delays getting back home have been worsened by a dispute between the couple and IAG. Their home had insurance coverage up to the value of $486,795. The cost of fixing the damage was quoted as being $140,000.
Sarah Belgrave, from IAG insurance, who was working on the claim, said an independent expert was assessing the damage and IAG had offered $54,656.34 to the couple as an initial payment.
‘‘The expert recommended that amount would be enough to get the renovations started and we’ve offered that to Mr Lee. We have also made it clear to Mr Lee that as the assessor is still completing their quotes this may not be our final offer.’’
The couple are refusing to sign an agreement with IAG because they fear that might mean they get no more than the $54,000.
‘‘We’re too scared to sign – it’s not enough to fix everything,’’ Lee said.
Belgrave said a ‘‘breakdown in relationship’’ with Tan in June was contributing to delays. She said IAG had already spent $17,500 on alternative accommodation for the couple.