I bought a house with old earthquake damage. Can I claim?

General information from Lawmateanz

It depends. In New Zealand, damage that happened before you owned the property may not be covered for you, because the claim generally belonged to the previous owner at the time.

In some cases, the previous owner's claim rights may have been passed to you as part of the sale, so check your sale agreement and ask the seller and the Natural Hazards Commission about past claims.

If the seller knew about damage and didn't disclose it, or the property was misrepresented, you may have a claim against them.

Before buying, check the Natural Hazards Commission's claim history and get a building report. A property lawyer can advise on your options.

Written by Lawmateanz, not by a lawyer. General information only, not legal advice about your situation. For advice about your own matter, talk to a lawyer.

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General information only. Answers are written by independent lawyers based only on what's in the question. They aren't legal advice about your situation and don't create a lawyer–client relationship. For advice about your own matter, talk to a lawyer directly.