Inner city flats too high-risk for most insurance companies

Press, 7 August 1985, Page 12

Inner city flats too high-risk for most insurance companies

In Residence

Carole van Grondelle

PROPERTY REPORTER

Maria Clare moved into a central Christchurch flat several months ago. The advantages of living so close to town were wonderful, she thought: five minutes walk to work, and only five minutes away from Hagley Park, the Museum, the Art Gallery, and the Arts Centre. It was so easy for friends to pop round for coffee and a chat. Within minutes of deciding to see a movie, she could be there, seated. The smog and the noise of traffic she decided she could handle, for a while at least. Once she was settled in,

Ms Clare realised she needed to insure her belongings. After all, the burglary rate in Christchurch is high, and the possibility of fire or storm always there. That is when she struck problems. After telephoning various insurance companies she realised there was a virtual embargo on insuring central-city flats within the four avenues. The problem, it appears, is Christchurch’s crime rate. About 10,000 burglaries were committed in Christchurch last year, just under half of them in the central area. Of $23 million of pro-

perty stolen, only 40 per cent was recovered by the police. As a consequence, most insurance companies prefer not to insure inner-city flats. The policy was set down about this time last year, and there are few exceptions.

Of those companies Ms Clare approached, A.M.P. General and Fire Insurance said that it no longer offered insurance policies for multi-tenancy properties in central Christchurch, only for those who lived in their own homes, or alone in a rented house.

Colonial Mutual and Norwich Union followed suit, saying that the comings and goings of flat members and friends, and the high burglary rate, were the two main reasons for generally refusing insurance policies to central-city tenants. S.I.M.U. and New Zealand Insurance would consider insuring, but would have to inspect the property first to check its security. Guardian Royal Exchange would check the house first also, but even then would offer only a limited cover — for fire, burglary, malicious

In 1971, Jon and Jacqui returned home to help resuscitate the ailing New Zealand Ballet Company. It was a difficult time for them both. “The company was so down, it looked as if it wouldn’t continue. We had only 1 eight dancers. Jacqui and I managed to keep talking fast enough so it didn’t close down.” Today, the company is fit and well again — more than 30 years old, and with 25 full-time dancers. In a career with many high points, royal command performances — he’s done five — stood out. “Not that I’m a royalist, dear.” What was so special? Dancing in front of important people? He nodded. The Excitement? He cut a hand through the air. “It’s just that everything’s bubbling,” he said, beaming. Comedy and classics were his fortes — Petrouchka and the -romantic lead in Giselle his favourite roles. Yet something was missing in this artist’s life — a gap that was filled in 1978 when his brother took him to meet the guru, Swami Muktananda, in India. “My mind and eyes became open to myself,” he recalled. “My whole outlook broadened, opened out. It sounds contradictory, but words do that, don’t they?” After 22 years of marriage, Jon and Jacqui have beaten the stereotypes about artists, being emotionally unstable.

and storm damage, but not theft. The only company Ms Clare telephoned which would definitely insure her household goods was State Insurance, but the security of her property still had to be checked. Having accepted’ the insurance companies’ position, Maria Clare is now much more security-conscious — a good thing, she realises. The pleasures of living in central Christchurch do not now, however, seem to her quite so appealing. She is considering buying land out of town.

“We fight well,” he said with a laugh. They live at Paekakariki, where he paints figures and faces, she knits, and the garden receives any pent-up emotion. Jon successfully avoids the hoons and thugs who might try to make him feel uncomfortable. He doesn’t own a car, so there are no awkward confrontations with mechanics. Children were out of the question with two careers to be had. Instead, a certain cat received a lot of attention during the last 11 years. It even went on tour with the ballet in its younger days. But not any more. While the Trimmers are away with “The Rake’s Progress,” the cat will retire to a cattery. Jon Trimmer is far from retiring himself. There is much more dancing and teaching to be done. He stood up and walked across the room with grace that has been practised so often it comes naturally. Light streamed in from a window behind him, accentuating his unworldly shape. As he bent over a table to eheck a detail in a programme, his body seemed as delicate as a wafer — as if it could snap in half. I had been unaware of this marvellous machine throughout our conversation. Now it was. in motion, my eyes were riveted. “It’s not bad,” he said, patting his thighs with cool detachment. "It’s been better.”