Time for Government to Pay up

new-zealand-first-party

Wed Mar 18 2015 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)

Time for Government to Pay up

Wednesday, 18 March 2015, 10:38 am
Press Release: New Zealand First Party

The Quake Outcasts group’s win in court against the government has exposed the repeated ineptitude of government policy in making illegal and grossly unfair offers of only 50 per cent of the 2007 rates valuation for uninsured and bare land properties, says New Zealand First.

“The government must admit its error and pay up, so that the Quake Outcasts get the full 100 per cent of the 2007 rates valuation, says Canterbury Earthquakes Spokesperson Denis O’Rourke.

“The Quake Outcasts group has had to take their case all the way to the Supreme Court, incurring significant legal costs and years of delay.

“The court has found what everyone knew the government’s offer was illegal and inequitable.

“The government’s decision to offer only half of what other red zone property owners received in compensation for their homes, many of which were not badly damaged, was inexplicable. It has never been disputed that bare land owners could not have insured their land.

“The government must also in all fairness now pay the other 50 per cent to uninsured or bare land owners who felt obliged to accept the original 50 per cent offer. The Quake Outcasts know of at least two people who sold their homes to CERA for very little money (around $50,000), and who were not part of the legal action. They were bullied by the stubborn and intransigent Minister Brownlee into accepting the offer, and must now get full compensation.

“In addition, all of these people should get interest on 100 per cent of the 2007 rates valuation for a reasonable period to compensate for the extraordinary delay in getting resolution, as well as the actual costs of the legal action,” says Mr O’Rourke.

ENDS

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