Oddball things people claim for

Ever hear the story ... of the man who found a wasp's sting so agitating he had to pour petrol on its nest and set it on fire?

Did you hear he not only destroyed the nest but in the process also got rid of his neighbour's hedge, garage and the vintage Rolls Royce inside? Then he made a claim to his insurance company. The company would not comment on whether it paid out.

Insurance companies in New Zealand are constantly receiving such claims.

Another client made a claim for a burglary at his house; among the items stolen, 3000 condoms and the book The Joy Of Sex. The condoms were covered under "wearing apparel". Asked if the items were for commercial use, the client had said: "No, I just like it a lot."

No longer is it just American companies insuring unorthodox things for dazzling sums - Supermodel Heidi Klum has legs reportedly worth US$2.2million.

Denise Bailey, communications and event manager for IAG, which covers State and NZI insurance, said the companies often received quirky and unusual claims.

She provided some she found most amusing.

One client, a dairy farmer, had claimed for the loss of milk after his neighbour's bull jumped a fence and then escaped, but not before impregnating several of his milking cows.

And another farmer had filed a claim for a cow that had been on the back of a farm trailer. The vehicle had gone under a bridge and the cow had reared up at the same time - decapitating it.

People on the streets of Wanganui said they had insurance for their important belongings or to protect their health.

Unusual claims did not seem to figure in their insurance matters, although many were sure there had to be some amusing ones.

One elderly man summed up his feelings of his insurance dealings: "I don't get my claim until I die - so it's a waste of time!"