Auckland flood damage: Rates demand pressures West Auckland mum as flooding ordeal drags on

By RNZ

Izma Azad no longer shuts the front gate of her West Auckland home - there is nothing valuable inside, she says.

Azad and her family were forced out of their home after floodwaters gushed through their property on January 27.

Her 10-year-old daughter was almost swept away as they tried to escape.

Two days later her house was yellow-stickered.

A nasty surprise

That was not the end of her ordeal.

“On the 27th [of January] we got flooded and on the 7th of February I got the rates in my inbox.

“They know full well my house has been yellow-stickered, because they did it. So I rang and asked them about rate relief, or you know, an extension.”

She said she was told she could set up a payment plan, but if the payments were late, she would have to pay interest and penalties and the payment plan might incur interest as well.

Auckland Council head of rates valuations and data management Rhonwen Heath said notices were sent through an automated system.

Izma Azad is facing financial pressures while not knowing the fate of her flooded house. Photo / RNZ / Mahvash Ikram

The council postponed sending some letters after the floods, but legally the ratepayer must be notified at least 14 days prior to the due date.

She said that at this stage home owners with stickered properties do not qualify for rates remission, but they could get support through grants.

“This lets the council target financial support to those who have been impacted the most and who are most in need.”

A grant can also target support to tenants, not just property owners.

However, a report was being prepared on the options that existed for the council to provide further assistance, which will be presented to the governing body “for their consideration as soon as practicable”.

Insurer wants scope of work to be done

In the meantime, Azad’s insurance provider IAG had told her the scope of work required

The carpets have been removed due to flooding. The kitchen flooring has also been taken out.

She said the floorboards were still damp.

“So the foundations of the house no one’s looked at them, aside from poking their head under the opening under the house.”

Azad said she was worried the foundations were damaged.

For now the family was living in a rental property.

IAG covered temporary accommodation for up to $25,000 a year.

And rent was not her only bill.

With two school-age children and a pet, the Azad family also had day-to-day expenses.

An IAG spokesperson said two of the family’s car claims had already been settled and they had also paid the first eight weeks of rental accommodation.

They confirmed a claims representative had contacted Azad again since RNZ reached out to them.

“We had also paid them $6450 in emergency payments to use for replacing any emergency items or helping with things like bond payments when sourcing rental property.”

Inside Izma Azad's yellow-stickered West Auckland home, damaged by flooding in January. Photo / RNZ / Mahvash Ikram

For Azad, there was no end in sight - and the bills were piling up.

She said she was paying rent, mortgages, rates and insurance at the moment.

“I am done, I am so tired.

“You know, my daughter almost got swept away with the force of the water and then I have insurance asking me for receipts and I am having to explain to them that things were in the bags that got swept away from my daughter.”

The IAG spokesperson said receipts were not needed to settle the Azad family’s claim.

“We are currently working through the information provided by our customers to calculate their settlement - and once they request payment, it will be ready for them.”

Izma said the land her house was built on was never fit for purpose.

She wanted council to buy the property and never build on it again and she believed council needed to pay a fair price.

“If the council wants to charge me rates based on my current rateable value, then that’s what I’d expect.”