More Time For Canterbury Homeowners To Get Funding For Earthquake Repairs

Canterbury homeowners of on-sold, over-cap properties are being urged to apply for financial help to repair earthquake damage, and now they have an extra two months to apply.

The deadline has been extended to 14 October 2020 for people who purchased houses before 14 August 2019 and then discovered unrepaired earthquake damage to apply for a Government grant through EQC.

Any properties purchased after 14 August 2019, when the On-Sold programme was announced, are not eligible for the payments.

EQC chief executive Sid Miller said the extension was an opportunity for anyone who had bought a house before 14 August 2019 and discovered earthquake-related damage to ensure they could get it repaired.

The deadline only applies to on-sold homes, other claims such as remedial works will follow the normal process and more information is available on the EQC website.

Mr Miller said it has been a long-standing concern of Canterbury residents that there are still some homes with incomplete repairs or previously undetected damage, and people had suffered major disruptions and stress as a result.

“We are working hard to resolve all outstanding Canterbury claims as quickly as we can, and this extension is part of that. Last year the Government put aside $300 million for the On-Sold programme so those homeowners can finally get on and fix their homes”.

“We have already received more than 1,000 registrations for the programme.”

“This is the last chance for Canterbury homeowners, who bought a property after the earthquakes, to apply for government assistance to get their homes repaired as we won’t be able to accept any applications after 14 October 2020,” Mr Miller said.

“It’s easy to apply on-line. If you are aware of damage get your application in as soon as possible but I would encourage all on-sold homeowners to get professional advice. Once we’ve checked your property fits the criteria, we’ll work with you to get your application paid out as fast as possible.”

Mr Miller said the problem of on-sold properties highlights the importance of a professional pre-purchase building inspection.

“It’s really important that buyers and property owners do not rely on EQC claims assessments to assess all aspects of their property. These documents cannot replace a pre-purchase inspection and may not identify damage that the previous owner has not claimed for.”

The criteria for On-Sold programme can be found on the EQC website:

https://www.eqc.govt.nz/canterbury/on-sold-over-cap-properties

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