Cyclone Gabriel NZ

[epoxyboy]

A national state of emergency has been declared.
Four confirmed dead so far, more missing, thousands without power and/or flooded out of their homes, bridges out, roads blocked, multiple communities cut off.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/...ands-evacuated

4LDMX9N_NZ_Gabrielle_Feb13_jpg.jpg

We were supposed to be taking the house bus up to the North Island this coming weekend. After 38 minutes on hold, I finally got to speak to a person to cancel our ferry tickets. They have a massive backlog to clear, and we don't need to be holidaying in a disaster area, so win- win.

Pete

[WX]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-64940342

"[When] people are sleeping with lifejackets by the door, you know it's bad," said displaced West Auckland resident Morgan Allen. "The anxiety has reached peak levels."

[John B]

Yeah, old news gets dropped off the radar, yet there are people all over the country living lives of varying levels of misery because of cyclone gabrielle and the floods that came a week or three ahead of it. Region dependent.
It turned out we did get affected more than I'd first thought with some flood damage requiring insurance claims. Pretty minor really , but its caused some upheaval and stress in our family just not knowing and having trouble getting it settled due to the various insurance underwriters being overwhelmed, let alone contractors from earthworks/ roading right through building and finishing trades.

Something begins to smell. The way it works here... You insure direct or through a broker. The insurance company you thought you'd be dealing with hands the claim to a third party operation that cut its teeth on the Christchurch earthquakes. This operation ( which I won't name ) deems the value of the claim, organises the works and proceeds with the works.
So the people you have to negotiate value with are the people who set the value and already have the contract to do the work( when they can or feel like it).
The fox is guarding the henhouse , a crystal clear example of conflict of interest.

[robm]

Thank you, JohnB, for letting us know what the "state of the art" for insurance claim avoidance is coming to. I feel sure that most of us will someday soon be in a similar position.

[Chip-skiff]

Sorry to hear that your Kiwi profiteering buggers are just as contemptible as those in the 'States.

That real estate contracts, mortgages, insurance contracts, and such can be unilaterally reassigned to another party is a wonderful example of vulture capitalism in action.

Hope your get it resolved.

[Chip-skiff]

In terms of dodging and dissembling, I recall the leaky buildings issue, which was minor compared to this.

[Breakaway]

Hope things work out for the best, you En Zedders.

Sorry to hear that your Kiwi profiteering buggers are just as contemptible as those in the 'States.

For the record, in the aftermath of Sandy, an insurance rep/ adjuster showed up with an iPad in three days. His offer was for more than what I had estimated. Same for my mom's house, and same for other folks I know. Everyone got a quick and fair settlement.

If they had federal flood insurance, that is.

Those who did not have FFL fared less well.

Kevin

[John B]

I don't know if they are profiteering but when the people who decide the value of a claim are the people who do the remedial work , that is a clear conflict of interest. I told my broker that and her response was she hears similar comments every day and that when this current disaster is cleared up there's likely to be an industry reset.
Many of us here have been involved in works contracts of some sort so we know how it goes. If I was to accept a payout as an individual then thats it. If I discover something else as work commences then there's no practical comeback because its done. A giant operation like the one I'm talking about , the foxes guarding the henhouse, could only be successful if they write in clauses that allow for variations .
You can see how that progresses, they quote, and I believe they have good people working for them who do their best, but they have a backstop with the potential to inflate the works value as they find stuff. So their quotes can be on the lower scale.
All this I'm sure is legal, but has giant potential for abuse, it is a conflict of interest.
Anyway, our problems are relatively minor and although stressful at times nothing of the scale that many are facing. Those people have lost homes or like the article find their land valueless because of location or topography , but they still are facing what I'm talking about on top of all of that.
One thing we all know, insurance payments will sky rocket.

[Breakaway]

I don't know if they are profiteering but when the people who decide the value of a claim are the people who do the remedial work , that is a clear conflict of interest. I told my broker that and her response was she hears similar comments every day and that when this current disaster is cleared up there's likely to be an industry reset.
Many of us here have been involved in works contracts of some sort so we know how it goes. If I was to accept a payout as an individual then thats it. If I discover something else as work commences then there's no practical comeback because its done. A giant operation like the one I'm talking about , the foxes guarding the henhouse, could only be successful if they write in clauses that allow for variations .
You can see how that progresses, they quote, and I believe they have good people working for them who do their best, but they have a backstop with the potential to inflate the works value as they find stuff. So their quotes can be on the lower scale.
All this I'm sure is legal, but has giant potential for abuse, it is a conflict of interest.
Anyway, our problems are relatively minor and although stressful at times nothing of the scale that many are facing. Those people have lost homes or like the article find their land valueless because of location or topography , but they still are facing what I'm talking about on top of all of that.
One thing we all know, insurance payments will sky rocket.

The inspectors/ adjusters I referenced were from out of state, and not doing the work. Mine was from Colorado, or so he said. Also not likely to be having local contacts ( Of course, anyone can be gotten to, eh?) Though, they brought in adjusters from away not to steer clear of graft, but because they needed help. There was a flood ( sorry!) of claims in the wake of the storm.

Kevin